Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty Designating Department and College Mentors

New faculty will be surveyed for their interests in order to facilitate choosing the best possible matches as department and college mentors. This information will be provided to department chairs and used by the provost’s office.

Information Provided by Mentees to Inform the Selection Process for Department and College Mentors, to the Extent Possible

Research interests

Teaching interests and method of teaching (i.e., lectures, seminars, flipped classroom, lab-based teaching, etc.)

Three topics of interest to the mentee that can be discussed with a mentor (e.g., research/creative work productivity; the publication process and decision making; developing a multi-year plan; teaching effectiveness; teaching on sensitive matters; time management; handling invisible labor; making connections to support that is available on campus and to other faculty; assistance with adjusting to the area; work/life balance; advocating to the administration; etc.) 

Any preferences regarding the potential mentor’s background (e.g., length of time at the institution; gender, racial, ethnic, and/or sexual identity; publication and research background; teaching interests and style; mentoring styles (e.g., open dialogue, problem solver):

Criteria Considered by Departments When Designating Department Mentors

To the extent possible, departments are asked to consider information provided by mentees and the criteria below when selecting a mentor, keeping in mind that no one person can fulfill all of them. The main consideration is choosing someone who is interested in building a trusting relationship with the mentee and can connect the person to other resources. The mentor is expected, but not required, to participate in the annual conversation meeting with the faculty member. Also, because tenure-track mentees will receive a college mentor for their first three years on the tenure track, that colleague can assist with some of the topics below, especially those that do not require specific disciplinary overlap.

Chairs who have difficulty designating a department members should reach out to Pawan Dhingra, associate provost and associate dean of the faculty.

Has the capacity, interest, and time to build a trusting relationship and is interested in sharing with and listening to a mentee. Meetings should be at least twice a semester. Preference is to able to advise when on leave, even over Zoom

Can provide guidance on the reappointment and tenure process. Mentors of visiting faculty, can provide guidance on the job application process

Shares research interests with the mentee, so is positioned to give advice on publication venues, research opportunities, grant opportunities, etc. Can provide feedback on drafts if time permits, but is not expected

Can provide guidance on navigating the discipline, including making connections at academic conferences and advocating for the mentee in the profession.

Has experience teaching classes of similar size and style (e.g., lecture, discussion, flipped classroom)

Can assist with the kinds of issues that might arise with students (e.g., onboarding students to lab expectations, teaching on topics that lack obvious student interest)

Can connect the mentee to faculty and staff colleagues and resources on campus and in the Five Colleges, and can help the mentee become acquainted with the local community

Can offer guidance on responding to invisible labor, such as informal advising, hearing emotional stories of students, building up college curricular goals, etc.

Can provide guidance on service opportunities, in order to help the mentee feel connected to the college and decide between options

Can offer strategies for sustaining a work/life balance

Criteria Considered by the Provost's Office When Designating College Mentors

College mentors and mentees (who are tenure-track faculty) are matched by the provost’s office based on the preferences of the mentees (see above) and strengths of mentors. These preferences can involve professional development (e.g., teaching, establishing and running a lab, involving students in research), shared identities (e.g., along racial, gender, first-generation, and/or other categories), setting priorities (e.g., work-life balance), or other factors that the mentee prioritizes.