Research Workshop: Mentorship, Sponsorship, and Informal Power: Designing Mixed-Methods Research on Advancement Pathways in Higher Education
Join Us Virtually via Zoom
This interactive workshop supports scholars in designing rigorous mixed-methods research on mentorship, sponsorship, and informal power in higher education. Participants will develop research questions, interview protocols, and survey items to study advancement pathways—particularly for marginalized groups—while maintaining methodological clarity, analytic rigor, and equity-centered framing.
Who should attend:
- Entry: Little to no experience with this topic
- Moderate: Some experience with this topic
- Advanced: Much experience with this topic
Registration Options
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Registration Options
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Price |
|---|---|
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Presenters
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FREE |
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Current ASHE Student Member
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$25.00
Price will increase to $30.00 on
4/18/26
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Current ASHE Member
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$35.00
Price will increase to $45.00 on
4/18/26
|
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Non-ASHE Member (Guest or Expired Member)
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$45.00
Price will increase to $55.00 on
4/18/26
|
Product Add-ons
| Add-ons | Price |
|---|---|
| Donation to the ASHE Graduate Student Travel Fund View Product | FREE Donation |
Agenda
| April 24 | |
| 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM |
Conceptual Foundations
• Defining mentorship, sponsorship, advocacy, and informal power • Distinguishing formal programs from informal networks • Common methodological challenges and gaps in existing research |
| 9:30 AM - 10:15 AM |
Mixed-Methods Design Strategies
• Translating informal power into measurable constructs • Designing qualitative interview protocols • Developing survey items to capture access, opportunity, and advancement |
| 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM |
Applied Design Lab
• Individual or small-group work to refine research questions • Draft interview questions or survey instruments • Facilitated peer feedback |
| 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM |
Analysis, Interpretation, and Use
• Interpreting mixed-methods data responsibly • Avoiding deficit framing • Positioning findings for publication or institutional use |
| 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM |
Synthesis and Next Steps
• Key takeaways • Resources for continued methodological development |
Dr. Rashonda Harris
Founder & CEO, Purple Sheep Consulting
Dr. Rashonda Harris is a higher education researcher, consultant, and scholar-practitioner with over 25 years of experience in research administration, leadership, and organizational analysis. Her work focuses on mentorship, sponsorship, informal power, and advancement pathways—particularly for marginalized professionals. She is currently leading a national white paper examining mentorship-to-sponsorship dynamics in higher education.
Event Information
- An opportunity to share how the event can be more accessible for you is provided in the registration form. For questions about accessibility, please reach out to the ASHE Staff at office@ashe.ws.
- All ASHE Professional Development events encourage participants to engage throughout the event in various ways. To provide an environment that is conducive to learning and engagement and to provide a safe space (to the extent possible), Professional Development events are not recorded.
- Attendees will review and agree to the ASHE Events Code of Conduct (https://www.ashe.ws/code-of-conduct) and Payment Policies (https://www.ashe.ws/payment-policies) during registration.