Unit Policy
Title
College of Arts and Sciences: DCRP Faculty Mentoring Program
Introduction
Purpose
To help new faculty excel in their position, the Department identifies mentors to serve as a resource for professional development. This mentoring program provides a pathway for junior faculty to get feedback on research, teaching, service, community engagement, and tenure expectations. It is expected that this formal departmental program is only one part of the mentorship that junior faculty will seek from colleagues within and outside UNC (including from professional organizations).
Scope
This policy is for tenure‑track or fixed‑term assistant professors with a primary appointment in DCRP.
Policy
Who is eligible for the mentor program?
Tenure-track or fixed term assistant professors with a primary appointment in DCRP.
How are mentors assigned?
The chair identifies one to two internal mentors for each assistant professor. The mentors will be tenured DCRP faculty with substantive research interests related to the assistant professor (when possible, based on senior faculty availability). An external member of the mentoring committee can also be appointed when the chair or assistant professor identifies this as useful. Mentors will remain the same unless the mentor or mentee requests a change.
How will the mentoring process work?
Once the mentoring committee has been determined, there will be a kickoff meeting of the mentee, mentors, and chair to discuss the aims of the mentoring programs along with roles and responsibilities. At that meeting, the committee should discuss how the mentors and the mentee will communicate and interact. The goal is to have a flexible program. However, at a minimum, mentors and mentees should plan to meet one to two times per year. Mentees should plan to initiate meetings with the mentoring committee or individual mentors. Mentors will also be invited to attend part of the annual review meetings in April between the chair and assistant professors.
Responsibilities and Best Practices.
Mentoring can take different forms. The UNC Center for Faculty Excellence has developed the following list of roles and best practices. “What is Mentoring?”; “Department Recommendations for Mentoring Faculty”.
Roles of a Faculty Mentor
- Career Enhancing Mentoring – those aspects of the relationship that enhance learning the ropes, strengthening professional skills and scholarship, and preparing for advancement in the organization and within the mentee’s professional field.
- Networking – exposure to positive, career-building opportunities (individuals and resources) on the UNC campus and potentially outside.
Roles of a Mentee
- Proactive responsibility for their career development
- Openness to feedback and understanding the expectations of the mentor
- Engage in self-reflection and align career plan with individual strengths
Best Practices for mentors and mentees:
- Establish “Ground Rules,” thereby building trust, and communication
- Establish regular, confidential meetings to check-in at least once a semester outside of departmental annual review.
- Provide space and flexibility to identify and meet needs of mentee
- Provide support and preparation for departmental faculty annual review (performance review)
- Discuss negotiation and communication skills
- Guide mentee through the promotion and tenure requirements
- Encourage professional development
- Encourage peer mentoring and multiple mentors, including a career mentor distinct from a research mentor
- Develop faculty (both mentor and mentee) involvement in formal development of mentorship skills: the Office of Graduate Education and the CFE/NC TraCS offer a free, evidence-based, mentorship training curriculum
Monitoring
The faculty annual report will include a question about overall satisfaction with mentoring programs with summarized
information reported and discussed during the annual faculty retreat. The chair will check in on mentoring during the annual review conversations during the one-on-one portion of the conversation.
Related Requirements
External Regulations (if applicable)
- Is this Policy connected to any Policies, Laws (federal, state, local, regulations), and/or Accreditation requirements?
- Are there any related UNC System-wide Policies?
- Is this Policy connected to any UNC-Chapel Hill Policies, Procedures, or Standards?
- Are there any other resources or materials readers of this Policy might likely refer to or need to follow or understand this Policy?
Unit Policies, Standards, and Procedures (if applicable)
- Is this Policy connected to any other Unit Policies, Procedures, or Standards?
Contact Information
Primary Contact
Office: Dean's Office
Telephone: 919-962-1165
Email: artsandsciences@unc.edu