Study Architecture 
ProPEL 2025-26 Cohort Application Deadline: November 3, 2025
ACSA / DPACSA Faculty Mentoring Program
ACSA College of Distinguished Professors
Program Overview
2025-26 Cohort Application Deadline: November 3, 2025
ACSA / DPACSA Faculty Mentoring Program
In fall 2025, ACSA and its College of Distinguished Professors (DPACSA) launched the new Faculty Mentoring Program. The goal of the program is to help faculty develop mentoring relationships based on their needs, in contrast to the ways in which many departments assign senior faculty as mentors of new faculty, with promotion and tenure primarily in mind.
This program would not replace the formal faculty mentoring programs that exist in most institutions, but complement them with a less formal mentoring process that can reduce the power dynamics that can exist among faculty in the same department. Research has shown that this informal mentoring is especially important for women and faculty of color in search of colleagues who have faced similar career challenges.
The program will connect mentees with mentors to provide whatever level of interaction makes sense for all parties. The application period will occur in October, with matches made in November.
Eligibility
The Faculty Mentoring Program is a benefit of membership in ACSA available to all member categories (Full, Candidate, and Affiliate).
- MENTEES: Assistant and Associate Professors, Adjunct Faculty, Lecturers, Academic Staff
- MENTORS: Associate, Full, and Retired Professors, Senior Adjunct Faculty, Senior Staff at ACSA member schools
Timeline
October 2025 | Mentee/Mentor application period |
November 2025 | Match notification period |
March 2026 | Meet Up of Mentor/Mentee program participants at the ACSA Annual Meeting (optional) |
July/August 2026 | Program Evaluation |
Expectations
Complete your application thoughtfully and thoroughly to support the matching process.
Commit to participate for one year.
Once connected, participants will arrange their first meeting and work together to establish their goals for the program.
All conversations between mentors and mentees must remain confidential.
Connect with your partner(s) as often as it makes sense for everyone involved.
Act in a professional manner at all times.
- Return messages and phone calls promptly.
- Prepare for meetings in advance, and show up on time.
- Inform your partner if your schedule has changed and you are unable to meet as planned.
- Be respectful of differences. Be curious. Ask questions.
- Reach out to colleagues and others in the program to explore topics beyond your expertise.
- Be patient and understanding. Trust and relationships take time to grow.
- Contact the ACSA executive director if circumstances require you to withdraw from the program or if you feel the program is not meeting your expectations.
ACSA will aim to match as many applicants as possible each year, although matches are based on the number of requests and mentor availability. A match is not guaranteed. To ensure that we have enough mentoring opportunities for those who want them, each match will last one year, with a new selection of mentors and mentees happening after the start of the academic year. If mentors and mentees want to continue their interactions, they are, of course, welcome to do so, but not as part of the official program.
