ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú

Skip to Main Content

Tenure Line Faculty Mentoring Program

About the Mentoring Program

About the Mentoring Program

Faculty mentoring holds significant value for both mentors and mentees, as well as for their overall success at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University. This mentoring program is designed to create a supportive and structured framework for tenure-line faculty at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, ultimately enhancing their professional development and increasing their likelihood of successfully achieving tenure and promotion. Additionally, faculty mentoring creates a welcoming environment, increasing a sense of belonging, fostering a culture of support and collaboration, and contributing to a positive and inclusive environment for diverse faculty members. 

A university-wide tenure-line faculty mentoring program is being piloted in Spring 2024 and will be implemented during the 2024-2025 academic year to provide formal and uniform mentoring across academic units at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University. 

The program began in 2023 when the inaugural Inclusive Excellence Fellows, Anita Mannur (English) and Haifei Shi (Biology) applied to become Fellows. The fellowship was created by the  Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence (OTIE), in partnership with the Office of the Provost, in recognition of the efforts and role of faculty in fostering a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú.  Mannur was inspired to apply for the Fellows program, as she saw the program as “a great opportunity to think about what I value as a professor and how I can try and change ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s institutional culture.” Mannur was seeking more structure from ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú with more resources and support, and hoped the Fellows program would  provide faculty with these networks. During her tenure in the program, Mannur collaborated with Faculty Fellow Haifei Shi on the research and creation of a pilot mentoring program for tenure-track faculty. Mannur noted, “As faculty, so much stuff is individualized, but we want to start a cohort or small groups for this mentoring program, which will hopefully draw in faculty to participate. Ideally, this would become a more permanent program for continued support for faculty members.” Mannur was inspired to apply for the Fellows program, as she saw the program as “a great opportunity to think about what I value as a professor and how I can try and change ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s institutional culture.” Mannur was seeking more structure from ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú with more resources and support, and hoped the Fellows program would  provide faculty with these networks. 

Professor Haifei Shi was drawn to the program for similar reasons. Professor Shi was inspired to apply for the Fellows program, as she aspires to create and further a sense of faculty belonging on campus. She notes, “When I came to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, I had senior professors guiding me through different processes and ambiguous requirements. I received a lot of support and mentoring, and I want to provide this support to my colleagues, especially junior, woman and minority faculty members.”

Apply to be a Mentee

Do you want professional advice from a more experienced colleague? Do you want to meet and learn from other tenured faculty  in your department or division? Form lasting relationships that help?

Program benefits for mentees:

As a mentee, you will benefit from peer insights on how to navigate the institutional terrain at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, receive advice on how to balance the demands of teaching, service, and life, meet colleagues within and outside your department, and expand your professional networks.

Apply to be a Mentor

Do you want to be a mentor? Do you want to share your institutional experience and knowledge with tenure-track faculty at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú? Do you want to build deeper professional connections with other faculty  in your department or division?

Program benefits for mentors:

As a mentor, you will gain university-level service, give back by contributing to the professional growth of a colleague, expand your professional network at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, and contribute to retaining our valuable faculty.

Eligibility

Participation in the Faculty Mentoring Program is open to tenure line faculty across all campuses. Mentors and mentees decide together the parameters of their relationship, the frequency of their interactions, and the best way to meet (in person, virtually, or both).

Our Matching Strategy

The Tenure Track Faculty Mentoring Program supports mentors' and mentees' need to have meaningful conversations about their growth as professionals at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú.  We strive to match mentees with mentors from the same division, whenever possible. If this is not possible, we assign mentoring from cognate disciplines.

Offices Involved

This project is part of the Inclusive Excellence Faculty Fellows initiatives, which is a collaborative effort between the Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence (OTIE) and the Office of the Provost. This initiative was created in recognition of the efforts and role of faculty in fostering a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú. This program is a professional development opportunity for faculty to deepen their knowledge and expertise as leaders in actively advancing change.  

Mentoring Program Contacts

For questions about the program, please feel free to reach out to otie@miamioh.edu. 

 

What is faculty mentoring?

What is faculty mentoring?

Faculty mentoring is a formalized structured and supportive relationship between junior tenure-line faculty members and more experienced colleagues serving as mentors within an academic institution. 

