Texas A&M Offices to Promote “Culture of Mentoring” during National Mentoring Month

COLLEGE STATION, Jan. 4, 2022 – January is National Mentoring Month, a campaign to raise awareness about and promote the value of mentoring to effect positive change in people’s lives. First launched in 2002 by the Harvard School of Public Health, the monthlong public service campaign was first endorsed by President George W. Bush, and has since been endorsed by both chambers of the U.S. Congress.  

For organizations that support mentoring across a variety of institutions and fields, National Mentoring Month presents an opportunity to increase mentor and mentee participation in mentoring programs, pursue additional investments, and advance legislative priorities that support mentoring, all to broaden the impact of mentoring in improving people’s academic, social and economic prospects and to strengthen communities.

Understanding the power of mentoring in higher education to create and maintain a climate that enables transformation, Texas A&M has invested resources in mentoring programs to aid in student and new faculty development. From the Faculty Mentoring Academy to Responsible Conduct of Research and the Graduate Mentoring Academy, Texas A&M offers a range of mentoring programming and initiatives.

In 2019, to connect the various mentoring efforts around the university, Texas A&M launched its “Culture of Mentoring” initiative, focusing on five key areas: building a community of mentors, mentorship development, formalizing mentorship plans, fostering campus collaborations, and supporting educational research. Building a culture of mentoring is a joint effort of multiple university offices and entities, such as the Office of the Dean of Faculties, Center for Teaching Excellence, Graduate and Professional School, Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER), Texas A&M faculty facilitators, faculty participants, and the broader campus community.

Dr. Clint Patterson, Instructional Consultant in the Texas A&M Center for Teaching Excellence, explains the impetus of the Culture of Mentoring initiative. “Because mentoring is so important in maximizing the transformative potential of education,” Patterson said, “we really have to approach it thoughtfully, strategically and collaboratively.”

Throughout the month, via a social media campaign using #TAMUMentoring and #NationalMentoringMonth, university offices and entities participating in the Culture of Mentoring initiative will highlight and celebrate the successes of various mentoring programs offered across its campuses. Everyone in the Aggie community is invited to post about their mentoring efforts or experiences, particularly on important dates:

January 6: I Am a Mentor Day
January 16: International Mentoring Day
January 27: Thank Your Mentor Day
 
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Media contact: Rob Dixon, Texas A&M University Graduate and Professional School, 979-845-3631, rdixon@tamu.edu.