Mentoring new faculty

Mentoring New Faculty:
Ensuring Success from Day One
Facilitated by Joanne Chesley, Ed. D.
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, WSSU

The Role
The role of mentor is critical in the life of a new faculty member
The goal is to provide guidance toward success in scholarship of teaching and research
The mentor helps the junior faculty to navigate the complexities of this new professional life
The mentor advises the new faculty about service commitments, student advising, getting grants
The mentor helps to prepare the new faculty for the tenure process

The mentor also provides professional socialization
The mentor becomes a sounding board and supporter in the way the chair cannot
The mentor teaches the “tricks of the trade” and survival strategies to the mentee.

Mentoring should be layered
Campus Level mentoring addresses Tenure process, issues related to underrepresented faculty, other broad based areas such as governance
College/School Level Mentoringaddresses grantsmanship, how to mentor students, how to run a lab, research integrity, teaching tips; provides “teaching mentors” who are expert teachers who have agreed to work one-on-one with new teaching faculty
Unit Level Mentoringprovides developmental and evaluative mentoring and support.

Unit Level Mentoring
Could include a Junior Faculty Support Committee to:
discuss progress in scholarship and suggest ways to
enhance scholarship productivity and publications
discuss teaching experience and suggest venues for improvement
review teaching and service workloads to make sure they are appropriate
work with the Chair to develop a strategic plan for the junior faculty member and provide feedback on progress.
create climate and opportunities to ensure that the junior faculty member is valued as an important member of the department.

Role of the mentor
Supportive
Empathic
Honest
Helpful
Collegial
Personalized
Conversations are confidential
Role of the chair
Critical
Directive
Performance-oriented
Outcomes- Based
Norm-referenced
Conversations are on the record
Developmental Mentoring
Evaluative mentoring

Mentors
Should be senior faculty who are caring and have developed interpersonal skills
Should seek out the mentee and provide support until tenure is granted (at least)
Should understand, practice, and respect confidentiality

Mentors should:
1. Help the mentee to cultivate scholarly activities that lead to success and recognition.
2. Introduce the mentee to colleagues
3. Share information on funding and assistance with getting access.
4. Advise about campus politics (at all levels).
5. Help mentee as s/he begins to mentor students.
6. Observe class presentations and share feedback toward improving teaching.

Good Mentors are:
influential and experienced
familiar with the university system
mature or recognized teachers/scholars in their field
higher up the organizational ladder than their mentee
interested in the mentee's professional growth and development
willing to commit time and attention to the relationship
willing to give honest feedback,
willing to act on behalf of the mentee
not automatically a friend, "exclusively" assigned to a mentee
not expected to be "on call" to listen to grievances and frustrations

Mentee Responsibilities
Keep appointments with Mentor
Maintain confidentiality
Stay informed of deadlines, regulations, policies, opportunities
Seek advice and feedback
Accept constructive criticism
Take personal responsibility for own success
Follow through on referrals from mentor
Be clear in your communication

References
Popper, A. N. (2007). Mentoring of Junior Faculty: A Guide for Faculty Mentors (and Mentees) in the College of Chemical and Life Sciences1 ©Copyright, College of Chemical and Life Sciences
http://www.faculty.umd.edu/Mentoring/MentoringGuide.pdf
Thomas, R. (2005) . Possible Innovation Elements for an FAS Junior Faculty Mentoring Program at Yale
http://www.yale.edu/wff/pdf/ElementsYaleJuniorFacultyMentoringProgram.pdf

Mentoring new faculty

by WSSU CETL on Aug 09, 2010

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