Faculty role transition from a community college to a research-intensive university

Transitions between academic settings require new faculty members to develop expertise consistent with the institutions' specific missions. Even those faculty members considered experts in their field must adapt to the challenges of new work settings. In nursing education, mentoring has been shown to address many of those challenges. This article describes the changes in nursing faculty roles involved in a transition from a community college to a research-intensive university within the same urban setting but with different missions. In addition, we propose strategies for facilitating those changes through the use of internal and external mentors. The university setting can provide an almost unlimited environment for professional growth, and internal and external mentors can provide the support crucial to successful transition.