Johnson County Community College Faculty Mentoring Handbook 1
Faculty Mentoring The purpose of faculty mentoring is to foster cooperation leading to excellence of all newly hired full-time faculty members at Johnson County Community College. Through collaboration, mentors provide instructional, collegial, professional, and even social support. The mentoring process provides benefits to the newly hired faculty members by giving them insights into the JCCC culture. But it also provides benefits to the mentor by, perhaps, giving him/her a more recent connection to new practices. This is a one-year program that begins immediately after confirmation of employment. Time Line for the Faculty Mentoring Process: New faculty members is hired, the mentor is chosen, and the requirements of the New Faculty Orientation are explained. This should be initiated by the division/department administrator shortly after the new faculty member is hired. New faculty member and the mentor begin initial communication shortly after the new faculty member has been hired. The department administrator notifies the faculty development coordinator with the name(s) of the mentor(s) and new faculty member(s). Faculty Development Coordinator sends the mentor and mentee copies of the Faculty Mentoring Handbook. New faculty member receives the New Faculty Orientation information (Schedule, description of sessions, etc.) from the facilitator(s) of the New Faculty Orientation program. (July) Faculty Development Coordinator explains the mentoring process to the new faculty members during New Faculty Orientation. Mentor and new faculty member attend the Mentoring Orientation during Professional Development Days facilitated by the faculty development coordinator. Mentor and new faculty member meet throughout the first year. Mentor and new faculty send a copy of the mid-year report to the faculty development coordinator. Due Date: 12/1 Mentor and new faculty send a copy of the final mentoring report to the faculty development coordinator. Due Date: 4/30 The above timeline may be modified due to date of hire. 2
Faculty Mentoring Faculty mentoring at Johnson County Community College provides a number of benefits. First, by pairing newly hired faculty with a faculty member who is more seasoned in the JCCC culture, new faculty members learn details about the curriculum, teaching methods, and departmental, divisional, and college procedures. In addition, mentors benefit by learning new ideas from colleagues who have, in many cases, just completed an advanced degree and who have access to new technological and pedagogical advances. The mentoring program at JCCC recognizes that most academic division/departments at the college have existing programs to orient new faculty members. The mentoring program also recognizes the existence of the orientation activities that take place through the Office of Staff and Organizational Development. This process is not designed to be in place of those programs. It is intended to complement them. Also, this is not intended to be a process that involves any type of peer evaluation. Rather, this process is a collaborative process that is intended to make the transition into a full-time teaching position at JCCC as smooth as possible. Goals of Faculty Mentoring To provide the highest quality of orientation for new faculty members To make use of all available resources for ensuring the inclusion of new faculty To increase collegiality and shared goal-setting To facilitate the transition into the peer review process Procedure for Faculty Mentoring Who is mentored All newly hired full-time faculty members are provided with a mentor during their first two semesters of employment at Johnson County Community College. Generally, this process will begin in the summer preceeding the first year of employment. However, if the faculty member begins his/her employment during the spring semester, the process will begin prior to the spring semester. The formal mentoring process will last for two consecutive semesters. Although an informal relationship may often continue, the mentor s responsibilities to the newly hired faculty member will be completed. During the second year, the newly hired faculty member will begin the peer review process (see Peer Review Handbook). JCCC employees may access resources at the Peer Review Council site in InfoShare. 3
Selection of the Mentor After the new faculty member is hired, the mentor is chosen, and the requirements of the New Faculty Orientation are explained. This should be initiated by the division/department administrator shortly after the new faculty member is hired. Faculty who volunteer for the mentoring program should be aware that they are committing to approximately one hour per week of scheduled time during the mentoring year. The mentor chosen must be a faculty member who will be in a non-supervisory position. This selection will be done at the time the decision to hire the candidate is made (normally during the spring semester). The mentor will then be notified as quickly as possible about this selection. The mentor will be responsible for contacting the newly hired faculty member shortly thereafter. It is recommended that the mentor not be included in subsequent summative or formative peer review panels for the newly hired faculty member. The rationale for this is to maintain the distinction between the role of the mentor, which is primarily an orientation expert, and the role of the peer reviewer, which includes an evaluative role. In some academic areas, the pool of possible peer reviewers can be relatively small. In those instances, the hiring committee and the academic director should consider choosing mentors who are not a part of the peer review pool whenever possible. This will help to insure that there will be a sufficient number of peer reviewers during the candidate s second and third years of employment. Responsibilities of the Mentor The first responsibility of the mentor is to contact the newly hired faculty member. This contact should provide the new faculty member with pertinent information such as the syllabus, textbooks, course information, etc. The mentor will attend a mentoring orientation session in August during professional development days. Attendance at the orientation is required. Newly hired faculty members should also attend this orientation. This will, in many cases, be the first faceto-face activity that the mentor and the newly hired faculty member do together. After that, the mentor and the new faculty member will jointly decide on a one-hour time period each week. This does not mean that the two will meet every week for one hour. Rather, it is important that the time is scheduled for activities that may take place each week. During the first weekly meeting, the new faculty member and the mentor will jointly decide on goals and objectives for the year s activities. These goals and objectives will often vary greatly from one person to another. The form on page 7 gives some suggestions as to possible areas of focus during this first year of employment. 4
