Impact of COVID-19 on Formal Mentorship

Despite numerous benefits, formal faculty mentorship remains underutilized within academia. Formal mentorship has been shown to aid faculty in acclimating to the expectations of higher education, assist in balancing work-life obligations, and provide professional and psychosocial support. These areas of formal support and connection are critical given the significant changes and disruptions caused by the pandemic. Through use of a narrative approach, 10 social work faculty who were teaching during the pandemic, as well as mentees in a formal mentoring relationship, were interviewed to explore the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on their experiences with formal mentorship. All participants maintained a virtual connection with their mentor during the pandemic, though two experienced a decrease in communication. Four themes that emerged were how mentors helped mentees frame professional development during the pandemic, the shifting focus and deepening of the mentoring relationship, the adjustment to virtual mentoring, and the impact of faculty and institutional leadership attrition. Implications for higher education as it relates to the provision of formal mentorship as a means to increase a sense of faculty connection and support are explored, particularly within the virtual environment.