Here is a doorway through which readers will sneak a peak at the
academy-its exterior and interior spaces. There is much within the
academic environment that can invite entry or obstruct movement. With
this text, doors have been opened for novice scholars and new faculty,
as well as experienced academicians and administrators. Each chapter has
an aperture on vital mentoring issues (such as productive learning
within groups, developing effective marketing and networking strategies,
and creating successful student-centered programs) that, together,
provides a broader perspective on the professoriate. Readers are guided
through the process of becoming successfully mentored, largely by
entering into viable relationships and learning the art of receiving and
giving. The various mentoring formats described provide exposure to a
wide range of options that readers can mindfully act upon; these also
demonstrate the value of learning within one-to-one systems and group
contexts. Finally, readers are given access to guarded secrets about
graduate school, not only concerning unspoken norms but also the 'hidden
curriculum' of the academy and of mentor's expectations. The mentoring
concepts and practices narrated have all been tested in real-life
settings. Further, the chapters' case scenarios and analyses are
supported with data collected from multiple sources_documents, surveys,
and interviews_including the Writers in Training (WIT), a long-standing
doctoral cohort. Dozens of graduate students in education in particular,
as well as faculty and administrators have contributed to this work.
