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CAREER_MENTORING III for female academics

Summary

Career development program at the Universities of Linz, Salzburg and Krems 2017-2019

Target groups

Habilitands/Post-Doc / PhD students/pre-docs / scientific staff / artistic-scientific staff /

Implementing organization

Danube University Krems - Office for Gender Equality and Gender Studies / JKU Linz - Department for Human Resource Development, Gender and Diversity Management / University of Salzburg - gendup - Center for Gender Studies and the Advancement of Women /

Contact

 

karrierrementoring@jku.at; gendup@sbg.ac.at; doris.czepa@donau-uni.ac.at; michaela.gindl@donau-uni.ac.at

Implemented/introduced

2017-2019

Relation to gender equality targets

Mentoring is explicitly included in the performance agreements at the Universities of Linz, Krems and Salzburg.

The objective(s) of the tool

In order to effect an increase in the number of women in senior academic positions the career development program offers participating women a broad range of opportunities for academic career advancement.

Description of the tool

Expert face-to-face mentoring relationships and individual coaching sessions, as well as separate workshop and training programs designed specifically for female doctoral students and tenure-track (habilitation) candidates support and encourage mentees in their career planning. Opportunities for discussion across different disciplines and career stages are provided by a joint framework program, strengthening inter-university networking.

With 8 mentees participating at each university (4 doctoral students and 4 habilitation candidates each), the program runs for 18 months. Established academics and researchers from both university or non-university research institutes serve as mentors.

Key elements of the program include: extensive help with finding a mentor; a kick-off event that includes an introductory workshop also for mentors; signing of a mutual mentoring agreement at the first meeting, regular feedback meetings at all three universities.

How the tool works, practical experience

Joint mentoring programs have happened at the Universities of Linz, Salzburg and Krems since 2013; Salzburg and Linz introduced the joint karriere_links program in 2003. A significantly expanded and revised third cycle, combining both programs was launched in 2017. Thirty-three researchers participated in the first two mentoring cycles (11 at each university); the 2017-2019 program is attended by 24 researchers.

Evaluation of the program cycles is done orally at a final session and in writing through the evaluation software system EvaSys. Mentees find the program constructive for both personal and professional development, appreciate the peer-to-peer networking with colleagues of the other two universities, and confirm that in some individual cases genuine “sponsoring” occurs, with mentees gaining access to specific academic opportunities (publication, conference, project proposal) through their mentors.