This paper, which examines mentor relationships of academic deans, is part of a study conducted by the Center for Academic Leadership at Washington State University between October 1996 and January 1997. The study sample consisted of 1,370 deans (response rate 60 percent) at 360 public and private institutions, and the survey gathered information about deans' personal and institutional demographics, perceptions of role conflict and ambiguity, job responsibilities, perceptions of job-related stress, and their understanding of leadership. After reviewing other research on the subject, the report examines informal and formal mentoring; concepts of sponsorship and mentorship and the influence of tenure; networking; coaching; mentoring relationships (of women and as related to race and ethnicity); and deans and mentoring. The study reports that while deans benefit from mentoring, regardless of race or gender, less than 50 percent receive mentoring support. It was found that the greatest obstacle to mentoring is that it is a predominantly voluntary, unrecognized, and unrewarded system that requires a great deal of initiative to begin and to maintain the relationship for both the mentee and the mentor. Five data tables are appended. (Contains approximately 38 references.) (CH)