Same-same but different: integrating central university support and faculty-specific knowledge for mentor training. A Practice Report

Abstract

Mentoring literature often cites a tension between local initiatives that target the needs of specific groups and more efficient centralised programs addressing common concerns across a larger population. For several years, the University of Sydney has had a Mentoring Network consisting of the faculties of Arts and Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Science, Sydney Law School and the Business School. These faculties have worked together to develop a community of best practice for mentoring programs at our large, multi-campus institution, and for the past two years have included a representative from Student Support Services to incorporate a centralised support component into their faculty-specific training programs. This Practice Report showcases the work of the University of Sydney Mentoring Network in combining central university services with faculty-based mentoring.