Enhancing Educational Quality: Reforming Mentorship Practices in Private Higher Education

This research investigates faculty mentorship as a pivotal factor influencing educational quality in private universities in Oman, highlighting the tension between academic rigor and financial imperatives. The study underscores the need to address how mentoring practices are increasingly shaped by profit-driven pressures, a topic largely overlooked in the Quality Education framework. Using in-depth interviews, observations, and secondary data analysis, the research examines the extent to which financial constraints and mentorship practices affect academic standards and student outcomes. The findings reveal that mentorship programs, originally intended to support faculty development, have been repurposed to align with revenue generation goals. This shift prioritizes financial objectives, such as student retention and satisfaction, over academic integrity. Informal mentoring further exacerbates the issue, reinforcing profit-focused policies and fostering practices like lenient grading and reduced rigor. These trends contribute to grade inflation, diminished academic standards, and devalued degrees, which undermine student success and institutional credibility. Additionally, the profit-oriented approach displaces academic priorities, leading to ethical conflicts, job dissatisfaction, and reduced faculty morale. The study calls for a critical reassessment of mentorship roles in private universities, advocating for transparent and accountable policies that balance financial sustainability with academic excellence. By preserving the integrity of higher education, such reforms can enhance faculty development, support student success, and uphold the fundamental values of academia. Keywords: Private Universities, Faculty Mentorship, Quality of Education, Financial Motives, UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), Institutional Control