Purpose

Untenured faculty require guidance and support from all the members of the faculty in the department as the untenured faculty set about developing professionally in the areas of teaching, research and service. Toward that end, the department expects that all the members of the faculty will exhibit a willingness to provide information and advice to new faculty. The department also expects that untenured faculty members will seek such support from many members of the faculty during the process of joining the department and forming relationships with colleagues.

The purpose of designating one or more mentors is to ensure that the joint mentoring responsibilities of the new faculty member and of the department are carried out purposefully and consistently. In addition to general collegial support, new faculty members need specific guidance regarding expectations, resources, and feedback in the tenure and promotion process. This guidance needs to be provided in a purposeful and consistent manner for each new faculty member no matter what pattern of support springs up naturally from the department as a whole.

Process

A new untenured faculty member in IST will consult with the department chair within the first semester regarding the mentoring policy. After a period of adjustment, not to exceed the first year, the new faculty member and the department chair will consult regarding selection of one or two mentors among the senior faculty. The decision to appoint one or two mentors will vary with the needs of the new faculty member and the capabilities of the senior faculty. A new faculty member might rely on one mentor primarily for direction in research development, and a second for attention to the specifics of the tenure and promotion process.

One mentor will take the lead in process mentoring. This will include guidance to the new faculty member concerning:
• Process details (deadlines, documents, preparation)
• Resources (sample dossiers, policy documents, references)
• Third year review
• Final dossier preparation

Although the senior faculty will have been consulted beforehand, the chair will make a formal request for mentoring on behalf of the new faculty member and ensure that this service to the department is considered during the merit review process.

Expectations

 The new faculty member and at least one mentor will be expected to meet once per semester at minimum, although they will decide how often and in what way they need to interact apart from this guideline. The mentor will be expected to recognize and respond to a need for more frequent contact, and the new faculty member expected to request more frequent contact if needed.

 Mentors and new faculty should address the following issues on an ongoing basis with a particular emphasis on guidance regarding the resources available to the new faculty member:
• Research agenda and plans for its development, as well as its presentation in the tenure case
• Teaching quality and the position of the new faculty’s teaching within the overall curriculum
• Appropriate service activities and load

Mentoring is a developmental and supportive activity, rather than a directive one, from the standpoint of the mentor. New faculty members are also expected to take an active role in their own mentoring. The department chair will be available for consultation to new faculty members and to their mentors. The chair will expect to hear from any party if the mentoring assignment is not proving beneficial, and work to make any necessary adjustments – which may include re-assigning mentors.