Abstract
Mentorship is an essential component to achieving success as a design educator. Faculty members bring a tremendous amount of professional design experience and knowledge to their students and schools, but they cannot be expected to learn and grow as academic professionals in isolation. This study discusses best practices for establishing and developing mentorship programs for design educators. To begin, an introduction to mentorship is provided. The definition and standard functions of mentorship, responsibilities shared by participants, and activities performed in the mentor-mentee relationship are examined. Close attention is given to the ways in which teacher-mentees, particularly those who are new to academia, can be socialized into the profession and the institution itself. A list of guiding principles and characteristics of mentorship is also enclosed. These include collaboration, purpose, trust, and mutual benefits. Then, following these overviews, focus is given to explaining how design schools and their faculty members can develop effective mentoring programs. A review of diverse mentorship models and their approaches are described, along with step-by-step methods for cultivating a dynamic partnership between mentors and mentees. To conclude, extensive research-based findings explicate the key benefits of mentorship for mentees, mentors, and the institution itself.
Presenters
Steven FaermAssociate Professor of Fashion, Parsons School of Design, Parsons School of Design, The New School, New York, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Faculty Mentorship, Professional Development, Faculty Support, Teacher Communities, School Operations
