Academic mentoring at UNSW: Supporting your learning and teaching journey

Looking for support in learning and teaching, leadership, or career development? 

Feeling stuck or unsure about your next step as an educator? Whether you’re refining your teaching approach, designing learning experiences, applying for teaching-related grants or awards, or building confidence in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), you don’t have to do it alone. Maybe what you need isn’t another workshop, framework, or resource… maybe it’s a mentor!  

Mentoring can offer a range of meaningful benefits, including supporting career and skill development, the uptake of innovative teaching practices, and fostering a more collegial academic culture (Johnson & Griffin, 2024). 

Academic mentoring at UNSW 

The UNSW Academic Mentoring program supports academics and professional staff who are seeking guidance within teaching and learning. Established in 2019 to address a gap in structured learning and teaching mentoring, the program offers mentoring for teacher development, applying for grants, awards and fellowships, and building capability in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). By connecting mentees with experienced colleagues, the scheme creates a supportive space for reflection, goal-setting, and professional growth. What makes this scheme distinctive is its mentee-driven approach: mentees choose their own mentors based on their goals and needs. In addition, all mentors undertake dedicated training, promoting a more consistent mentoring experience.  

Evidence-based mentoring practice 

The UNSW Academic Mentoring program is grounded in research on academics’ perspectives of mentoring (Ambler et al., 2016) and informed by the Spectrum Approach to Mentoring (Harvey et al., 2017). It is a goal-oriented framework, which highlights the diversity of mentoring relationships that are possible, ranging from ongoing, sustained partnerships to short-term engagements aligned with a specific task, or area of focus. By embedding an evidence-based approach, the scheme moves beyond informal advice-giving to intentional, reflective mentoring that supports capability building, confidence, and sustainable academic careers in learning and teaching contexts. 

Mentoring in action: Professor Terry Cumming and Senior Lecturer, Dr Ellen Lee

The following case study showcases the practical impact of mentoring in supporting professional development and enhancing academic practice. 

The mentoring relationship between Professor Terry Cumming and Dr Ellen Lee has been sustained, practical, and deeply collegial. Meeting regularly over lunch or ‘a cuppa’, their conversations have supported Ellen across her progression from casual academic to Senior Lecturer. Terry’s focus has been on guiding Ellen to ‘prioritise the many competing demands in academia’, offering thoughtful advice around teaching, research, and leadership. For Ellen, even though the mentoring wasn’t a formal arrangement at first, it quickly became central to her development. She notes that the sustained relationship has remained an important part of her academic journey. 

Motivation 

The motivation to engage in mentoring was shaped strongly by Terry’s own experience as an early-career academic. Though her own mentor was not from her research area, she appreciated making the human connection, having someone to bounce ideas off, and gain insight into ‘the hidden curriculum’. The benefit of that early support became her catalyst to ‘pay it forward,’ with many of her mentoring relationships evolving into collaborations. Ellen’s inspiration comes from the value of experienced guidance: “My goals span education, research, and leadership, and Terry has helped me break these down into achievable steps.” She particularly appreciates that Terry’s advice is grounded in successes, making it both practical and helpful in building her confidence. 

Benefits of mentorship 

Terry and Ellen see the mentoring relationship as mutually beneficial. Terry notes that “colleagues will always learn from one another, as we have different strengths and needs.” Ellen has suggested ‘tweaks’ to Terry’s course and pedagogy that students have loved and they have worked together on making a classroom simulation project successful. For Ellen, the impact is ongoing: “I continue to benefit from this relationship every day,” and she credits Terry with helping her build inclusive teaching strategies, navigate research challenges, and think strategically about leadership. “Her guidance has given me confidence and clarity in areas where I once felt uncertain,” she explains. 

Advice for mentors and mentees 

Terry stresses the importance of establishing expectations early on. “I find mentoring works best if the first couple of meetings are focused on what each person expects to get out of the relationship.” Ellen encourages mentees to be open. “Don’t hesitate to ask questions,” she stresses, “even the ones that feel small because those conversations often lead to the biggest breakthroughs.” 

Get involved 

If you are interested in joining the UNSW Academic Mentoring program as a mentor or mentee, find out more here. The program is particularly seeking mentors to support staff who are applying for Advance HE Fellowships. The next training session is scheduled for 7 May 2026. There are also resources on the Academic Mentoring site for both mentees and mentors.