Faculty Mentoring Program

Program Overview

Teaching excellence is the fundamental responsibility of every faculty member at Mount St. Mary’s College. Under the direction of the Provost and through the various academic departments at the college, faculty development on the teaching-learning process is an ongoing activity—the purpose of which is the attainment of a high level of excellence in the classroom experience for each student in every course at the college.

The Faculty Mentoring Program was instituted in order to support and enhance faculty development in the area of both teaching excellence and college-wide community building. The cornerstone of the program consists of faculty volunteers who have agreed to serve as mentors to any other faculty member who desires it, whether part-time, full-time, new to teaching, or long-time, experienced teachers.

Mount St. Mary’s College understands that much as society and our students change, higher education teachers must be involved in a continuous way in the exploration of effective and best practice teaching methods. By continuously improving our teaching we can help our students be optimally prepared for the challenges before them as they pursue educational and professional endeavors after graduation.

The guidelines found in this manual were developed to facilitate the mentor-mentee experience for Mount faculty. It includes specific suggestions for mentors as well as mentees on ways to develop a productive and rewarding collaboration. Our suggestions are based on past input gathered from Mount faculty and data garnered from similar mentoring programs at other institutions.

This manual also explains how to volunteer for mentoring or obtain a mentor and a review of the various types of mentorships possible. MSMC Teaching Excellence Guidelines and Syllabus Requirements are included as well. In addition, basic teaching resources available to all faculty and the kinds of essential services typically necessary for teachers are found in these pages.

We hope all faculty at the Mount will consider becoming involved in the mentorship program. It has the potential to significantly enhance teaching and to help faculty feel welcomed, connected, supported, and part of our college community.

As you read this, please know we are interested in your feedback, suggestions, and comments on how to expand or improve it in future editions. Please email the Faculty Mentoring Committee at facultymentoring@msmc.la.edu to provide this welcomed input.

The Faculty Mentoring Committee

Recognizing the diversity of faculty demands, responsibilities, and needs associated with teaching at Mount St. Mary’s College, the Faculty Mentoring Committee was formed in Fall 1998. Since its inception, the committee has developed the Teaching Excellence Guidelines, created and distributed packets for faculty new to MSMC, paired faculty mentors with mentees, and conducted panels and presentations on mentoring at various college meetings. This manual is an outcome of the lessons learned while developing the program.

One of the most obvious findings of this group has been the real need—even necessity—of a collegial, supportive, colleague-based information exchange between faculty. If we hope to meet the many challenges of the contemporary college classroom and its students, a vigorous program of teaching methods exchange must take place in an ongoing way. Too often in higher education settings, faculty can begin to feel isolated, frustrated, or even intimidated, as they strive to cope with changing student predispositions, new teaching technology demands, multimodal content presentation and interactive teaching methods.

It is the hope of the committee that faculty mentoring will encourage and facilitate a college-wide dialogue on teaching that is open, invigorating, and helpful.

Benefits of Being Mentored

Teaching is the most rewarding, yet daunting task conceivable (at least according to those who teach!). We all remember those golden teachers of our pasts who inspired us to take up the craft. We also imagine as we prepare lectures how equally inspired our students will be when we present to them at the front of the classroom. How can they not find fascinating the knowledge and insights that have so rewarded and interested us?

 Once the teaching experience begins, however, the fantastic memories of our own mentors, and our lofty ruminations pondered in the solitary confinement of our offices are, in a sometimes startling manner, shaken to the core by the realities of the modern student in the contemporary classroom setting. When this occurs, it is particularly difficult if a teacher feels essentially on his or her own as far as determining how to go about transforming the course into a successful experience—for students and professor alike. Yet, almost all higher education instructors come to teaching with no teaching methods training.

Most of us basically teach as we were once taught, which does not, we must be frank to confess, consistently do the job. Nevertheless, we are called upon to teach effectively, engagingly, fairly, ethically, interactively, multimodally, and energetically—all while maintaining a high standard of challenge as well as appropriate quantity of content.

Another challenge to teaching in a university setting, especially for new and part-time faculty, is learning about the college community. This might involve such basic issues as location of food services, mail boxes, a copy machine, and a computer terminal, or more complex questions related to the institution’s perspective on teaching, expectations of students, informal and formal rules on student-teacher relationships, committee structure, or faculty advancement. Obtaining this kind of formal and informal information is crucial for the instructor who is attempting to create an optimal learning environment. Being informed benefits every constituency at the college.

How does one seek and acquire this information? How does one achieve valuable teaching and learning insights and skills? To begin, it can be through obtaining a faculty mentor. Mentors are experienced, successful, innovative, and supportive instructors who have been at the college long enough to know their way around.

Mentoring Options

There are multiple forms of mentoring. At Mount St. Mary’s College, we view the mentoring experience as ongoing professional development. Throughout our professional careers we all strive to grow as effective instructors, whether we are new to teaching or more experienced. Teaching is a dynamic profession that requires continual updating and reinvigoration. Changing student demographics and needs demand that we continuously reflect on our teaching and adapt techniques, tools and methodologies.

 Mentoring is intended to serve new or experienced full- and part-time faculty. It can cover general teaching strategies, methods and assessments. It also may be focused on specific issues, such as student-teacher relationships, classroom management, engaging students in learning, career input, or college culture. Mentoring can address many issues of interest to you.

Responsibilities of Mentors

Although mentoring is a collaborative process that actually benefits both mentor and mentee, its intended goal is to help the mentee by means of a collegial, professional relationship. You may be asked for ideas about teaching methods or insights on a range of issues. You are a resource person to the mentee, possibly helping a new or part-time faculty member negotiate such simple processes as filling out a form or pointing them to the right person to answer questions outside your expertise or knowledge. Experienced faculty may request your consultation on developing assessments or incorporating service-learning. Or all that may be desired is for you to be a good listener.

