2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

WIP: Exploring How Mentoring Influences Sense of Belonging Among First-Year Women Engineering Faculty

This work-in-progress abstract describes a proposal for exploring how mentoring influences the sense of belonging among first-year women engineering faculty. In recent literature, the importance of mentorship in fostering a sense of belonging among underrepresented communities in academia has gained increasing recognition [1]. Effective faculty mentoring practices and programmatic initiatives in academic departments drastically impact department culture and overall success of faculty [2]. This proposal explores the impact of mentoring on the sense of belonging experienced by first-year women engineering faculty through a faculty development workshop series. As women engineering faculty navigate the challenges of a traditionally male-dominated field, mentorship can play a crucial role in supporting their professional identity, job satisfaction, and overall retention. Additionally, effective mentoring in academic departments can significantly contribute to faculty recruitment as a whole.

The workshop series will explore how mentoring influences the sense of belonging among first-year women engineering faculty, using Strayhorn’s Sense of Belonging Framework as a guiding lens. Strayhorn’s framework defines a sense of belonging as the degree to which individuals feel accepted, valued, and included in their social and professional environments, particularly critical for underrepresented groups navigating challenging academic spaces [3]. This workshop series aims to create a safe and supportive space for women engineering faculty to explore their mentoring experiences, share strategies, and foster a stronger sense of belonging within their academic departments and work environments.

Implementing Strayhorn’s Sense of Belonging Framework, this proposal highlights the importance of mentorship in helping women engineering faculty navigate both the social and professional aspects of academic life. Mentorship relationships that promote emotional support, validation, and professional inclusion are crucial for fostering a strong sense of belonging. This proposal offers valuable insights for institutions seeking to create more inclusive faculty mentoring programs that address the unique needs of women in engineering, ultimately fostering a more supportive and welcoming academic environment.

By emphasizing the role of belonging, this study contributes to the broader literature on diversity and inclusion in STEM academia, offering practical recommendations for improving mentorship programs that support underrepresented faculty members, enhancing their integration and success in STEM academic departments. Furthermore, examining the experiences and perceptions of these faculty members, this proposal aims to highlight the pathways through which mentoring contributes to their sense of belonging and highlights the significance of supportive networks in promoting equity and inclusion within the engineering academic community.

This paper outlines the development and implementation of a faculty workshop series using Strayhorn’s framework, while offering outcomes and recommendations regarding effective faculty mentoring programs and enhancing faculty belonging. The preferred presentation style for this abstract is a Poster.

[1] Markle, R. S., Williams, T. M., Williams, K. S., deGravelles, K. H., Bagayoko, D., & Warner, I. M. (2022, May). Supporting historically underrepresented groups in STEM higher education: The promise of structured mentoring networks. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 7, p. 674669). Frontiers Media SA.

[2] Falzarano, M., & Zipp, G. P. (2012). Perceptions of mentoring of full‐time occupational therapy faculty in the United States. Occupational Therapy International, 19(3), 117-126.

[3] Strayhorn, T.L. (2018). College Students' Sense of Belonging: A Key to Educational Success for All Students (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315297293