B-MEntor: a proposal for a joint mentoring scheme for BME academics
Overview
King’s College, Imperial College, Queen Mary, University of London, University College London
(UCL) and the Institute of Education (IoE) are developing a cross-institutional mentoring scheme for
black and minority ethnic (BME) staff. Initially, the scheme will be targeted at academic and
research staff. However the intention is for it to be opened up to staff in support roles, following a
successful evaluation of the first phase of the project. Potential mentors and mentees will be
matched according to subject disciplines or other areas of mutual interest, such as teaching
development. The scheme will be coordinated and resourced by a project team consisting of the
Equalities Leads from the five participating institutions with input and advice from their internal
BME staff networks.
Aims
The aims of the scheme are to:

Enhance learning cultures across the five institutions to ensure staff from BME
backgrounds are supported to reach their full potential;

Help advance the careers of BME staff and encourage applications for promotion and
senior positions;

Make a positive difference to individuals by supporting and encouraging their
development;
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
Progress BME staff participation in leadership and decision-making roles;

Signal the commitment of the five institutions to their BME staff;

Raise the profile of mentoring as a tool for professional development;

Reduce any feelings of isolation for staff who do not work in ethnically diverse areas;

Encourage networking across institutions;

Encourage possible research collaboration across institutions;

Ensure there are sustainable positive outcomes from the scheme.
Why mentoring for BME staff?
In all five institutions participating in the scheme, BME staff are significantly underrepresented at
senior levels. The B-MEntor scheme is being developed in an attempt to address these inequalities
and accelerate positive change through mentoring.
Wider research also reveals that BME staff can face distinct barriers to career progression in higher
education. For example, the Equality Challenge Unit recently conducted a study of the BME staff
experience in 37 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)and found that BME staff may be achieving
less, or at least differently, than non- BME staff1. For example, it was found that UK BME staff are
less likely to be involved in writing academic papers that contain research findings, or to serve as a
peer reviewer than non-BME staff or international BME staff. Participants in the research also
discussed ‘unseen cultural promotional practices’ at play, which damaged their perception of
promotions processes. The same research found that as there are so few BME staff in senior
positions within institutions, BME mentors were deemed to be vital in supporting fellow BME staff
members by helping to counter cultural assumptions.
What is mentoring?
Mentoring is a planned pairing of a more skilled or experienced person with a lesser skilled or
experienced one with the agreed goal of the mentee growing and developing specific abilities to
reach long term objectives. It is a valuable developmental process based on a two-way
relationship between the mentor and mentee.
Mentoring is based on exchanging experiences, ideas and feedback between the two parties. It
helps to promote understanding of formal and informal structures, enhances opportunities for
staff to develop and build skills and knowledge and enables continuing professional development
and personal growth.
How will the B-MEntor scheme work?
Each institution will be responsible for identifying and nominating between 5 and 10 mentors from
different disciplines. The mentors will be expected to meet selection criteria and, in the initial
stages of the scheme, will be Senior Lecturers, Readers, Principal Investigators or Professors. Once
a pool of suitable mentors has been established, the scheme will be promoted more widely within
each institution and across the other participating institutions `through various methods such as
internal newsletters, forums and online networks. Initially the scheme will aim to address the
critical hurdle from early career contract researcher to lecturer, therefore staff in this category will
be prioritised as mentees. Potential mentees will be invited to put themselves forward by
completing an expression of interest form. The Project Team (detailed below) will assist the
mentors in selecting and being matched with an appropriate mentee. Should interest in being
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The experience of black and minority ethnic staff in higher education in England. Equality Challenge Unit
2011
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mentored exceed the availability of mentors, another round to identify and nominate mentors will
take place.
All mentors and mentees will be offered training and support throughout the process from the
Equality Lead at their institution. Mentors will be expected to meet with their mentee face-to-face
about once every two or three months over the course of a year. It is envisioned that meetings will
take place at the mentor’s university. However, this can be discussed and agreed between both
parties.
What’s in it for staff?
There will be many benefits to participating in the scheme for both mentors and mentees. Some
examples include:
Mentors

Fulfilment from facilitating personal development and encouraging others

Networking with like-minded colleagues

Assisting others along a path you have already been successful on

Advancing equality and diversity in higher education

Enhancing skills such as coaching and constructive criticism
Mentees

Obtaining career advice and direction

Help with identifying and clarifying issues, problems and obstacles

Sourcing new ideas and practices

Gaining the opportunity for networking across a broader spectrum than provided by the
day-to-day environment
What about conflict of interest and confidentiality?
Both mentors and mentees will be required to follow a code of conduct. The code includes strict
provisions around confidentiality, not imposing self-interested agendas on mentees and respecting
each other’s time (to name a few examples). When both parties first meet, they will also be
expected to agree an informal contract for how they intend to work together. This will include
listing the boundaries of discussion e.g. information about funding bids, job applications or
intellectual property rights.
Mentors will also be given training to develop the core capabilities of mentoring, which will include
discussion of the above issues.
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Timescale
Institutions will begin identifying and approaching mentors from February 2012. The scheme will
be more widely promoted within institutions and expressions of interest sought from potential
mentees from January. The scheme will be formally launched in April 2012 and the initial phase
will last for 1 year.
Review and evaluation
The scheme will be reviewed at key stages and evaluated regarding the quality of its outcomes.
The findings from the evaluation will be used to develop a wider scheme involving Professional
Services staff.
Further information
To become involved in the mentoring scheme, please contact the appropriate member of the
Project Team:
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
Sandra Brown - King’s College, email sandra.brown@kcl.ac.uk

Bertille Calinaud - Queen Mary, University of London, email b.calinaud@qmul.ac.uk

Christine Yates - Imperial College, email c.yates@imperial.ac.uk

Sarah Guise - University College London, email s.guise@ucl.ac.uk

Jacqui Macdonald – Institute of Education, email J.Macdonald@ioe.ac.uk