New Faculty Mentoring Program

“Mentoring for me has allowed me to stay connected with issues facing junior faculty and find ways to help where I can. There is tremendous satisfaction in bearing witness to the personal and professional growth of my mentee”

Full Professor, Female, Texas A&M University

Description of Program
 What to Expect From the Mentoring Program
 Suggested Mentoring Activities
 Matching Mentors with Mentees
 Duration of the Mentoring Process
 Roles and Responsibilities of Mentors
 Roles and Responsibilities of Mentees
 10 Myths of Effective Mentoring
 Joining the Program
 Useful Links on Mentoring

 

Description of Program

There are many levels of mentoring such as formal, departmental, and the less formal colleague to colleague. Fresh models of mentoring are emerging that encourage multiple-networking mentors to address specific activities like instruction, research, and work/life balance. There are even programs emerging where a senior faculty from one campus is paired with a junior faculty from another, within a consortium, with similar research and scholarly interests. Texas A&M University and the Office of Dean of Faculties and Associate Provost (DOF) are committed to faculty retention, creating an atmosphere of advocacy, respect, and accessibility for its entire faculty. The Women’s Faculty Network (WFN) Mentoring Program is a voluntary program designed to pair experienced faculty with new faculty to acclimate the latter to the university. This program is not designed to take the place of mentoring programs already offered by individual departments. We encourage new and junior faculty to seek multiple mentors from a myriad of sources. This program is designed to act as a supplemental with a targeted focus toward women faculty. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that mentored faculty exhibit greater political savvy, higher job satisfaction, and more prolific research and publications.1 For this reason, the primary goal of the WFN Mentoring Program is to make both mentees and mentors feel empowered professionally and socio-academically by participating in a more formalized faculty mentoring program.

The structure of the program is simple. Pairs commit to meet throughout the semester to talk, vent, mull over career goals, share, create, and support new faculty’s navigation through their junior years. While general guidelines and tips are provided for these meetings, pairs are given latitude to structure their visits (time and duration) in a manner that works best for them. The DOF office funds one lunch per semester, per pair, and encourages pairs to meet face-to-face on a regular basis or, at the very least, by phone and email.

1 Johnson, W. B. (2007). On being a mentor: A guide for higher education faculty. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

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What to Expect From the Mentoring Program

For new mentees:

  • Orientation to the university’s climate, structure, and surrounding community.
  • An advocate in the form of a senior faculty dedicated to discussing research goals, publication information, and a readymade sounding board.
  • Access. Habituation is key to any successful mentoring relationship. Thus, the aim of the program is to help junior faculty adjust to a new environment as painless as possible.
  • Questions answered and concerns discussed in a non-judgmental environment between colleagues.
  • Insight into teaching and career development from a seasoned veteran.
  • A friendly face to share the highs and lows of balancing work, personal life, and time.

For new and seasoned mentors:

  • Share firsthand knowledge about the university in general, and teaching and academia, specifically.
  • Answering a plethora of “Who, What, Where and Why” questions about any and everything.
  • Satisfaction in helping shape the careers of new faculty.
  • Provide a valuable service to the university by promoting collegiality and championing mentoring relationships among women.

A friendly note to perspective mentors. If you are worried or concerned about being an effective mentor, don’t. The program provides ample tools, feedback, and guidance to help you, individually, and as pairs. Mentees and mentors should keep in mind that positive mentoring relationships are both interpersonal and intrapersonal. A good portion of mentoring is innate. Should every senior faculty personnel be a mentor in the traditional sense? Probably not. On the other hand, while the program is formal, the mentoring relationships are not. You are encouraged to share your expertise to the extent that you feel comfortable.

Qualities of a Good Mentor

  • Genuinely wants mentees to thrive at Texas A&M University.
  • Provides honest and balanced feedback; by offering constructive and candid criticism when warranted as well as praise.
  • Values mentees as people and colleagues.
  • Honors confidentiality.
  • Actively listens and provides timely feedback, such as returning phone calls and assisting in deadlines.
  • Conveys accessibility.
  • Manages to communicate optimism and realism simultaneously
  • Has a sense of humor.

