Faculty Mentoring Program

Introduction

It is natural for anyone entering a new environment to seek help from those who already “know the ropes,” so most junior faculty arriving at a new university will find their way to mentoring of one kind or another.  But mentoring is so critical to the success and retention of new faculty that it should not be left up to chance.  The CLAS Faculty Mentoring Program is intended as a regularized, systematic way of helping new faculty members adjust to their new environment. Whether the faculty member is new to academe itself, to the city of Portland, to the Portland State University campus, to CLAS, or to the academic department, assistance from a well-respected mentor can be an invaluable supplement to the guidance and assistance that a department chair provides during the early years at a new university. This program’s success depends on the new faculty members, their mentors and their department chairs all taking an active role in the acclimation process. An outline of the responsibilities of each of these roles is outlined below.

The Responsibility of the Department Chair

As soon as the appointment is made, the chair assigns a mentor, usually a senior faculty member in the department, but in some cases someone from another unit. For faculty appointed at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor, assignment of a mentor is less critical, although highly encouraged, because it serves as a means of acclimating the new faculty member to Portland State.  For faculty beginning their academic careers, however, the appointment of a mentor is critical.  The chair is responsible for advising new faculty on matters pertaining to academic reviews and advancement. As the mentor may also be asked to provide informal advice, it is also the chair’s responsibility to see that mentors have current information on the academic personnel processes at both the College and University level.  The departmental chair will report the name of the new faculty member and the name of the assigned mentor to the CLAS Dean’s Office by the second week of the term that the new faculty member joins the department (usually, but not always, fall term).

The chair should also monitor the new faculty member’s commitment to committee work and other service obligations, allowing the new faculty member to meet service requirements and become integrated into the community while at the same time not becoming distracted and overwhelmed by these obligations.  Preventing over-commitment is an important part of mentoring.

The Responsibility of the New Faculty Member

The new faculty member should keep his/her mentor informed of any problems or concerns as they arise.  When input is desired, new faculty should leave sufficient time in the grant proposal and paper submission process to allow his/her mentor the opportunity to review and critique drafts.

The Responsibility of the Mentor

The most important tasks of a good mentor are to help the new faculty member achieve excellence and to acclimate to PSU. Although the role of mentor is an informal one, it poses a challenge and requires dedication and time. A good relationship with a supportive, active mentor has been shown to contribute significantly to a new faculty member’s career development and satisfaction.

The mentor should contact the new faculty member in advance of his/her arrival at Portland State and then meet with the new faculty member on a regular basis for at least the first two years.  The mentor should provide informal advice to the new faculty member on aspects of teaching, research and committee work or be able to direct the new faculty member to other individuals with the appropriate expertise. The mentor should also alert the new faculty member to the Center for Academic Excellence and the ways its activities support teaching.  Often the greatest assistance a mentor can provide is simply helping the new faculty member identify which staff one should approach for which task. Funding opportunities both within and outside of the campus are also worth noting.  For example, new faculty should have detailed knowledge of Faculty Enhancement Grants and Professional Travel Grants.  The mentor should treat all interactions and discussions in confidence. There is no evaluation or assessment of the new faculty member on the part of the mentor, only supportive guidance and constructive feedback.  

It is important to point out, however, that as helpful as the mentor’s guidance and constructive feedback may be, the promotion and tenure process at both the Departmental level and the College level will be based on the faculty member’s supplemental letter of hire and the facts of the case as it comes up for promotion and/or tenure review. 

Qualities of a Good Mentor

Accessibility – the mentor is encouraged to make time to be available to the new faculty member. The mentor might keep in contact by dropping by, calling, sending e-mail, or extending a lunch invitation. It is very helpful for the mentor to make time to read and critique proposals and papers and to provide periodic reviews of progress.

Networking – the mentor should be able to help the new faculty member establish a professional network.  Networking might well extend to opportunities for collaborative teaching and research, team teaching, and interdisciplinary teaching, both for the intrinsic value of such work and because collaborative work is itself a form of mentoring.

Independence – the new faculty member’s intellectual independence from the mentor must be carefully preserved and the mentor must avoid developing a competitive relationship with the new faculty member.

Goals for the Mentor

Short-term goals

• Familiarizing the new faculty member with the campus and its environment, including Portland State’s system of shared governance between the Administration, the Academic Senate, and the AAUP.
• Networking—introduction to colleagues, identification of other possible mentors.
• Developing awareness—help new faculty understand policies and procedures that are relevant to the new faculty member’s work.
• Providing constructive criticism and encouragement, compliments on achievements.
• Helping to sort out priorities—budgeting time, balancing research, teaching, and service.
• Introducing the new faculty member to the resources of the city, if time permits.

Long-term goals

• Developing visibility and prominence within the profession.
• Achieving career advancement.

Typical Issues Facing New Faculty

• What are the department’s formal and informal criteria for promotion and tenure?  Who can clarify these criteria?

• How does one establish an appropriate balance between teaching, research and committee work?  How does one say "no"?
• What criteria are used for teaching excellence?  How is teaching evaluated?
• How does one obtain feedback concerning teaching?  What resources are available for teaching enhancement?
• How does one identify and recruit good graduate students?  How are graduate students supported?  What should one expect from graduate students?  What is required in the graduate program?
• What are the criteria for research excellence?  How is research evaluated?
• What are the leading journals in my field?  Have any colleagues published there?  How should co-authorship be handled?  What is the best way to get feedback on a publication in progress?
• How does one decide which conferences to attend?
• How does the merit and promotion process work?  Who is involved?
• What committees should one be on and how much committee work should one expect?
• What social events occur in the department?
• What seminars and workshops does the department organize?
• How is the university organized?
• What responsibilities come with appointment to a particular college?
• What are the appropriate and accepted ways to raise different kinds of concerns?

Benefits for the mentor

• Satisfaction in assisting in the development of a colleague
• Ideas for and feedback about the mentor’s own teaching and scholarship
• A network of colleagues who have passed through the program
• Retention of excellent faculty colleagues
• Enhancement of department quality

Changing Mentors

In cases of changing commitments, incompatibility, or where the relationship is not mutually fulfilling, either the new faculty member or mentor should seek confidential advice from his/her chair. It is important to realize that changes can and should be made without prejudice or fault.  The new faculty member, in any case, should be encouraged to seek out additional mentors as the need arises.