Abstract
Orientation: Mentoring is gaining popularity in organisations as a career accelerator to address organisational complexity. This is also true of the South African higher education sector, which is challenged by equity demands and the fact that a great number of scholars will be retiring over the following decade. For higher education institutions to contribute to society, developing the careers of their academics has become imperative. In the present study, a dialogic approach was used to determine the core strengths and appreciate what is best about an accelerated mentoring programme in a cosmopolitan university for senior lecturers.
Research aim: The primary aim of this study was to explore the value of an accelerated academic mentoring programme for senior lecturers within a metropolitan university.
Motivation for the study: From a South African perspective, it is critical to ensure that the next generation of academics is academically and intellectually equipped to substantively transform and develop South African universities. As faculty members are considered to be the primary deliverers of quality education, the ability of institutions to accelerate the careers and redress imbalances related to underrepresented academics is of paramount importance. A need exists for interventions and structures to be implemented at a national and institutional level to develop and fast-track the next generation of academics, to the benefit of higher education and society in general. Given this challenge, universities started to implement formal mentoring programmes, often haphazardly, in an attempt to equip faculty members with the requisite skills and capabilities to meet both the employment equity and the knowledge requirements of the country. There is therefore a need to determine the success of formal mentoring programmes in South African higher education institutions.
Research approach and method: A qualitative research approach using a case study strategy was employed in a metropolitan university in South Africa. To address the stated aim and sub-aims of the study, the chosen research design was executed in two research phases. In Phase 1, primary data were collected using the appreciative inquiry method, and analysed using a collaborative approach. In Phase 2, semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data were analysed...
M.Phil.