Faculty of Color Cross-Institutional Mentorship Program Focused on making explicit the connection between faculty success and student success by building relationships and offering professional development targeted towards the unique needs of faculty that will improve instruction teaching, student learning, and cultural climate. Statement of Need Despite efforts to diversify hiring and recruiting practices at individual colleges, the number of full-time faculty of color (non-teaching included) across the state system has remained within 14-17% since 2010. National research shows that faculty of color experience unique challenges that are systemic and remain unaddressed: hidden workloads, campus climate issues, and lack of transparent supports. While there are many historical institutional barriers to the successful recruitment and retention of faculty of color, research shows that mentoring can address these issues; therefore, the Collaborative Faculty of Color Mentorship Program is a cross-institutional endeavor to expand our system s ability to mentor, retain, and provide the needed support for faculty of color. While this program provides our current faculty of color much needed supports (one-to-one mentoring, professional learning opportunities at the retreats, connection with other faculty of color from other institutions), this mentoring program will also indirectly impact future recruitment and hiring efforts, as well as the cultural climate of Washington State s 34 community and technical colleges. Why is this a State-Wide Program? Faculty in our Washington State CTC system have access to a variety of different kinds of mentoring on their campuses. Some of these are formal (i.e. tenure committees or a mentorship program sponsored by their department or institution) and others are informal. This program is not intended to replace the valuable mentorship faculty members already have access to at their institutions. However, there are very few, if any, formal supports for faculty of color as they navigate the well-researched and documented obstacles, barriers, and challenges unique to people of color holding a faculty role in historically white institutions. Therefore, this program is designed to offer a kind of mentoring not available consistently at all of our 34 CTCs. As an example, many faculty of color suffer long-term exhaustion from what is termed invisible workload work that their colleagues from systemically dominant populations do not see or experience themselves. For example, they often have larger informal advisee loads, asked to sit on multiple committees to diversify the team, and are looked to as the experts to take on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives on campus. In addition, many faculty of color experience both microaggressions and macroagressions in their classrooms (from students) and from colleagues as they perform the work of the institution (department meetings, committee work, etc.)
As a result of the low numbers of faculty of color state-wide, often a faculty member of color is the only person of color in a department or program. Therefore, there is no one to turn to at their respective individual institutions who has also experienced these significant challenges as they manifest in the faculty role. This can lead to isolation and burnout. Furthermore, there is a need to process traumatic experiences and heal from them so one can continue supporting students. This mentorship program offers faculty of color a unique opportunity to feel connected with others who experience similar challenges, to learn and heal from and with each other. Mentoring in Context This work has to be thought of differently than a traditional model of mentorship within our institution to truly meet the needs of our faculty. One-to-One Mentoring Using a variety of generative structures and processes (including surveys, personality inventories, and other methodologies), faculty mentees in the program are paired with a mentor with whom they are encouraged to develop a close, connected relationship. Mentors are required to initiate contact with their mentees at least twice per quarter. During each Convening: Mentor and mentee decide collaboratively on modality and duration (e-mail, phone, chat, Skype, F2F, lunch, dinner... ) While a more traditional one-to-one mentoring model might be more formal and hierarchal and more about career advancement, the mentoring in this program is about the kind of relationship building that strengthens both mentor and mentee holistically in ways that improve their teaching, student learning, and the cultural climate at their respective institutions. In this kind of relationship, the mentee has just as much to offer as the mentor, and there is an inherent satisfaction in reciprocal acts of giving and supporting. Group Mentoring Each retreat features work-alike breakout sessions. In this way, the mentees have time to get to know each other and bond as a cohort. Perhaps even more important is time for the mentors to be together as a group. At the first meeting of the mentors, the message was clear they are eager for mentoring as well. Our faculty of color are a networked resource, and the mentors have many ideas for professional development targeted to their needs, those which this program can offer through our retreats. Having time in work-alike groups can also lead to opportunities for collaboration with others one example is increased knowledge of teaching methods/discipline by working with others in the field. Cross-Cultural Communication Cross-cultural communication is a skill our mentors and mentees are developing as they work together across the system. Our faculty of color are diverse with regard to race/ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, citizenship, geographic origins, language, sexual identity, and gender identity, in addition to many other identity-related aspects. As faculty members explore what cross-cultural communication looks like, and the differences they observe, the skill set they further develop will help them to better collaborate with colleagues at their institutions and in working with their students. This
