In this episode, we sit down with R. Todd Benson from COACHE (Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education) to explore what makes faculty mentoring truly effective. Todd shares insights from COACHE's extensive research on faculty job satisfaction and workplace climate across hundreds of institutions. We discuss the data-driven elements that contribute to successful mentoring relationships, common pitfalls departments face, and practical strategies for creating a culture where both new and established faculty can thrive. Whether you're a department chair, a seasoned mentor, or a junior faculty member seeking guidance, this conversation offers perspectives on building stronger academic communities through intentional mentoring practices.

R. Todd Benson

R. Todd Benson, Ed.D., is the executive director and principal investigator of the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) — a research-practice partnership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Benson leads the COACHE team across all dimensions of its research and partner engagement and has worked in higher education for three decades. He is the co-author of a new book: Evaluating Educational Development: A Comprehensive and Data-Driven Approach for Colleges and Universities, (Carol A. Hurney, Bonnie B. Mullinix and R. Todd Benson, Routledge, December 2024), which shows how educational developers can use data to monitor and demonstrate the impact of their work, laying the foundation for evidence-based decisions to improve practice.
Benson earned his doctoral degree in Higher Education Leadership and Policy at Vanderbilt University, where he studied the experiences of doctoral students and the factors that contributed to their respective career outcomes. Previously, Benson served as a student affairs professional for over 10 years at colleges and universities across the country.

Resources:

Hurney, C.A., et al. (2024). Evaluating Educational Development: A Comprehensive and Data-Driven Approach for Colleges and Universities, Routledge.

Mathews, K., & Benson, R. T. (2023). Evidence-based faculty development: The COACHE research-practice partnership. In Success After Tenure (pp. 263-284). Routledge.

Davis, T. M., et al. 2022). Barriers to the successful mentoring of faculty of color. Journal of Career Development, 49(5), 1063-1081.