All assistant professors (including research and teaching faculty) are assigned two formal mentors early in their appointment. Faculty at a more advanced level may also request formal mentors. “Junior faculty” in the text below refers to any faculty member requesting the appointment of formal mentors.

Mentors are technically appointed by the Chair, but names are suggested by the junior faculty member, and it is their responsibility to identify potential mentors, obtain their agreement, and notify the Chair.

Mentors provide collegial advice and constructive feedback and also help mentees identify key milestones. Mentors can also clarify procedures and requirements that are set by the department, college, or University. For example, faculty mentors can remind and check that junior faculty who are teaching are receiving both student evaluations every quarter, and peer teaching evaluations at least once/year.

Mentors should consider it their responsibility to provide advice in helping junior faculty navigate teaching responsibilities teaching planning, research grant submission, etc.

It is strongly advised that at least one of the mentors be outside of the faculty member’s core area of expertise, but this is not a requirement.

The mentors can be replaced at any time either at the request of the junior faculty member or (in exceptional cases) at the request of the mentors. It is the general expectation that assigned mentors will see the junior faculty through their promotion to Associate Professor.

The mentorship committee shall meet with the junior faculty member at least once per quarter. It is the responsibility of both the mentors and mentees to ensure that regular meetings get scheduled. It is up to the discretion of the junior faculty whether this is a single meeting with both mentors, or separate meetings (or both).

The mentors shall provide a brief written update to the chair at least once per year; this update should be provided before the Chair’s annual meeting with the junior faculty member and should therefore be completed by the end of winter quarter at the latest. The update should document the who-what-when of meetings in the last year and provide a list of the general topics discussed (e.g. field work logistics, syllabus development, proposal plans).

At the time of promotion, at least one of two mentors, plus one or two additional faculty members, shall form the 3-person department review committee who recommends the faculty for promotion.

*This policy was agreed to be general consensus at the May 2023 faculty meeting but has not yet been approved as formal policy. A vote is expected in Fall 2023.

Update History

June 5, 2023.