This paper draws on the model of the sponsored mentoring relationship to explore the role of the teacher education institution in assisting both first year teachers and their assigned public school mentors. The mechanism for facilitating the mentoring relationship is already in place in the form of the sponsored mentoring relationship of student teaching. The sponsor (university), mentor (master teacher) and protege (student teacher) relationship is an accepted and functional structure on which to build. It is pointed out that the college of education is the appropriate agent to facilitate the induction experience. It can deal best with the process and is most familiar with the proposals for education reform and the needs of novices, mentors, and teacher education institutions. Novices need encouragement, and experienced teachers need to feel valued and to have opportunities to share their expertise. The college is in a position to take on the role of sponsor in order to facilitate the developmental relationships between mentor and novice. (JD)