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Suggested Mentoring Activities

Mentors and new faculty are encouraged to meet face-to-face frequently during the first couple of semesters and keep in touch often through phone or email. Other activities:

  • Discuss and write down mentees three-five year plans for publications and scholarship.
  • Exchange CV’s and share stories about career paths -- both anecdotal and brainstorming.
  • Attend workshops together offered by the DOF’s Faculty Development Workshop Series.
  • Journal and share short term and long term career goals and professional interests.
  • Explore student and academic support services together.
  • Discuss effective instructional techniques and course/curricula development.
  • Explore joint research and publication opportunities; or mentors introduce mentees to other academicians for publication opportunities.
  • Discuss the university’s academic policies, guidelines and governance structure.
  • Attend sports events, theater productions and cultural programs.
  • Discuss student issues such as advising and ways of motivating.
  • Share experiences for managing time, handling stress, and balancing workload.
  • Explore professional development opportunities available to new faculty.
  • Attend tours, socials, and training sessions offered by Network Mentoring Programs.

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Matching Mentors with Mentees

The WFN Mentoring Program Coordinator will match new faculty at their request with senior faculty mentors with an eye toward compatibility, interests and motivation. If a new faculty’s department or college has assigned a mentor from within the department or college, the new faculty can still be paired with a mentor from a department or college unrelated to their field. Mentors are usually identified through personal contacts, scholarly interests, and recommendations from deans and colleagues.

Mentors assigned are generally of the same gender as the new faculty. However, mentors of particular gender, race, ethnicity, or background can be requested and cross-faculty network requests are permitted. Again, participants are not precluded from having more than one mentor outside the program.

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Duration of the Mentoring Process

No set duration is required for the mentoring relationship between a mentor and mentee. It is recommended that mentors and new faculty interact frequently during the first 1-2 semesters. At the end of each semester pairs can decide if it is necessary to continue the mentoring relationship at the same pace, or on an as needed basis, or decide if individual goals have been met

At any point during the mentoring process, if a mentor or new faculty feels that the relationship is not productive, please contact the Program Coordinator to be reassigned. Due to the voluntary nature of the program, it is up to the participants to contact the Program Coordinator if agreed upon outcomes are not being met. We cannot guarantee the outcomes of the individual pair’s relationships. However, participates are encouraged to contact the Coordinator with reassignment requests, questions, and especially kudos.

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Roles and Responsibilities of Mentors

Mentors can take on various roles, such as coach, champion, friend, advocate, role model, or confidant depending on the needs of the new faculty and the nature of the mentoring relationship. One of the greatest assistance a mentor can provide a mentee is simply identification. A veritable ‘Who’s Whom’ on campus and in their departments. Sharing funding opportunities from sources inside and outside the university is equally invaluable to new faculty.

Mentors are responsible for:

  • Maintaining confidentiality of information shared by mentee.
  • Taking the initiative and contacting mentees.
  • Devoting time to the relationship.
  • Reasonable accessibility.
  • Sharing knowledge and experience to benefit new faculty and following up on their progress.

There are benefits to becoming a mentor:

  • These relationships are not one-sided. Senior faculty is exposed to a fresh set of eyes in befriending new faculty.
  • Personal satisfaction in giving back and extending yourself.
  • Service to the institution and academe.
  • Opportunity to be the mentor you had, or wish you had, when starting your academic career.

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Roles and Responsibilities of Mentees

Like mentors, mentees can take on various roles such as friend, protégé and new colleague depending on their needs, research, academic experience, and the nature of the mentoring relationship.

Mentees are responsible for:

  • Speaking up. Mentees are responsible for asking questions and seeking help.
  • Making use of opportunities provided by their mentors.
  • Keeping mentors informed of academic progress, difficulties, and recognition.

There are benefits to becoming a mentee:

  • Receiving honest and constructive feedback (yes, criticism too) from senior faculty in a non-supervisory role.
  • Insight into the unwritten rules and pitfalls laden in academia and TAMU.
  • Networking and at the ready advocate.
  • Connection to the university through senior faculty.

Both mentors and mentees have the responsibility for gaining each other's trust and confidence and interacting in a mutually respectful manner. Pairs should value each other’s time and professional and personal commitments.

