AIS College of Senior Scholars Launches 2024 Mentorship Initiative

Members of the AIS College of Senior Scholars have kicked off the 2024 AIS Career Mentoring Program for early and mid-career Information Systems faculty. Led by a dedicated committee including Jane Fedorowicz of Bentley University (Professor Emeritus), Atreyi Kankanhalli of National University of Singapore, Wynne Chin of University of Houston, Helmut Krcmar of Technical University of Munich, and Claudia Loebbecke of University of Cologne, the program matches eligible mentees with well-established mentors for online sessions.

Members of the AIS College of Senior Scholars, College of Academic Leadership, and ICIS 2024 track chairs were invited to apply to serve as mentors. Prospective mentees were required to be IS faculty members who were no longer PhD students and had not yet published in prominent journals such as MISQ, ISR, JAIS, or JMIS. Additional eligibility requirements for applicants included serving in non-tenured positions and self-identifying as being in a minority position.

The 2024 program has successfully created 75 mentorship pairs who will determine their own pace and mode of engagement. Mentors have committed to hosting mentees for a one-hour meeting at minimum with further interactions left to the discretion of the pair. In turn, mentees have agreed to submit short reports about the experience by November to help further refine the program for future years.

Launched first in 2023, the program has undergone adjustments to streamline the matching process and enhance overall effectiveness. Unlike with previous year’s manual matching, the committee introduced a randomized drawing conducted via Zoom to ensure full transparency. The approach was designed to eliminate biases and subjectivity in the pairing process.

"We wanted to ensure that every mentee has an equal opportunity to benefit from the program," explained Claudia Loebbecke, chair of the AIS Career Mentoring Committee. "By implementing a random drawing, we remove any potential biases and create a level playing field for all participants.”

As the AIS Career Mentoring Program continues to evolve, the committee remains dedicated to fostering a supportive environment for early and mid-career IS faculty members worldwide. With ongoing feedback and adjustments, the program strives to empower the next generation of scholars and contribute to the advancement of the IS field.