The mentoring relationship should NOT involve faculty assessment, employment evaluation or grievance issues.

The responsibilities of a mentor are not overwhelming, but do require sound judgment, a good understanding of effective teaching, and a working knowledge of institutional offices, functions and day-to-day routines.

The mentor role includes being a:

1. Friendly Communicator. Remember when you first came to the Mount and were unfamiliar with the terrain? A friendly, familiar face in a new working environment is tremendously valuable and never forgotten. For example, you might introduce the new faculty member to your colleagues. This could help the new person feel welcomed and comfortable at MSMC.
    
2. Skilled Referral Source. You do not need to know all the answers, but you can point the way to finding them. This ability involves knowing the campus “territory” quite literally, such as where the mailroom and cafeteria are, but also involves knowing the options of information available, such as directing them to the faculty development centers on either campus or explaining how to contact O.I.T. for technology assistance.
    
3. Role Model. The first years at an institution are crucial in forming patterns in teaching, interacting, and contributing to the college that will help determine a faculty member’s future. Role modeling is key to developing a collegial, active and engaged faculty. As a mentor, you might share examples of excellent teaching, student-teacher communication skills, and institutional involvement.
    
4. Consultant. Mentors possess a good understanding of the college vision, mission, goals and strategies. Please share these with the new faculty member. Mentors can provide vital knowledge on how the college functions and how to advance a successful academic career.
    

Tips on How to be a Successful Mentor

The fundamental dual goals of a mentoring relationship is to help the mentee achieve teaching excellence and successful acclimation to Mount St. Mary's College. Through a welcoming and friendly partnership, the mentor can introduce the faculty member to the college culture and provide input on what excellent teaching means at our institution.

Qualities of a good mentor include:

1. Knowledgeable. Do you know the Mount’s history, vision, mission, goals? When you review the Teaching Excellence Guidelines, could you provide examples of many of the items listed? Do you know how the college functions and where to find important recourses for both curricular and co-curricular activities?
    
2. Accessible. If you’re not available, your knowledge can’t be shared. Try your best to set regular time aside for this important mentoring work once you have agreed to become a faculty mentor.
    
3. Enthusiastic. A positive outlook and a high regard for the craft of teaching, accompanied by an interest, concern, and regard for the college, are extremely important personal qualities in mentoring. The mentor socializes the new faculty mentor into the institution and first impressions often endure.
    
4. Sensitive. It is possible a mentee will share confidences with you. Are you a good listener? Can you maintain confidentiality? The mentor role requires both of these skills.
    
5. Problem-solver. The best responses to difficult questions takes an experienced ear and eye, in addition to a level of wisdom on college expectations and rules. Problem-solving skills may well be needed as mentees struggle with issues beyond either their or your control. The mentor cannot and should not be expected to solve all problems. The limitations of the partnership must be remembered and referral skills may well be your best tool in addressing the issues your mentee faces.
    
6. Professional. Balancing a welcoming friendliness and knowing your professional boundaries as a mentor takes thought, skill and practice. For the sake of the mentee as well as mentor, it is important the mentoring relationship be conducted professionally. This means meeting when appointments are set, practicing good communications skills, and sharing your knowledge in a positive way.
    

Tips on How to be a Successful Mentee

A good mentoring relationship is a two-way experience. Mentees need to think about what it is they desire from the relationship and how they are going to increase the chances of a profitable and enjoyable experience. Based on past mentorships, we have found the following ideas should help accomplish this goal.

Recommendations for mentees:

1. Set goals on what you would like to accomplish in your mentoring relationship.
    
2. Be clear on your expectations of the mentoring experience.
    
3. Come to your mentoring appointments with questions.
    
4. Be willing to consider new ideas and ways of teaching and networking.
    
5. Be candid with your mentor. She or he is not your formal evaluator.
    
6. Feel confident your exchanges will remain confidential.
    
7. Not all mentorships are ideal or produce the desired outcomes. If this occurs, think of ways to learn from this experience and ask for a new mentor.
    
8. Consider the time frame of your mentorship. How long would you like the mentorship to last? Share this information with the Mentoring Committee on first contact.
    
9. Keep your appointments with your mentor.
    

Steps to Take to Obtain a Mentor

In order to obtain a mentor, the following steps should be taken:

Step 1: Contact: facultymentoring@msmc.la.edu

In your initial contact message, please provide the following information:
Name
Department
Employment Status (full or part-time)
Year at College (new or number years here)
Type of mentoring you would like to request.

Step 2: The Faculty Mentoring Committee will select from the pool of mentors a faculty member whom they believe best fits your mentoring needs. As soon as the mentor has agreed to become your mentor, the mentor will contact you to arrange a meeting time.

Step 3: We recommend an initial meeting occur within two weeks of contact. We recommend a regular schedule of meetings. The frequency will depend upon mutual availability and your needs.

Step 4: Enjoy the journey! If you find your mentoring needs are different than what your mentor is able to provide, feel free to contact the committee for a new mentor.

Step 5: At the end of your mentorship, the Mentoring Committee will ask both mentor and mentee to fill out a survey. It is confidential and it is specifically designed to help the committee serve the academic community through the mentoring program, so your input is valued.

Please Note: All communications are confidential with the Faculty Mentoring Committee (with the exception of a perceived threat to the safety of the students or other member of the college community. The Provost directs Committee response in this instance).