ABSTRACT. Mentoring is an important aspect of workplace advancement, particularly for faculty of color (FOC). Due to low representation of FOC at higher ranks in many fields, FOC are often mentored by someone of a different race, typically someone who is white. Faculty mentors who differ from their mentee on race may be less equipped to support FOC in navigating the unique challenges they face within the academy (e.g., racism, tokenism, microaggressions), but may also use their racial privilege to support mentees. The current qualitative study examines FOC perceptions about how race affects their cross-racial mentoring relationships. We analyzed interview data of 56 tenure-track faculty from a large, predominantly white, Midwestern research university. Our analysis yielded three themes: (a) factors that shape how race affects the mentoring relationship, (b) racial difference as conferring benefits to the mentoring relationship, and (c) racial difference as irrelevant to the mentoring relationship. In our discussion, we highlight the ways cross-racial mentors can offer support to FOC, while also taking into account the limitations associated with these mentoring relationships. We conclude with recommendations for how institutions may enhance the mentoring of FOC
Thorne, K. M., Jones, M. K., Davis, T. M., & Settles, I. H. (2021). The significance of race in cross-racial mentoring of faculty of color. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 7(4), 462–472. https://doi-org.libproxy.kenyon.edu/10.1037/tps0000286
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