The mentor will be responsible for maintaining a log of weekly meetings that take place. The purpose of this log is to give the mentor a written reminder of the things that have been accomplished during the mentoring year. This log will provide the background for the mid-term report and the year-end summary that the mentor will be completing. The mentor is not intended to be the expert in all areas of the college community. Instead, the mentor should be the facilitator to introduce the new faculty member to those people who are the experts. It is expected that some (or even many) of the weekly meetings will take place between the new faculty member and one of the college experts. Often, the mentor can (and should) facilitate the arrangement of these meetings. The role of the mentor is to help create an environment that will facilitate the inclusion and association of the new faculty member into all aspects of the college community. The role of the mentor is not intended to be an evaluator. Therefore, it is recommended that the mentor not visit the classroom of the new faculty member unless he/she asks. In that case, the mentor should keep in mind that he/she is visiting the class as an impartial observer, not as an evaluator, and should comment accordingly. For the mentor, the primary responsibilities are: To attend the mentoring orientation session at the beginning of the fall semester To assist the new faculty member with completing the goals for the year To complete a log of the weekly meetings To complete a mid-term and year-end summary Upon completion of these tasks, the mentor will earn a $400 stipend Responsibilities of the New Faculty Member New faculty members are asked to allow a few minutes each day to record observations about their experiences at JCCC both in and out of the classroom. These observations become a private journal that will be used as a starting point for discussions with the mentor. This private journal will also provide the background for the mid-term report and the year-end summary that the new faculty member will be completing. The new faculty member should attend the orientation session during professional development days in August. Mentors are required to attend this orientation. This will, in many cases, be the first face-to-face activity that the mentor and the newly hired faculty member do together. After that, the mentor and the new faculty member will jointly decide on a one-hour time period each week. This does not mean that the two will meet every week for one hour. Rather, it is important that the time is scheduled for activities that may take place each week. 5
During the first weekly meeting, the new faculty member and the mentor will jointly decide on goals and objectives for the year s activities. These goals and objectives will often vary greatly from one person to another. The form on page 7 gives some suggestions as to possible areas of focus during this first year of employment. The primary responsibilities of the new faculty member are: To attend the mentoring orientation session at the beginning of the fall semester To complete the goals form To keep a journal of observations To complete a mid-term and year-end summary Summaries and Reports There will be two times during the mentoring year that the mentor and the new faculty member will provide written feedback to each other. In early November, the two will meet to determine whether the goals and objectives need to be refined. The Mid-year report should be sent to the faculty development coordinator by December 1. In early April, the mentor will complete a final report that will provide feedback to the new faculty member about the mentoring process. The new faculty member will also complete a report about his/her experiences with the mentoring process. These reports will be shared with the Office of Staff and Organizational Development in order to make improvements to the process. The end-of-the-year reports are due to the faculty development coordinator by April 30. The supplemental contract for the mentor will be processed after the final report is received by Staff and Organizational Development. Privacy All written reports that identify the mentor or new faculty member will be confidential, unless the new faculty member chooses to use the information in his/her summative report (see peer review handbook). Collaboration Collaboration is the key to success for this process. It is important that the relationship that exists between the new faculty member and the mentor be a two-way street. This means that both parties need to be effective communicators and good listeners. If the new faculty member or the mentor has any concerns about his/her mentoring relationship, he/she should contact the department administrator. 6
Mentor Planning Form New Faculty Member s Name: Days and Times of Weekly Meetings: Fall Semester Spring Semester Forms of Contact: college extension e-mail other New Faculty Member s Goals: In thinking about myself as I prepare for my first year of teaching at JCCC, my primary focus will be in the area(s) of: (please circle all that apply) Content specific issues Teaching and learning theory/styles Technology issues College/departmental policies Constructing materials for students (notes, syllabi, etc.) Test Construction Assessment of students Social networking Professional Development opportunities/ managing your career Other: Please list. Mentor s Goals: After talking with the new faculty member, the activities I intend to facilitate include: (Please make your list as specific as possible.) 7
Mid-year Checklist New Faculty Member s Name: New Faculty Member s Goals: After my first semester of teaching at JCCC, I now believe my primary area(s) of focus should be: (please circle all that apply) Content specific issues Teaching and learning theory/styles Technology issues College/departmental policies Constructing materials for students (notes, syllabi, etc.) Test Construction Assessment of students Social networking Professional Development opportunities/ managing your career Other: Please list. Mentor s Goals: After talking with the new faculty member, the activities I intend to facilitate include: (Please make your list as specific as possible.) 8
Suggested Topics for Discussion at Weekly Meetings Any topics on the Mentor Planning Form Program Review The community college philosophy The student population at community colleges Working with Access Services/students with special needs Meeting deadlines for important instructional forms The organizational structure at the college Sources of information and college experts Professional Development opportunities Preparing for the Peer Review Process The faculty evaluation process Portfolio preparation Developing new courses/curriculum development Effectively handling difficult students Committee work Collaborative Learning Active Learning Academic dishonesty Assessment of student learning outcomes Creation and use of rubrics Developing online courses Technology training/resources Achieving the Dream Learner Engagement Sustainability @ JCCC Special Grants Travel Authorization procedures Venting frustrations 9
What is a mentor? A mentor is someone who: o Is a loyal friend, confidant, and advisor o Is a teacher, guide, coach, and role model o Is entrusted with the care and education of another o Is someone with additional knowledge and someone who has achieved expert status o Nurtures a person of talent and ability o Is willing to give away what he or she knows in a non-competitive way o Welcomes newcomers into the profession What are some of the characteristics of a good mentor? A good mentor is someone who: o Takes a personal interest in the career development of a colleague o Wants to share knowledge, materials, skill, and experience with those they mentor o Is supportive, enthusiastic, patient, and challenging to help others reach new levels of competence o Points the way and offers evidence of what one can become o Exposes others to new ideas, perspectives, and standards o Relates the values and norms of the profession and the institution o Perceives themselves as equals to those they mentor If you have any questions concerning the mentoring process, please feel free to contact Tom Grady, faculty development coordinator @ ext. 3370 or via e-mail: tgrady@jccc.edu 10
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