Based on the work by Owens and Kadakia, our goal is to create a learning community for mentoring, rooted in three pillars:
- Formal Learning: In-person and virtual training opportunities.
- Social Learning: A community of peer support and mentorship to consolidate learning and help navigate challenges skillfully.
- Immediate Learning: A repository of tailored and accessible resources that faculty can use in the moment.
(Source: Owens, L. M. D., & Kadakia, C. (2020). Designing for Modern Learning: Beyond ADDIE and SAM.)
Our initiative advances the six evidence-based mentoring competencies below. We strive to support our faculty in executing these competencies by offering the training, tools, and community they deserve.
- Fostering Independence: supporting mentees in developing the skills and confidence to grow from guided trainees to independent professionals.
- Maintaining Effective Communication: creating an open, ongoing dialogue that makes research collaboration and mentoring productive and transparent.
- Promoting Professional Development: helping mentees define and pursue careers that match their strengths, interests, and values, both in and beyond academia.
- Building and Maintaining Inclusive Spaces: welcoming learners from all backgrounds and creating environments where everyone can do their best work.
- Aligning Expectations: clarifying goals, roles and responsibilities early, and addressing misalignments skillfully to keep mentorship and science on track.
- Assessing Understanding: checking for comprehension and adapting guidance so mentees build the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
Our trainings aim to achieve benchmark performance levels for each of the six mentoring competencies, ranging from beginner to facilitator. These levels guide our training and evaluation, while also serving as a rubric for assisting interested faculty in identifying the appropriate training(s) for their needs. We aim to develop a cadre of faculty facilitators who help their peers navigate challenges in mentoring relationships and champion mentorship culture throughout UCSF.
| Level | Description |
| Beginner | No or some awareness of expectations "I didn’t know this was part of mentoring." OR “I think this is important but don’t know how to do it.” |
| Approaching Proficiency | Knowledge & skills without regular application "I know how to do this, but I don’t consistently practice it." |
| Competent | Effective on-the-job behaviors "I actively support mentees’ professional growth.” |
| Facilitator | Coaches others on this competency "I mentor other mentors on professional development support." |
(Modified from: Clement, Laurence (2024) Science-Driven Talent Solutions.)