Peter Felten & H-Dirksen L. Bauman 
Transformative Conversations 
A Guide to Mentoring Communities Among Colleagues in Higher Education

Praise for Transformative Conversations

‘In the ‘superstorm’ of writings about the crisis in higher
education this little gem of a book stands out like a mindfulness
bell. It calls us back to the only thing that truly
matters–the energy and wisdom buried in the minds and hearts
of dedicated educators.’ –Diana Chapman Walsh,
president emerita, Wellesley College; trustee emerita, Amherst
College; member of the MIT Corporation

‘This book is revolutionary! It is about transforming the very
essence of higher education through the power of authentic
conversation, knowing that as the people within the institution
evolve, the institution will transform.’ –Patricia and
Craig Neal, The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in
Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations; founders, Heartland
Inc.

‘This is a radical story about how to create a more intimate and
relational culture inside the halls of higher education…. for
those who long for higher education to return from the abyss of
siloed isolation to its original charter as a cooperative learning
institution committed to developing the whole person in service of
the common good.’ –Peter Block, Flawless
Consulting and Abundant Community

Transformative Conversations offers guidance to help
readers create and sustain Formation Mentoring Communities, where
faculty, staff, and administrators can speak openly and honestly to
the heart of their work as educators and human beings.

Table of Content

PREFACE ix
by Parker J. Palmer

FOREWORD: REMEMBERING WHAT THE ANCIENTS KNEW xiii
by Angeles Arrien and Rachel Naomi Remen

INTRODUCTION 1

Interlude: Finding the Time and Space for a More Meaningful Professional Life 11

1 What Is a Formation Mentoring Community? 13

Interlude: Message in a Bottle 27

2 Cultivating Growth: Conversation in Community 31

Interlude: Is There a Place for Me in a Formation Mentoring Community? 63

3 The Basics of Creating Formation Mentoring Communities on Your Campus 65

4 Collaborative Stewardship: Facilitating a Formation Mentoring Community 95

5 From Individual to Institutional Change: Ripples of Transformation 117

AFTERWORD: BEYOND THE SMALL GROUP 131
by Rachel Naomi Remen and Angeles Arrien

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES 137

NOTES 147

GRATITUDES 153

ABOUT THE AUTHORS 157

INDEX 163

About the author

Peter Felten is assistant provost, director of the Center for Engaged Learning, and associate professor of history at Elon University. H-Dirksen L. Bauman is professor and chair of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies and coordinator for the Office of Bilingual Teaching and Learning at Gallaudet. Aaron Kheriaty is the director of Residency Training and Medical Education in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, Irvine. Edward Taylor is a professor of education and vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs at the University of Washington.