Faculty mentoring helps to develop an academic atmosphere that mutually nurtures, supports, and develops faculty members’ teaching and research skills. Faculty mentoring also assists faculty members so that they feel part of the university community. The primary goal of tenure-line faculty mentoring is to guide and support junior faculty as they navigate the challenges and expectations associated with pursuing tenure. Faculty mentoring is a critical component of academic success, contributing to the overall professional and personal development of faculty members.

Why is mentoring important?

Why is mentoring important?

Here are some key aspects of the value of faculty mentoring:

  1. Professional Development:
  • Mentees: Guidance from experienced mentors helps mentees develop their teaching, research, and administrative skills. Mentoring provides insights into navigating the academic landscape and can contribute to career advancement.
  • Mentors: Mentoring allows experienced faculty to share their knowledge, skills, and experiences, contributing to the professional development of the mentor as well.
  1. Knowledge Transfer:
  • Mentees: Mentoring facilitates the transfer of knowledge and learning from experienced faculty to newer members of the academic community, helping mentees acquire insights that may not be found in formal education settings.
  • Mentors: Mentors can gain fresh perspectives from mentees, staying informed about new ideas, technologies, and teaching methodologies.
  1. Community Building:
  • Mentees: Mentoring fosters a sense of belonging and community among faculty members. It helps create networks that can provide support throughout one's academic career.
  • Mentors: Building relationships with mentees and participating in mentoring programs contribute to a positive and collaborative academic community.
  1. Retention and Satisfaction:
  • Mentees: Feeling supported through mentoring can enhance job satisfaction and contribute to faculty retention. Mentoring helps mentees navigate challenges, reducing stress and improving overall job satisfaction.
  • Mentors: Serving as mentors allows experienced faculty to contribute to the success and satisfaction of their colleagues and the institution, enhancing the overall faculty experience.
  1. Succession Planning:
  • Mentees: Mentoring helps prepare the next generation of faculty leaders, ensuring a smooth transition of knowledge and leadership within the institution.
  • Mentors: Mentoring provides a platform for mentors to identify and nurture future leaders, contributing to the long-term success of the academic institution.
  1. Diversity and Inclusion:
  • Mentees: Mentoring can play a crucial role in supporting underrepresented groups, fostering diversity, and promoting an inclusive academic environment.
  • Mentors: Mentors contribute to creating a more diverse and inclusive faculty by actively supporting and guiding faculty members from underrepresented backgrounds.
  1. Research Collaboration:
  • Mentees: Mentoring relationships can lead to collaborative and/or multidisciplinary research opportunities, expanding the mentee's network and contributing to research productivity.
  • Mentors: Mentors can benefit from the fresh perspectives and ideas brought by mentees, leading to potential collaborations and innovative research projects.
  1. Personal and Professional Support:
  • Mentees: Mentors often provide emotional support, helping mentees navigate the challenges of academia. This support extends beyond professional development to personal growth. Mentees may have more than one mentor from inside and outside their academic units.
  • Mentors: Serving as a mentor allows faculty to make a positive impact on the lives of others, contributing to a sense of fulfillment and purpose. Additionally, mentors will learn from other mentors, and take advantage of the collective wisdom of the group.

In summary, faculty mentoring is invaluable for fostering and supporting professional development, knowledge transfer, community building, and overall success within academic institutions. The mentor-mentee relationship is a reciprocal and mutually beneficial arrangement that contributes to the growth and well-being of both parties and the institution as a whole.

Goal of the Mentoring Program

Goal of the Mentoring Program:

The Tenure Track Faculty Mentoring program is a university-level, faculty-led program intended to provide tenure-line faculty with supportive relationships and experienced guidance around all aspects of academic life.  This support and guidance provides faculty with outstanding foundations for career success to excel in their academic roles, support the tenure and promotion process, and foster their professional development.

This program supports team mentoring as an effective mechanism that complements the individual mentor approach. Mentees may have more than one mentor from inside and outside their academic units.  Mentors provide advice on issues that are central to professional success, including available institutional resources, networking, time management, service, work/life balance, and on how to navigate departmental cultures. This community would mutually support, develop, and nurture both mentees and mentors in their scholarship and skills, so that they feel part of the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú community. 

