Peer to peer academic mentoring: an international consideration of shared approaches and literature

Peer-to-peer academic mentoring has the potential to contribute to retention and progression goals as programmes benefit mentors, mentees and staff. Although there are necessarily common elements, programmes that include academic mentoring vary in their focus and structure. Each programme must also be deliberately designed to address the unique character of individual institutions and their students. From programmes at two very different institutions – one in a rural town in the United States and one in a major city in the United Kingdom – the approaches to and outcomes from peer mentoring activities are considered and the literature surrounding mentoring models is discussed.