As part of our commitment to the Race Equality Charter (REC) and Athena Swan, we recently hosted the second Female Professor Roundtable in March 2025, following our first session in October 2024. The roundtable was established to examine gendered and racial disparities in academic career progression and to identify practical steps to address them.
One of the key areas of focus has been mentoring, both formal and informal, as a means to support career development, particularly for women and racially minoritised staff. Mentoring was highlighted as an important way to support progression and leadership aspirations, aligning with both REC and Athena Swan action plans.
Informal mentoring and leadership development
Mentoring is not limited to structured schemes; it often occurs informally through workplace relationships. While line management is distinct from mentoring, line managers may at times take on complementary roles, such as coaching, supervising, or providing developmental support. Our 2024 staff survey found that 76% of staff expressed satisfaction with their line manager’s support, with slightly higher satisfaction reported among female staff. The role of line managers in staff development is significant, particularly in providing career guidance, work-life balance support, and constructive feedback.
To strengthen informal mentoring opportunities within working relationships, the Organisational Development team partnered with external providers to design and deliver leadership development programs for both Academic and Professional Leaders. These programs emphasized compassionate leadership and equipped participants with essential mentoring-related skills, including emotional intelligence, strategic leadership, and coaching. The academic leadership program explored themes such as self-leadership, leading teams, and strategic vision, while the professional services program covered complementary areas like inspiring leadership, leading change and innovation, and coaching skills for leaders. By embedding these principles into leadership development, we aim to foster a culture where mentoring naturally thrives, enhancing staff development and workplace relationships.
While informal mentoring plays a key role, access to mentoring varies across the University. Those without strong networks or established relationships may find it more difficult to benefit from informal mentoring, reinforcing the importance of structured mentoring schemes.
Formal mentoring and expanding access
Structured mentoring schemes provide opportunities for staff to access dedicated career support from experienced colleagues. Research, including a recent HEPI report, suggests that Black and racially minoritised early-career academics often face barriers in accessing mentoring, and that mentoring from senior colleagues within their own discipline or professional area is particularly beneficial in supporting career progression and leadership development.
At Sussex, there are relatively small numbers of senior mentors across divisions and professional areas, which can limit opportunities for mentoring that is tailored to career pathways. Expanding access to both identity-based and discipline- or profession-specific mentoring is an area we are continuing to develop to ensure staff across all roles and disciplines have access to the right support.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor, you don’t need to be at a particular grade or have a set number of years of experience—everyone has valuable insights to offer. Likewise, if you are looking for a mentor to support your development, there are opportunities available. To find out more about becoming a mentor or finding a mentor: Mentoring pages
Sussex-Ghana reciprocal mentoring project
Sussex is working in partnership with the University of Ghana on a reciprocal mentoring scheme, supported by a British Council Grant. The initiative brings together around 40 participants from both universities, fostering cross-cultural learning and leadership development for women and minority genders.
Led by Professor Sarah Guthrie (University of Sussex), Sarah Law (University of Sussex), and Professor Deborah Atobrah (University of Ghana), the scheme provides opportunities for mentoring across institutional and national contexts, supporting mutual learning and professional development.
As part of our commitment to strengthening mentoring at Sussex, this scheme highlights the importance of mentoring as a tool for race and gender equity. It also provides an opportunity to develop specialist mentoring training, equipping participants with the skills to foster effective and inclusive mentoring relationships. This is reflected in our specialist mentoring training in April, which will support participants in developing coaching and mentoring techniques to enhance their practice and build meaningful professional connections.
Progress and Achievements
We are making positive strides in our mentoring commitments, with key targets already met and further progress underway:
• REC Action Plan target: Establishing 10 identity-based mentoring pairs by Q2 2025. This action has now been completed, with the target met.
• Athena Swan commitment: Conducting annual evaluations of mentoring schemes, aiming for 80% positive feedback by Q3 2025. Early indications suggest this target will be met, as current feedback from participants in formal mentoring schemes at Sussex has been overwhelmingly positive.
Mentoring can be an important enabler of career progression, and ensuring equitable access will be central to our continued work under REC and Athena Swan. By strengthening both internal and international mentoring opportunities, we aim to underpin inclusive pathways for career advancement.
Learn more and get involved
Race equity is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a role to play in fostering an inclusive and supportive environment. One way to contribute is by completing the Introduction to Race Equity training, available on LearnUpon. This newly introduced training, developed with Advance HE, explores microaggressions, privilege, and systemic racism. It helps staff deepen their understanding, challenge biases, and support a more inclusive Sussex.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor, you don’t need to be at a particular grade or have a set number of years of experience—everyone has valuable insights to offer. Likewise, if you are looking for a mentor to support your development, there are opportunities available. One mentee from our internal mentoring program shared:
‘I got so much out of mentoring and will take forward the confidence it has given me into my future career.’
All staff are strongly encouraged to consider becoming a mentor. To find out more about what’s involved and how to sign up, either as a mentor or mentee, please visit our Mentoring pages.
For more information on race and gender equity work at Sussex, visit:
Ethnic Minority Staff Network
The University’s Ethnic Minority Staff Network is for all staff who define themselves as belonging to a minority ethnic group. The network re-launched in early in 2022 and meets termly. If you would like to be a part of the network, please email EMSN-staff@sussex.ac.uk to sign up.