skill-set can be modeled with their colleagues in their departments and programs, demonstrating how to be aware of the overt and nuanced differences in communication style, cultural norms, and perceptions. This is a unique learning opportunity to gain strong cultural competencies to communicate and work effectively with individuals that may share the experiences inherent in being a part of systemically non-dominant populations, but also to discover how to better work with one another when language, social expectations, communication, and experiences may differ. Future professional development opportunities in this area of cross-cultural communication will support the participants in their goals to be stronger community members, collaborators, and instructors. Program Outcomes and Assessment Program Outcomes Support and facilitate faculty development, personally and professionally, through one-to-one and group mentoring; Increase potential for success by o Recognizing and challenging historical institutional barriers, o Strengthening both internal assets (resilience, self-care, etc.) and external resources (professional development needs, mentorship, etc.) o Establishing state-wide and regional support networks for faculty of color. Increase collaboration and networking opportunities cross-institution; Create a community that will impact the success and retention of faculty of color through the tenure process and beyond. Offer professional learning opportunities targeted towards making explicit the link between student success and faculty development targeting the unique needs of faculty that will improve instructional quality. Develop individual and collective capacity in effective cross-cultural communication Further identify and grow professional development programming specifically addressing the needs unique to faculty of color in our Washington State CTC system Assessment Measures The assessment measures are both quantitative and qualitative in nature and include both formative and summative measures. In addition to providing tangible data related to the number of faculty of color in the program and their defined roles, the program will add to the state-wide data available from the SBCTC research department. Quantitative Number of faculty participating in the program from quarter to quarter and year to year, Demographic info related to identified race/ethnicity URM, Gender,
Any patterns in reportedly successful pairings as it relates to ethnicity/discipline/gender/communication style/expectations of mentorship relationship. Long-term retention data and career progression of faculty in the program. Qualitative In addition to program specific assessment that measures growth and success within the program, the information gathered will assist in a collective understanding of the following inquiry questions: What brought individuals into the CTC system? What types of support and resources are needed to retain faculty of color? What types of professional development opportunities will best serve this growing population? What we have learned about mentorship practices for this population and applicable training models (successful matching practices, training for both mentors/mentees, intervention policies when there is a concern). Pilot Program Design Funding for Pilot In the pilot year (2016-17), funds were secured from SBCTC s Assessment, Teaching, and Learning (ATL) in the amount of $15,500 that allowed the program to provide three one-day retreats. This amount covered the costs of the rental location, food, speakerrelated expenses, and equipment. Choices About Audience While adjunct faculty of color need similar supports, they are a much larger number, which would impact the size of the program. In addition, they often do not have access to the institutional structures (i.e. reimbursement for travel, time away from teaching) that enable full-time faculty to participate in the cohort. Furthermore, because adjunct faculty do not have access to consistent workloads, we cannot ensure that they can engage in a year-long program. Therefore, due to limited start-up funds and in the face of tremendous, systemic need, our program focused on full-time, tenure-track faculty as the mentees, and full-time, tenured faculty as mentors for the following reasons: The three years of the tenure process provides a suitably narrow focus and scope to identify potential participants and retreat agendas; Able to identify this population through system-wide groups (WACTC, IC, ATC, HR Commission) to promote this opportunity; There is fluidity and movement in our adjunct faculty population, while our FT and Tenured faculty have job stability and access to institutional resources; It is easier for this population to obtain institutional support to get substitutes/travel funds to attend quarterly meetings (i.e. use professional development leave).