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10 Myths of Effective Mentoring 2

  1. Myth: The mentor should be older than the person being mentored. This myth assumes that the relationship is determined in large part by a difference in ages of participants, rather than by other factors such as experience and interpersonal skills. A person doesn’t have to be middle-aged or older to be a good mentor to someone else. Also, older people, whether they are returning students or already established in careers, may also need mentoring.
  2. Myth: A person can have only one mentor at a time. Having multiple mentors and a variety of social networks expands a person’s ability to develop allies and alliances. Relying on several people also means that the mentoring functions can be split up. For example, one person might be good at providing informal advice about the institution; another might provide better insights and information about jobs in a particular field. Acknowledging the need to rely on several people can help avoid a futile search for the “perfect” mentor.
  3. Myth: Mentoring is all for the benefit of the mentee. Mentoring is a two-way street. Mentors receive some benefits, too, such as earning a reputation for spotting new talent…the person being mentored can provide fresh insights and information about new problems or programs with which the mentor may be unfamiliar.
  4. Myth: If you are seeking a mentor, you have to wait to be asked. Unlike an old-fashioned dance, women do not have to wait passively for a senior person to notice their achievements and choose to help them. By actively seeking mentors, women can make themselves more visible as up-and-comers in a profession.
  5. Myth: Men are better mentors for women. This is partially true, to the extent that men are more likely to be powerful people and thus able to open more doors. But at least one study has shown that male mentors were more likely to direct their mentees and therefore to be disappointed if they did not follow advice. The study found, in contrast, that female mentors were more likely to encourage and affirm their mentees' career choices; they apparently had less emotional investment in having their mentees follow in their footsteps.
  6. Myth: The mentor always knows best. Mentors are human like the rest of us and may make mistakes or deliberately exploit the mentee. A mentor may misperceive the mentees potential and set goals that are too high or too low. As the mentee grows and develops professional stature, the mentor may find it difficult to let go or to move to a more collegial relationship, thus increasing the likelihood that the mentee development will be stifled or that breach will occur.
  7. Myth: Mentors have to fulfill every possible role and of a mentor. Refer to no. 2. You do not have to fulfill every possible function of a mentor to be effective, but let your mentees know where you are willing to help and what kind of information or support you can give that you believe will be particularly helpful. Be clear about whether you are willing to give advice on personal issues, such as suggestions about how to balance family and career responsibilities.
  8. Myth: Criticism is never a good idea in a mentor-mentee relationship. On the contrary, be sure to give criticism, as well as praise, when warranted, but present it with specific suggestions for improvement. Do it in a private and non-threatening context. Giving criticism in the form of a question can be helpful, as in, "How would your research look if you examined economic issues…?"
  9. Myth: Women, people of color, ethnicities, lifestyles and religion will never want to work with someone not of the same background. Be willing to provide support for people different from yourself. Some suggest it is far easier for women than men to cross boundaries such as race, color, ethnicity, class and religion in working with others. But we all need to practice this skill and avoid the temptation to assist only those with whom we feel the most comfortable, those who are the closest to being clones of ourselves.
  10. Myth: You don’t have time. Make no mistake a about it, mentoring is a deliberative act. Bottom line is that effective mentors find and make time to develop relationships with junior faculty. Being a good mentor is not only measured in the amount of time spent with mentee, the quality of time spent is just as important and impactful.

2 1-9 taken from Sandler, B. 1993. Women as Mentors: Myths and Commandments. Chronicle of Higher Education. March 10, 1993.

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Joining the Program

To join the program or for more information about the Network Mentoring Programs (NMP) please contact Val Coleman, Program Coordinator @ networkmentoring@tamu.edu or call 845-4274.

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Castellanos, J. (2003). "The Majority in the Minority: Expanding the Representation of Latina/o Faculty, Administrators and Students in Higher Education."

Driscoll, L. G., K. A. Parkes, et al. (2009). Navigating the lonely sea: peer mentoring and collaboration among aspiring women scholars. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning. 17: 5-21.

Ewing, R., M. Freeman, et al. (2008). "Building community in academic settings: the importance of flexibility in a structured mentoring program." Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning 16(3): 294.

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Johnson, W. B., C. R. Ridley, et al. (2004). The elements of mentoring. New York, Palgrave Macmillan: xvi, 146 p.

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Shore, W. J., T. Toyokawa, et al. (2008). Context-specific effects on reciprocity in mentoring relationships: ethical implications. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, Routledge. 16: 17-29.

Sorcinelli, M. D. and Y. Jung (2007). "From Mentor to Mentoring Networks: Mentoring in the New Academy." Change 39(6): 58-61.

Turner, C. S. V., J. C. Gonz©lez, et al. (2008). "Faculty of color in academe: What 20 years of literature tells us." Journal of Diversity in Higher Education Vol 1(3): 139.

Zellers, D. F., V. M. Howard, et al. (2008). "Faculty Mentoring Programs: Reenvisioning Rather Than Reinventing the Wheel." Review of Educational Research: 0034654308320966.

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Office of the Dean of Faculties and Associate Provost | Texas A&M University