(394) Caution Work Zone: Building a Faculty and Staff Mentoring Program

Objective: To describe the process for developing a novel mentorship program for faculty and staff within a pharmacy school at a private liberal arts institution.

Methods: In the fall 2023 semester, a workgroup charged by the Dean began developing a mentorship program for all faculty and staff at the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy at Wilkes University. The workgroup included three tenured and three non-tenured faculty members, one of each from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and two of each from the Department of Pharmacy Practice. Representing staff was the Coordinator of Admissions and Student Affairs. After two meetings, the tenured faculty from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences left the workgroup in early November. A replacement was not identified, so as program materials were developed, they were shared with that department. The workgroup met four more times during the fall semester and seven times during the spring 2024 semester. All materials developed by the workgroup were stored in a shared Google drive.

Results: A mission, vision, and values were first developed that defined the program goals: “tools and resources, networking and professional allies, personal and professional development, collegiality/team building, and success for all.” The goals comprise three pillars to “connect, grow, and achieve,” which support a foundation of “trust, empathy, open communication, and guidance.” Ten program outcomes were developed and linked to the goals. Key program implementation elements were identified, and five guidance documents were developed: mentor training, mentor-mentee pair formation, scheduled meetings, assessment, and administrative support.

Conclusions: The development of a novel pharmacy school mentorship program for faculty and staff requires the participation of all stakeholders and must start with foundational principles.