From the George A. Smathers Libraries Faculty Guidelines
1. Purpose/Goals of program
The Mentoring Program is designed to assist new faculty in understanding and navigating the T&P process; assist new faculty in understanding the culture of the libraries; provide staff members pursuing or holding a degree in librarianship with adequate support in understanding the requirements necessary to secure a faculty position; provide a venue for seasoned faculty to share their knowledge and expertise with newer personnel.
2. Eligibility to become a mentor
- Any tenured faculty is eligible to be a mentor for tenure-track faculty.
- Any faculty is eligible to be a mentor for non-tenure track faculty and staff members pursuing or holding a degree in librarianship.
3. Eligibility to become a mentee
- All tenure-track faculty are required to participate in the Mentoring Program.
- All non-tenure track faculty and staff pursuing or holding a degree in librarianship may elect to participate in the mentoring program by completing a Mentor Request form.
4. Mentor selection process
The selection of a mentor will be made jointly with input from the appropriate dean, Chair, supervisor, employee and the Libraries Human Resources Office.
5. Duration of mentoring relationship
- For tenure-track faculty the mentoring relationship will last until the mentee has submitted the T&P packet.
- For non-tenure track faculty and staff pursuing or holding a degree in librarianship – the mentoring relationship will last 1 year with the option of renewal if requested.
6. Level of interaction
The level of interaction between a mentor and mentee is flexible and is mutually agreed upon by each pair. It is however recommended that the participants meet at least once a month and participate in training opportunities provided through the Libraries’ Training program.
7. Feedback mechanism
During the annual faculty evaluation, the supervisor or Chair will solicit feedback on how well the mentor/mentee assignment is working out. If it is determined that a new mentor/mentee pairing is desired, the supervisor or Chair should contact the HR Office to coordinate a change.
8. Formalizing the program
For mentors the mentoring relationship will be considered Service to the Libraries and the Mentoring Agreement will become part of their annual activity report. Click here to download the Faculty Mentoring Agreement.
Resources:
Faculty Guidelines – The Libraries’ faculty guidelines provide detailed information related to faculty career development, including the faculty mentoring information presented above.
Library Training Program Calendar – Keep an eye out for our Libraries tenure and promotion (T&P) support series, including a session on faculty mentoring to help you make the most of your mentoring relationship(s).