Heads of academic departments gathered at the Vineyard Hotel on 24 July to explore issues related to mentoring at UCT, which seeks to improve the university's equity profile.

The half-day workshop followed a similar meeting in June 2006 when a small group of representatives from all faculties were invited to offer their evaluation of the mentoring guidelines the university had hoped to adopt.

For the past four years UCT has received funding from the Mellon Foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies, the Carnegie Corporation and the Vodafone Foundation to improve the equity profile of academic staff.

Some funders stipulated the provision of mentoring.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl de la Rey, commissioned the mentoring guideline in 2004 and a mentoring co-ordinator was appointed to develop it.

The latest workshop, funded by the Carnegie Corporation, was attended by De la Rey, deans and deputy deans, among others.

A number of crucial decisions were made. For example, faculty structures that developed mentoring programmes will be asked to comment on how the probation and performance development system can be harnessed to ensure that all new staff at UCT receive the mentoring they need.