The focus of this mentoring program is on the whole career, including research, teaching and service towards tenure, as well as guidance on how to engage members of the community at the department, college, and university levels. Mentoring, including group mentoring, creates space for consensus, brainstorming and strategy development. This program complements and functions alongside any existing departmental or divisional mentoring efforts, but it is focused on the unique mentoring needs of tenure-line faculty. To learn about other mentoring opportunities at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, contact your academic department and division or check out our links for additional resources. 

The program runs for each academic year, from September to May. The mentoring pairs are re-formulated each fall, but participants can choose to stay in the same mentoring pair if they continue into the program.

Key Components of the Mentoring Program

Key Components of the Mentoring Program:

Orientation and Onboarding:

  • Conduct a comprehensive orientation session for new tenure-line faculty to introduce them to university policies, procedures, and expectations.
  • Assign an initial mentor or mentors to each new faculty member whom both the mentee and mentor agree upon to guide them through the onboarding process. 

Initial Goal Setting and Expectations:

  • Facilitate a meeting between mentors and mentees to establish clear expectations, discuss short-term and long-term goals, and outline the tenure and promotion criteria specific to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University.

Regular Planning Meetings:

  • Schedule regular planning meetings between mentors and mentees to review progress, set new goals, make adjustments, and discuss any challenges.
  • Use these meetings to align the faculty member's activities with the university's expectations for tenure and promotion.
  • Advise mentees when and how to seek additional mentors inside and outside of their departments.

Teaching and Course Development:

  • Provide guidance on effective teaching strategies, course development, and student engagement.
  • Encourage peer observation and constructive feedback to enhance teaching effectiveness.

Research and Scholarship:

  • Support faculty in developing a robust research agenda.
  • Allocate time to write manuscripts or books (develop a writing schedule).
  • Facilitate access to research resources, funding opportunities, and collaborative initiatives.
  • Encourage attendance at conferences and workshops for networking and skill development.

Service and Engagement:

  • Clarify expectations for service contributions to the department, university, and community.
  • Help faculty identify meaningful service opportunities aligned with their interests and expertise.

Work-Life Balance and Well-being:

  • Promote work-life balance by discussing time management strategies and self-care practices.
  • Encourage faculty to prioritize personal well-being and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

  • Emphasize the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in teaching, research, and service.
  • Provide resources and training to foster an inclusive and supportive academic environment.

Networking and Professional Development:

  • Facilitate opportunities for faculty to network with colleagues within and outside the university.
  • Support attendance at professional development workshops, seminars, and conferences.

Tenure and Promotion Workshops:

  • Organize workshops specifically focused on the tenure and promotion process at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University.
  • Provide guidance on compiling a strong tenure dossier and navigating the evaluation process.

 

  •  

Participant Expectations

Participant Expectations

The mentor and mentee will cultivate a working relationship for one academic year, although this can be extended, if both parties agree.  The major role of the mentor is to guide their mentees as they construct their professional development plan, prepare their annual activities as a living dossier, and/or apply for promotion.  To build a successful, trusting, and mutually beneficial mentor-mentee relationship that enhances the professional development of both mentees and mentors, clear expectations and responsibilities for both parties need to be established by mentors and mentees. These will be different depending on the needs. Below are some examples. 

Some examples of mentor responsibilities:

  • Provide Guidance: Mentors should have good listening skills, understand mentees’ overall situation, provide a sense of support and encouragement, and offer guidance on career development, research, teaching, and service responsibilities. 
  • Share Experiences: Mentors should open up to the mentee and share their own experiences, both successes and challenges, to provide valuable insights and lessons learned.
  • Understand institutional policies and processes: Mentors should help mentees understand expectations and processes regarding tenure criteria, timelines, deadlines, performance standards, and what is expected for a successful tenure application. Mentors should help mentees understand departmental/institutional culture, navigate challenges, and make informed decisions.
  • Plan and Develop Skills: Mentors should help mentees establish initial planning and useful skills, such as time management and prioritizing writing. Mentors should be willing to point out what mentees should not be doing.
  • Facilitate Networking: Mentors should introduce mentees to professional networks, colleagues, and opportunities for collaboration, helping them establish connections within the academic community and on/off campus.
  • Provide Constructive Feedback: Mentors should offer constructive feedback on research, teaching, integration of research and teaching, and other professional activities. The feedback should be specific, actionable, and geared towards mentee improvement. 
  • Encourage Work-Life Balance: Mentors should advocate for a healthy work-life balance and help mentees manage stress and workload effectively.
  • Be Available: Mentors should make themselves available for regular meetings and discussions. They should be responsive to mentees' questions and concerns.

