Practices of ECI Mentoring in a Marketized Higher Education Sector

The UK higher education sector has undergone profound changes over the past few decades. Massification and marketization of the sector have transformed academic labor conditions, particularly through the expansion and professionalization of teaching-focused academic roles. In this chapter, we examine the structural trends that have led to the development of teaching-focused roles within the UK higher education sector and their impact on the mentorship of Early Career Instructors (ECIs) in these roles. This reshaping of the sector has created new incentives and tensions for ECIs and mentors alike. We reflect on our own efforts to navigate these tensions as mentors, focusing on our experiences and the choices we’ve made while attempting to mentor and support ECIs. The chapter concludes by highlighting some of the potential dangers of mentorship of and between teaching-focused academics.