Sponsored by the Faculty Senate, the Faculty Mentoring Program pairs interested junior faculty with senior faculty mentors. The Program seeks to assist newly hired faculty in becoming productive and successful members of the University community by providing guidance and support for career and professional success.
Program Guidelines
A) Administration
The Faculty Mentoring Program helps new faculty members plan their careers with the advice of more experienced colleagues. The Faculty Mentoring Program is administered by the Faculty Senate Mentoring and Academic Development Committee (MADC). The chair of the MADC is responsible for coordinating the program. The Committee will work with and harmonize its activities with the offices of Academic and Medical Affairs, The Program for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (PETAL), and other University departments to help promote academic development and faculty retention.
B) Eligibility
Mentors. All full-time Associate or Full Professors with tenure are eligible to serve as faculty mentors for Assistant Professors in the University Tenure Line. All full-time non-tenure-track faculty with at least 5 years experience at USA are eligible to serve as mentors for newly hired non-tenure-track faculty. Mentors need not be members of the faculty senate. The MADC will solicit faculty mentor volunteers through electronic mailings and written and verbal appeals.
New Faculty Hires. All new full-time non-tenured Assistant Professors in the University on a tenure track and new full-time Instructors are eligible to participate in the Mentoring Program. The list of new faculty will be obtained from the offices of Academic and Medical Affairs. The MADC will provide information to the new faculty about the mentoring program and encourage their involvement.
C) Pairing
The MADC reviews applications from mentors and new faculty and pairs them by taking into account some or all of the following:
1. Mentors will be assigned to faculty within the same college but not the same department
2. New non-tenure track faculty will be matched with experienced non-tenure track faculty; new tenure-track faculty will be matched with tenured faculty. Special requests will be considered
The mentor should take responsibility for making the relationship work. The mentor is expected to contact the new faculty to set up the first meeting, at which time both parties should reach a clear understanding of what they expect from each other. They should agree on the frequency, duration, and place of meetings, and they should decide whether or not the mentor would have an "open door" policy.
D) Activities
The MADC will provide mentors and new faculty with a set of written guidelines and recommendations to help facilitate the mentoring process. This will include basic information on the purposes of the mentoring program and specific topics that should be covered during meetings.
The Program also provides:
Individual Meetings
The frequency, duration, and place of meetings between the mentor and new faculty are left to the discretion of the faculty involved. The MADC strongly encourages the mentor and new faculty to meet at regular intervals, at least once a month, and outside of the more structured confines of faculty offices.
E) Guidelines for Mentors
The faculty mentor should assist in setting long- and short-term goals related to progress in academia. They should share knowledge and experiences–advice on teaching, research, and service--related to tenure and promotion to help the new faculty function optimally within the structure of the University.
Responsibilities of the faculty Mentor include:
- Accessibility
- Confidentiality
- To meet regularly
- To direct new faculty to appropriate resources
- To initiate contact with new faculty
F) Guidelines for New Faculty
The Program provides orientation for new faculty and mentors and offers specific guidelines related to the mentoring relationship. The MADC stresses that having a mentor does not guarantee tenure. Also, while some pairs may develop an element of personal support, the main focus of the relationship is professional development, characterized by mutual respect and confidentiality. New faculty may request a different mentor at any time during the program. The MADC is available to help resolve any problems a pair may be having if both members wish to keep working together.
Mentors can help new faculty:
- Develop teaching skills
- Enhance research and publication efforts
- Understand departmental and university structures, processes, and interpersonal climate
- Learn institutional norms and expectations relevant to advancement
- Develop professional networks
- Establish professional priorities, including long-range career planning
- Manage time and balance family/work commitments
- Prepare reappointment and tenure reviews
G) Duration of the Mentoring Relationship
The Mentoring Program is on-going and seeks to incorporate new faculty at the time of hire. The formal mentoring/new faculty relationship is expected to continue for three semesters (not counting summer term), at which time the relationship may continue upon mutual agreement between the mentor and new faculty.
H) Feedback/Monitoring
The MADC will check periodically and informally with mentors and new faculty to monitor the progress of the program. In addition, the MADC will survey participants at the completion of their mentoring program to identify strengths, weaknesses, and new approaches. This on-going monitoring will help identify problems and allow for adjustments. In conjunction with Academic Affairs, MADC will also assess the Mentoring Program’s influence on faculty retention rates.
Proposed
by Academic Development & Mentoring Committee 11/18/03
Adopted by Faculty
Senate 1/21/04
University
of South Alabama
- Faculty Senate - Mobile, AL 36688-0002
For comments or questions about our web
site, please E-mail the Faculty
Senate.
Last date changed: 7/19/04js
URL:
http://www.southalabama.edu/fsenate/committees/mentoring/guidelines.html