The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe the informal faculty mentoring that occurs on a university campus to support online teaching. Furthermore, the study looked at whether informal faculty mentoring occurred when no faculty development program for online teaching was in place. Specific information about the identification, characteristics and motivation of informal faculty mentors was explored, as well as how these mentors could be supported.

In order to investigate informal mentoring, the study compared two institutions: one with a structured faculty development program for online teaching and one institution with no structured program in place. Data were collected from multiple sources to enhance the trustworthiness and transferability of the results. These sources included interviews using a network sampling, site visits, and institutional documents.

The results of the study showed that faculty mentoring for online teaching occurs whether or not a structured faculty development program is in place, but novice faculty look to faculty development trainers as mentors when a structured program exists. When no structured program exists, more informal mentoring occurs, often as a result of faculty-initiated activities related to online teaching. Mentors are identified as those who are knowledgeable and willing to share what they know and this mentoring is intrinsically motivated. Faculty mentors would like more involvement in the decision-making processes dealing with online programs.