No matter what mentor model is used, it is critically important to establish how issues of confidentiality will be handled. All faculty members need to work in an environment in which they can feel safe and able to address concerns without fear of retribution. A breach of confidentiality, or misunderstandings about confidentiality, can be harmful to the mentor-mentee relationship and potentially to the faculty member’s career.

Below are strategies for minimizing conflict of interest and protecting confidentiality that should be considered at the outset of the relationship.

Clarify Confidentiality

Clarify how each party defines confidentiality. Do not assume all communications are private and confidential. Be clear with each other about what is to be held in confidence. Be realistic – total confidentiality may not always be possible, such as when the mentor also serves on the mentee’s review panel. Questions to facilitate this discussion include:

• What topics or issues are most in need of protection?
• Are there individuals with whom information may or may not be shared, including spouses/partners, with or without names. Both parties should disclose if a partner is a faculty member colleague, and in which department.
• In what situations might the mentor or mentee need to disclose information, what information and to whom?

Identify Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest should be openly discussed. Ideally, mentors would not serve on a mentee’s review committee. However, in cases where this is unavoidable, the mentee should be clearly informed of the mentor’s dual role. The extent to which the mentor will be reporting to the committee should be discussed and clarified at the first mentor/mentee meeting.

Utilize Multiple Mentors

If possible, it is recommended that a mentee have multiple formal mentors for different roles, with at least one that doesn’t serve on the review committee. Many mentoring models now exist in addition to a traditional single mentor/mentee dyad. One mentor may be external to the department, college, even university and would therefore not have a conflict of interest. One may be assigned to help advance teaching skills, another for research skills. Mentees should establish a “mentoring network” and draw upon the different strengths of each mentor.

Create a Written Agreement

Address confidentiality within a written mentor/mentee agreement. It may be as simple as stating, in writing, what sensitive issues are off-limits for discussion or those which will be held in confidence. Both parties should stay true to whatever agreement is made, written or not. Over time, this will build trust. Agreements may need to be revisited periodically.

Have a No-Fault Exit Plan

If the match is not working or worthwhile, for whatever reason, neither party should feel pressure to maintain the match. Discuss the situation as openly as possible, including being clear about reasons for requesting a change. Both parties can then agree to a “no-fault conclusion,” without penalty. The chair or Mentoring Coordinator should be notified and requests made for a new match.

adapted from

• “Faculty Mentoring Toolkit: A Resource for Faculty, Mentors and Administrators” by Luz, C.C. (Ed.), Michigan State University (NSF ADVANCE Grant #0811205), shared with a CC BY NC 4.0 license.