Beyond One Mentor: How Constellations Strengthen Faculty–Student Relationships

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Vandermaas-Peeler, M., & Moore, J. L. (2025). Exploring mentors’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of mentoring in a constellation model. International Journal for Academic Development, 30(2), 186–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2023.2279306

Introduction

Vandermaas-Peeler and Moore (2025) examine how faculty experience mentoring within a constellation model—a framework in which students engage with multiple mentors offering different types of support. Grounded in research demonstrating the importance of relationship-rich education, the study responds to growing institutional interest in expanding mentoring beyond traditional one-to-one models.

Methods

Vandermaas-Peeler and Moore (2025) conducted semi-structured interviews with 26 faculty mentors at a mid-sized U.S. university. Interviews explored definitions of mentoring, experiences within mentoring constellations, and perceived benefits, challenges, and needed supports. Transcripts were coded using a parent–child coding system (Table 1 on p. 8) and analyzed through iterative qualitative methods to identify themes.

Results

Three key benefits emerged: mentors gained strong personal and professional fulfillment, drew on their own past mentoring experiences to shape their practice, and valued connections with other mentors. Challenges centered on time and capacity demands, disproportionate mentoring burdens placed on faculty with marginalized identities, and unclear compensation structures surrounding informal mentoring.

Discussion

Findings underscore that high-quality mentoring is deeply relational and resource-intensive. The constellation model can strengthen community and distribute mentoring functions, but requires institutional alignment, professional development, and systems that recognize identity-linked mentoring burdens. The authors argue for strategic support structures that help mentors collaborate, learn from one another, and integrate mentoring into workload expectations.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

Programs should intentionally distribute mentoring across multiple trained mentors, protect time for relationship-building, offer guidance on mentoring across differences, and create fair workload and compensation practices that acknowledge mentors’ diverse contributions.

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