Mentoring relationships are constantly evolving. Mentorship roles can change; for example, mentees may transition into mentors. Types of mentorship can change as well. For example, a dyad mentorship may evolve into a group mentorship model. These transitions or evolutions should take place within environments of open and ongoing communication, as with any relationship.

Although many mentoring relationships continue indefinitely, there are also times when these relationships undergo transitions or require more formal closure. Some mentoring relationships are bound by time, or development needs may have been met, or there may be challenges that make them no longer sustainable.

During times of mentorship transition and closure, we encourage mentors and mentees to reflect on the strengths and challenges in mentoring relationships. Spending time reviewing what worked and what didn’t allows mentors and mentees to identify areas for future mentorship development. You are encouraged to review your mentorship plans and goals to self-assess your teaching and mentorship development and practices. It is important to understand that engaging in mentorship demonstrates a commitment to lifelong learning. These times of transition and closure present valuable opportunities for reflecting and developing future goals.

Please consult some questions below to guide reflections during closure or transition.

Reflection questions for mentor

• In what ways have I tried to be a good mentor?
• How open have I been to guidance and feedback?
• How have I tried to reciprocate and support my mentee?
• What are my strengths as a mentor?
• How might I improve in terms of being a good mentor?

Reflection questions for mentee

• In what ways have I tried to be a good mentee?
• How open have I been to guidance and feedback?
• How have I tried to reciprocate and support my mentor?
• What are my strengths as a mentee?
• How might I improve in terms of being a good mentee?

Final thoughts

It is very much our hope that this guide provides a practical framework to inspire, expand and enrich new mentoring relationships. We attempted to capture and organize the best practices we distilled from our most rewarding experiences as mentees and mentors. We also attempted to provide practical suggestions and advice to help readers build dynamic and rewarding mentoring relationships.

We feel strongly that mentoring relationships form the bedrock of a healthy, nurturing and collegial teaching and learning academic community. There are huge opportunities for growth and learning when mentors and mentees engage in mutually respectful and productive relationships. We hope you will find some of our thoughts useful for your specific needs and interests.

We also hope you will engage with us and share some of your own experiences to further improve this guide, as we expect to revise, expand and enrich it in the future. If you find parts of this guide particularly useful, or if you find important topics missing, we would very much like to hear your specific comments and suggestions. We envision this guide as a dynamic and evolving document that will capture new ideas and experiences as we continue learning about cultivating productive and nurturing practices in mentoring relationships for teaching and learning in the future.

adapted from “The Mentorship Guide for Teaching and Learning,” by Barrette-Ng et al,  Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning at the University of Calgary, shared with a CC BY NC 4.0 license.