Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of the study is to determine if having a mentor, or not having had a relationship during specific life/career stages in related to the eventual level of administration attained in a community college. Mentoring is understood as the interpersonal relationship that occurs when a more experienced person introduces a less experienced person into the norms and culture of an organization. Methodology. Using a descriptive method of research, data was collected by a research-designed self-report survey instrument from a randomly selected sample of five top levels of administrators in California Community Colleges. An interview with a respondent also is reported. Findings. Top level administrators who report having had a mentor entered administration earlier than those who reported not having had a mentor. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents were male and twelve percent were female. Ethnicity represented was eighty-two percent anglo and eighteen percent were minority respondents. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents were 40 years of age or over and twelve percent were 39 years of age and under. Conclusions. Mentoring relationships appear to be important to those individuals who are interested in attaining administrative positions in California Community Colleges. Mentoring provides a meaningful and satisfying relationship for both protege and mentor. Recommendations. Mentoring should be encouraged and expanded as a means of professional development for those educators who wish to advance into administrative positions in California Community Colleges. Mentoring also can provide for a vehicle of job enrichment for those middle and upper level administrators presently employed. For late career returnees, women, and minorities, mentoring can be a way to escalate the entry period into administration.