General purpose of the program

The mentoring program for new faculty that exists at Trevecca is intended to provide a systematic way to integrate new faculty well into the community and life of the university.  Mentors are usually senior faculty within the home department or division of the new faculty.  Each mentor is assigned by the undergraduate department coordinator or graduate program director and it is expected that he/she will meet with new faculty regularly throughout the year, keep new faculty informed of important events and activities he/she would benefit from attending, and accompany new faculty to the "New Faculty and Mentor" lunches held each semester. Click here for the list of new faculty 2007-08 and their mentors.

Supporting events and resources

• Annual events for new faculty

New faculty orientation - end of August each year in the Waggoner Library

New faculty and mentor lunches - one per semester for the first year

 ¨      Other faculty development activities:

• Lunch and Learn events - one per semester

• Orientation sessions - one per semester

• Retreat - each February

• Book Club - ongoing throughout the year

 ¨      Online resources

• ICE for faculty

• Faculty Development web site

• Magna publications - The Teaching Professor and Online Classroom  newsletters (both free to faculty)

• CCCU web site (www.cccu.org)

 ¨      Research and professional development funds

Mini-grants for conference attendance and participation - application to the FD Committee

Research grants - application to the Faculty Research Committee

Qualities of a good mentor

Faculty mentors should be:

-    Accessible to new faculty when needed throughout the first year

-     Supportive of new faculty as they become accustomed to new roles as in teaching and scholarship

-      Directive in explanations and clarifications to new faculty when needed

Responsibilities of the Department Coordinator or program director

-     Review qualities of a good mentor and assign a mentor for each new faculty accordingly

-      Review the situation after the first month to find out if the relationship is working

-     Assign a new mentor if needed

-     Work with the mentor's to support new faculty as needed

Responsibilities of the mentor 

Mentors should agree to:

-      Meeting with new faculty when needed

-      Attending new faculty and mentor lunches with new faculty each semester of the first year

-      Provide an initial orientation and introduction to the physical locations on campus and to the other department staff and faculty

-      Introduce new faculty to the faculty development activities and resources available (including web site and online orientation module)

-      Provide support in the development of course syllabi, evaluation methods, reports, administrative meetings, and advising procedures

-      Introduce new faculty to the student life activities of the campus

-      Encourage new faculty to explore the research and scholarship resources available

-      Encourage new faculty to inquire after effective faith integration approaches and methods

-      Introduce new faculty to promotion and tenure procedures and resources

-      Prepare new faculty for the first annual review with the department coordinator or program director

 Responsibilities of new faculty

-      To stay in contact with mentor

-      To ask questions as necessary and keep in regular communication wit the mentor for the first year

-      To inform the department coordinator or program director, if the mentor assigned is not suitable

-      To provide feedback to the mentor and the department coordinator or program director as required

-      To attend new faculty and mentor lunches

-      To explore and make use of all available resources for new faculty