Mentoring is often used in academic settings (deJanasz & Sullivan, 2004). There is though, a lack of evaluation of these mentoring programs (Savage, Karp & Logue, 2004). Hopkins and Grigoriu (2005) found that research on mentoring in community colleges focused more on the informal mentoring of college leadership and less on the formal mentoring of newly hired faculty.

This action research project assessed an existing formal mentoring program for newly hired, full-time faculty members at a community college. This project allowed me to develop my leadership as I worked with administrators and faculty to evaluate, reenergize, and improve the college's program. Data collection involved artifact review, surveys, and interviews. Data suggested a need to train and support mentors in their role. I worked with a group of faculty members to create an online training resource covering basic concepts of mentoring. Concepts from appreciative inquiry guided the study, and I assessed my leadership using reflective practice and journaling.