The Wiley International Handbook of Mentoring

11Mentoring Women Faculty of Color in the Academy

Brenda Lloyd‐Jones¹ and Gaëtane Jean‐Marie²

¹ University of Oklahoma, USA

² Rowan University, USA

Career advancement for women is based on several factors, and “mentoring has been heralded as a means through which women can find equality in the workplace and career success” (Kalbfleisch & Cody, 1995, p. 190). In a study on women of color at universities, Thomas and Hollenshead (2001) found that women faculty of color (WFOC) generally lack access to career support from a mentor, although it is well documented that mentoring is a process particularly important for their success in the professoriate (Brown, Davis, & McClendon, 1999; Jean‐Marie & Brooks, 2011; Stanley, 2006; Tillman, 2001; Turner, Gonzalez, & Wood, 2008). Thus, WFOC often miss out on the benefits associated with effective mentorship such as tenure appointments, position promotions, salary increases, and overall employment satisfaction (Lloyd‐Jones, 2014; McCray, 2011; Peters, 2011). Although Thomas and Hollenshead (2001) acknowledge the challenges associated with access to mentorship, they also emphasize that “many faculty women of color thrive in their academic careers despite such diminishment and disregard” (p. 167). Notwithstanding this assertion and given the empirical link between the career advancement of WFOC and mentoring relationships, it is obvious that the more women of color are mentored in the academy, the more career success they will experience. ...