To flourish as scholars and teachers, new faculty need to develop a mentorship network, find community, and hone the skills that will enable them to progress smoothly through the promotion and/or tenure process. In addition to the mentoring new faculty receive within their departments and their colleges, the Provost’s office is pleased to offer a New Faculty Mentoring Program to support these goals.
New faculty and faculty in their first three years of employment (tenure-track, library-rank, non-tenure track faculty and postdoctoral scholars) at UMBC are invited to participate in a year-long university-wide group mentoring program. This includes a brief one-on-one meeting in the summer and five opt-in workshops. Faculty can choose to attend as many of these workshops as they want; those who attend all five will receive a certificate of completion.
These in-person workshops will be scheduled for Friday mornings from 10:30 – 12:00 p.m. with lunch afterwards. Speakers will include faculty, staff, administrators and other topic experts, and there will be opportunities in each workshop for group work as well. The program will conclude with a workshop in which we will reflect on what we’ve learned over the year and celebrate our accomplishments.
Participants will leave the program with a community of faculty colleagues, a mentoring network map, a professional development plan, and increased clarity and confidence about how to align the demands of our professional lives with our core values. Please contact Orianne Smith (osmith@umbc.edu) if you have any questions.
Participant list, resources and presentations (access restricted to cohort-only)
New Faculty Group Mentoring Schedule: AY 23 – 24
Fall 2023
Welcome to UMBC: Getting to know you!
During the fall new faculty will be invited to a one-on-one virtual “welcome” meeting. This meeting will provide faculty with an opportunity to
- review the new faculty onboarding web resource.
- share their interest in formal and informal networking opportunities, including meeting colleagues who share similar research or teaching interests within or outside their college and the university, learning more about university processes and procedures, and/or connecting with colleagues who live in the same neighborhood, have similar caregiving responsibilities and so forth.
Friday,
October 6, 2023
PAHB 216 (Dresher Center Conference Room)
10:30 a.m. – noon (with optional catered lunch afterwards)
Workshop #1: What I Wish I Had Known
This workshop will include a panel of seasoned faculty members sharing their experiences and tips for success.
At this workshop faculty will also begin filling out the UMBC Faculty Mentoring Map and will be provided with an overview of the different categories of mentors and supporters. Faculty will be asked to begin working with their departments and others to fill out an Individualized Development Plan (IDP) to assess their skills and develop a clear plan of action for the coming year that integrates professional and personal growth and satisfaction. This workshop will include opportunities for writing and reflection as well as group discussion.
Prior to the Workshop: Listen to the NCFDD Core Curriculum Module on “Cultivating Your Network of Mentors, Sponsors & Collaborators.”
Recommended Reading: Open Letter to First-Time Tenure-Track Professors (Note: much of this advice is also relevant for non-tenure track professors!)
Friday,
November 3, 2023
PAHB 216 (Dresher Center Conference Room)
10:30 a.m. – noon (with optional catered lunch afterwards)
Workshop #2: Aligning Your Professional Goals with Your Core Values
Our research, teaching and service are extensions of who we are as individuals, and the choices we make in life both professionally and personally should reflect what matters the most to us. At this workshop faculty will take time to think about what they’ve learned about themselves and their core values in the process of developing their Mentoring Maps and Individualized Development Plans, and we will continue to discuss how integrate these values into our working lives with a focus on self-care and self-efficacy.
Recommended Reading: “Do Your Career and Work Values Align?” (Inside Higher Ed)
Friday,
February 9, 2024
PAHB 216 (Dresher Center Conference Room)
10:30 a.m. – noon (with optional catered lunch afterwards)
Workshop #3: Time Management
One of the challenges of being a new faculty member is the transition from the workload in graduate school and/or postdoctoral research to the workload of a professor. How do you continue to conduct research while teaching and fulfilling your service obligations? How do you set priorities?
Our featured speaker will be Carolyn Forestiere, Professor, Political Science, who will provide concrete advice for managing your time. At this workshop we will discuss time management tactics, how to prioritize writing and research, and when to say “yes” to work that contributes to your professional development as well as the mission and vision of the university.
Recommended Reading: Time Management for New Faculty
Friday,
March 1, 2024
PAHB 216 (Dresher Center Conference Room)
10:30 a.m. – noon (with optional catered lunch afterwards)
Workshop #4: Working With People
At this workshop we will discuss how to work with people, including supervising students, managing a research group, and dealing with conflict on issues around gender, incivility and bias.
Our featured speakers will be Lee Blaney, Professor, CBEE, and Colette Searls, Associate Professor, Theatre.
Friday,
April 5, 2024
PAHB 428 (English Department Conference Room)
10:30 a.m. – noon (with optional catered lunch afterwards)
Workshop #5: Celebration and Finalizing Plans
At this workshop we will finalize our Mentoring Maps and Individualized Development Plans, reflect upon the challenges and opportunities over the past year, and celebrate our accomplishments. Provost Dauwalder will join us, and will share his leadership journey.
Finding your people is critical to the success and wellbeing of our faculty.
