Faculty Mentoring

 

The College of Engineering (COE) faculty mentoring program assists faculty in identifying and obtaining the resources and support that will help them to be successful. Developed with support of an NSF ADVANCE P.A.I.D. grant HRD #- 0819993, the mentoring program has at its core the need for a diversity of mentors for a diversity of input.

 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Upon arrival new faculty are faced with a new set of challenges such as setting up their research program, directing a lab and teaching a class. However, they have little knowledge of or experience with the policies, procedures, resources and culture of the University’s College of Engineering.

Department chairs assign each assistant professor a formal (procedural) mentor. The formal mentor is generally a senior faculty member from the assistant professor’s department. The mentor/mentee pair should meet regularly, using the mentoring checklist on the UD ADVANCE website (link below) as a guide. Please note, the formal mentor is not intended to replace other types of mentors, sponsors, advocates, peers, etc. All faculty members need a variety of mentors.

Faculty with joint appointments should have a mentor from each of the relevant departments and/or programs. The mentor(s) from minority appointment department(s) have an important role as liaison assuring the faculty member is aware of relevant department votes and events, graduate recruiting activities, and other items of interest related to the minority department.

Find more mentoring resources on the UD ADVANCE website.

 

TYPES OF MENTORING ROLES

Evaluative*

  • Department Chair input through yearly evaluations.
  • Department P&T committee through two and four year reviews

Procedural*

  • A Senior faculty member from within the department – appointed by and monitored by the department chair.
  • This individual should meet formally monthly with the mentee and go over policies and procedures of the University, College and department.

Professional Life

  • A senior faculty member preferably from another institution – preferably within the candidates research area. This individual can directly recommend funding opportunities, external opportunities, national/international research opportunities and can give an outsiders view of events.

Other (as the mentee deems appropriate)

  • The mentor in this role may possibly be a senior faculty member from another department within the university who may have cultural, gender, international or other similarities with the mentee and thus can act as a conduit for specific local information and advice.
  • This individual’s value, among others, is that he/she is not influenced by departmental politics..

    *This web page deals primarily with evaluative and procedural mentoring. For questions or further clarification contact Rachel Davidson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, rdavidso@udel.edu.

 

ROLES, DUTIES, AND ASSIGNMENTS

COE recognizes that faculty members at all levels should have a variety of mentors/coaches and should seek a wide diversity of input. No one person knows or can communicate all aspects or needs. The members of this mentoring team will have different duties and provide various forms of input.

Department Chairs

  • The procedural mentor, a senior member of the mentee’s department, shall be appointed by the department chair. It is the department chair’s responsibility to oversee the success of this pairing, to recognize the time commitment and importance of the mentoring arrangement, and to intervene in the case that the mentor-mentee relationship is not progressing successfully.
  • The chair will, at a minimum, check on the actual interactions twice a year.

Mentors and Mentees

  • The mentor will set up “formal” monthly meetings with the mentee. Each meeting should have a focus and a purpose. At a minimum, the mentor and mentee should go over the “checklist” reviewing dates/deadlines and responsibilities. This formal interaction represents the minimum interaction you both should have.
  • Mentees are encouraged to seek additional support mentoring beyond the University, within the University but external to the department, and within the department on informal terms.

COE runs periodic workshops for mentors and mentees to support their professional development efforts.

 

RESOURCES

The Faculty and Staff Resources webpage provides one-stop shopping for useful information related to administrative tasks, research support, policies and procedures, teaching and advising, and other responsibilities associated with being a successful faculty member.