Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost

Faculty Mentoring Program

The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost is pleased to announce a new, university-wide faculty mentoring program. In this first phase of the program, the goal is to assist the professional development and campus community integration of junior faculty. It is expected that this pilot phase will be fully launched by September 2012.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Faculty Mentoring Program (FMP) is to provide support and information with the aim of facilitating the professional success and satisfaction of faculty. The program coordinates the matching of junior faculty with mentors outside of their department, and offers mentoring training to individuals and groups on special topics. It also provides a clearinghouse for professional development materials and information, as well as networking and peer-interaction opportunities. The program is intended to enhance the recruitment and retention of faculty, to promote inter-disciplinarity, to build campus community, and to promote the values of trust, respect, collegiality, diversity, and inclusion in the academic climate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The Program

The philosophy of the Faculty Mentoring Program (FMP) is that the maximization of sources of professional guidance and social support will benefit the progress and well-being of faculty. Its aim is thus to complement departmental mentoring efforts with extra-department mentors, resources, and training.

There are five components to the FMP:

1. TWO-TIERED MENTORING: The FMP adds another mentor to the equation by matching junior faculty to a mentor outside of their department and preferably within a department whose discipline is nonetheless related to that of the mentee (e.g., a mentor in Sociology for a newly hired faculty in Psychology). These extra-departmental , though discipline-relevant, matches will increase opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations and the building of a broader net of professional and social relationships.

2. INFORMATION CLEARING-HOUSE: The FMP will provide a clearinghouse for information, materials, and resources online so that junior faculty can access important information independently.

3. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING: The FMP will partner with the Division of Research and Graduate Studies, the Consortium for Faculty Professional Opportunities (CFPO) and faculty to develop relevant professional programming (research networking, seminars, training).

4. PEER MENTORING/NETWORKING PROGRAMMING: The FMP will engage in active peer mentoring and networking opportunities.

5. SPECIAL TOPICS TRAINING: The FMP will offer training on special mentoring topics to mentors, chairs, and departments.

The ongoing design of the program is drawn from the mentoring best practices literature, as well as faculty input. The program will be managed by a Director of Faculty Mentoring reporting to the Executive Vice President and Provost. A Faculty Mentoring Program Advisory Committee consisting of faculty from all colleges will also be constituted to advise on programming.

If you have any input, ideas, or would like more information please contact Liam Frink, Ph.D., Academic Affairs Fellow, Director Faculty Mentoring Program and Associate Professor of Anthropology, ext. 51114, lfrink@unlv.edu.