Can be incorporated into a full-time faculty member s contractual responsibilities o Professional Development Plans o Fulfill faculty responsibilities in Contribution to Community, Program Design for Academic Year 17-18 Application The ATL department will handle the application process and secure the location of the three annual mentorship retreats. The application will be available April 2017. In addition, members of the advisory board will forward an announcement with the link and a word document of the application to suitable listservs (ATC, IC, WACTC, VTC, DEHPD, etc.) Program capacity is limited to 70 participants (35 mentors and 35 mentees), so please urge eligible faculty to submit their application well before the deadline. The advisory board will determine admittance based on deadline submission, available seats, and broad representation from across the system. Eligible Participants Mentees: Full-time, tenure-track probationary faculty members at any stage of the tenure process who identify as being a person of color and teach at one of the 34 Washington State Community and Technical Colleges. Mentors: Full-time, tenured faculty members who identify as being a person of color and are employed at one of 34 Washington State Community and Technical Colleges. Referral Process Some institutions may choose to organize a formalized process for recruitment, where the appropriate person/s reach out to faculty of color (tenured and at various stages of tenure-track) to offer this opportunity. This may be a responsibility of the Deans of Instruction/HR/Center for Professional Development/Diversity & Equity Office, etc. In institutions where the process is unclear, faculty may self-refer. Program Cost In the 2017-2018 year, the program will be moving to a self-support model. The anticipated cost for the program based on approximately 70 participants would be $21,000. This translates to a $300 registration fee per participant annually. The collected funds will be used for costs related to site rental, food, speaker-related expenses, equipment, and supplies. Program Requirements To ensure a solid foundation, participants must join in the fall during the registration period. In addition, all participants must attend the first fall retreat.
Mentor/Mentee Contact: Mentors are required to initiate contact with mentee at least twice per quarter. Mentees are required to respond. We ask that the mentor and mentee decide collaboratively on modality and duration (e-mail, phone, chat, Skype, F2F, lunch, dinner... ) Retreat Attendance: The program offers three retreats. While participants are encouraged to attend all three meetings, only two are required. Attendance at the fall retreat, however, is mandatory.
Appendix One Year 1 Pilot Program Retreats at a Glance First Quarterly Gathering (Fall 2016) September 30th, 2016, 9AM to 4PM Opening Plenary: The Developmental Journey: Cultivating Consciousness of Self in the Context of What We Do o Facilitator: Debi Jenkins, Clark College. Concurrent Sessions: Mentor and Mentee Training o What are the expectations of Mentors and Mentees? o How to actively participate and engage in the mentorship relationship? Mentor/Mentee Matching Activities Large Group Session: Identify challenges a person of color faces in historically white institutions, especially those new to higher education and new to a full-time teaching role Idea: Participants currently new to their teaching roles and participants who have more experience in their positions share their challenges Data Collected Baseline Satisfaction Survey for participants (is this the plus/delta)? What about the I Used to Know, Now I Know after Debi s session? Faculty and Staff of Color Conference, November 2016 Second Quarterly Gathering (Winter 2017) January 27th, 2017, 9AM to 4PM Note: Administrators who identify as being a person of color were also invited to participate in the second convening by the leadership team. 13-15 administrators from various institutions participated in sessions with faculty throughout the day, in addition to an administrator breakout session and an afternoon panel composed of senior leadership. Leadership team gathers participants feedback (formative assessment) at all sessions to design responsively for the spring agenda. Bridging session and Community Building: Reflection on how the current political climate has impacted participants personally and professionally in their teaching role. Plenary Session: Microaggressions and Macroassaults Facilitator: Yoshiko Harden, VP of Student Services, Seattle Central Concurrent Sessions: Mentor and Mentee Training Senior Administrator Panel Discussion Moving Up in the System as a Person of Color: Mapping Your Trajectory. Final Assessment: Plus/Delta
Third Quarterly Gathering (Spring 2017) May 19 th, 2017, 9AM to 4PM Activities TBA (processing feedback gathered at winter retreat) Reflect on the second quarter and year overall Develop a shared document that outlines opportunities for ally support and collaboration at their home institutions. Leadership team gathers participants feedback (formative assessment to design responsively for Academic Year 2017-18) Post Mentoring Satisfaction Survey for participants Summative Assessment of the program