Intentionally recursive: a participatory model for mentoring

Abstract

Technical Communication as an academic field is complex and in need of well-mentored faculty. This article reports on an initiative to improve mentoring of faculty and practitioners that has been underway for three years. We have focused on listening to needs expressed by women in Technical Communication (#womeninTC), comparing what they expressed about their experiences and needs to literature on mentoring models, and developing resources that do a more comprehensive job of addressing their experiences and needs. Our goals are to improve mentoring in ways that are sustainable for faculty and working technical communicators at the same time as we grow a sturdier field.