Some examples of mentee responsibilities: 

  • Set Goals: Mentees should actively set goals for their professional development and communicate these goals to their mentors. This includes setting specific objectives related to research, teaching, and service.
  • Seek Feedback: Mentees should actively seek feedback from mentors on their work. They should be open to constructive criticism and use it as a tool for improvement.
  • Be Proactive: Mentees should take the initiative in their own development. This includes actively seeking opportunities for research, applying for grants, and participating in professional development activities.
  • Communicate Needs: Mentees should communicate their needs, concerns, and expectations clearly to mentors. This includes discussing specific areas where they need support or guidance.
  • Follow Through: Mentees should follow through on commitments and deadlines. This includes meeting research milestones, completing teaching responsibilities, and fulfilling service obligations.
  • Reflect and Learn: Mentees should reflect on their experiences, learn from challenges, and adapt their strategies accordingly. This includes being open to trying new approaches and learning from both successes and failures.
  • Respect the Mentor's Time: Mentees should be respectful of the mentor's time and come to meetings prepared with specific questions or topics for discussion.

Resources 

  • For books on faculty mentoring and coaching, visit ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's , housed in the (CTE, Laws Hall), ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University
  • , CTE, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University
  • Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence library in Hanna House 

Some activities between Mentors and Mentees

Some Activities between Mentors and Mentees

  • Understanding of the tenure process and expectations for promotion.
  • Short- and long-term planning, goal setting, and prioritizing service obligations and commitments. 
  • Reading/providing suggestions on annual activity reports and dossiers. 
  • Advising on integrating research and teaching.
  • Making professional connections within and outside the department.
  • Advising on negotiations with department chair and college deans. 
  • Advising on developing a research/ service/ teaching plan.
  • Receiving guidance on professional skills including leadership and networking. 
  • Managing the balance of professional and personal life.

Potential activities related to scholar and research (depending on tenure and evaluation requirements and criteria of mentees’ academic units):

  • Reading/providing suggestions on writings, such as manuscripts, chapters, books, or grant proposals.
  • Writing a research narrative.
  • Commenting on research presentations and slides.
  • Advising on recruiting and mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in research.
  • Advising on needs for research space and equipment. 
  • Suggesting collaborators. 

Potential activities related to teaching: 

  • Providing teaching observation and peer evaluation.
  • Writing a teaching philosophy.
  • Advising on reflecting comments in a semester-end course evaluation. 
  • Advising on teaching effectiveness.

Resources

Resources

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Promotion and Tenure (P&T) Processes:   

 

Resources at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú 

 

Centers and Facilities at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú:

 

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Canvas sites for Faculty Mentoring:

  • Advisor Training:
  • :
  • TCPL Fellows 2023: 

Further Resources on Mentoring

Online Guides from Other Institutions:

Articles:

  • (Inside HigherEd, 2013)
  • (David Kiel, 2019)
  • 2014)
  • (Clabaugh, D. Dominguez, N.,2021)
  • . (Hans, I., and J.A. Onchwari, 2018)
  • . (Mary Bair, Nancy DeFrance, Nagnon Diarrassouba, & Terry Stockton, 2019).
  • (Kerry Ann Rockquemore, 2013)
  • (Melissa Phruksachart, 2019)
  • New Faculty Professional Development Program: Lessons Learned and Moving Forward. (Kaletunc, G. and Bucheit, R, 2018) The Chronicle of Mentoring and Coaching, Vol. 2, October 2018. Special Issue 1, pp. 478-483.

Books:

  • (Susan L. Phillips and Susan T. Dennison, 2015)
  • (W. Brad Johson, 2015)
  • 2014)
  • (Peter Bauman Felten, Kheriaty H-Dirksen L.& Aaron Taylor, 2013)
  • (Carole Bland, et. al, 2012)
  • (Kiel, D., 2019). 
  • (Law, D. and N. Dominquez, 2023). 
  • Kiel, D. (2019). Developing Faculty Mentoring ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú: A Comprehensive Handbook. Denver, CO: Academic Impressions.

Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence

Our mission is to empower each student, staff, and faculty member to promote and become engaged citizens who use their acquired knowledge and skills with integrity and compassion to improve the future of the community and the world.