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The Teaching and Learning Community |
Make New Faculty Feel Connected
Activities should attempt to connect the new instructor to the institution and its faculty members on a collegial and intellectual level. A mentoring program should reach out to new instructors by including them in the program activities. Allow for some flexibility when designing a mentoring program. Several activities should be suggested in hopes of providing support to the most new faculty possible. Good mentoring makes new faculty feel connected
Model ResourcesMentoring Partnership ActivitiesSuggested activities for one-on-one mentoring with new faculty include: classroom observations, campus tours, lesson sharing, and review of institutional forms, policies, and procedures. New Faculty Survival Handbook This handbook provides the basic "survival" information any new EPCC instructor needs to know. What information does a new instructor at your campus need? New Faculty Information EXPO EPCC organizations and clubs are available to answer questions and provide information to new faculty as they enter their New Faculty Orientation evening. held during the fall and spring New Faculty Orientation. Representatives from various programs and organizations are available to provide information and answer questions. "Making New Faculty Feel Welcome" by Suzanne Sutton, Eastern Washington University. Her article offers good suggestions on how individual veteran faculty can reach out to new faculty. "Socialization of New Faculty: Mentoring and Beyond" by Bruce Sabin Sabin argues that "because many new faculty members left graduate school without fully understanding faculty roles and responsibilities, the hiring institutions must help new faculty continue to develop. In addition, each institution has a unique culture to which new faculty must acclimate." Mentoring for Affirmative Action: Faculty Recruitment and Retention Montclair State University's Commission on Affirmative Action offers a very brief summary of the types of mentoring programs available across the U.S. "Mentoring Program Helps Young Faculty Feel at Home" by Bruce E. Beans Instead of linking young professors with a mentor within their department, this model provides advisers from altogether different departments or institutions. Thus, mentees receive counsel free of the political considerations that sometimes engulf college departments. Principles of Good Practice: Supporting Early-Career Faculty by Mary Deane Sorcinelli This very helpful paper explains the ten principles of good practice; provides inventories to prompt department chairs, senior colleagues, and other academic leaders to examine their individual and institutional practices; and gives examples of concrete and innovative approaches to good practice being tried out now in a variety of institutional settings. Daniel Webster College DWC created a webpage of veteran faculty and staff with photos and welcoming statements. University of South Carolina The Volunteer Faculty and Staff Moving Crew program was actually created for new students, but is a great idea for welcoming new faculty who have relocated to teach at your institution. University of Illinois The Teacher Education Department of the University of Illinois-Springfield introduces new instructors by publishing their bio in the department newsletter. Gustavus Adolphus College New Faculty Mentoring Partners Program Their mentoring program helps new faculty develop collegial relationships with senior faculty by offering discussion dinners five times a year.
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