Mentoring of new faculty is an important factor in their success. Old models of mentoring assigned a senior colleague to each incoming faculty mentor and that mentor was charged with proactively guiding the mentee to success. Sometimes this "Yoda" model was successful, but frequently there were problems. The two did not "hit it off," or the mentor was too busy, or the mentor did not have expertise in the area the mentee needed. Another problem is that faculty have different needs at different career stages.

A new model of faculty mentoring has arisen that is frequently called "Network Mentoring." In this model, the mentee takes some of the responsibility for determining what they need and who to approach for guidance. By building a network of colleagues who can be helpful in different ways and in different domains, the faculty member has support and resources to be successful.

Another aspect of network mentoring is the recognition that mentoring can go either way--that is, sometimes junior faculty can mentor senior faculty, particularly in using newer technologies, research methods, and teaching techniques. An of course, peer mentoring can also be valuable.

Here is a powerpoint from a UCET workshop on Network Mentoring in August 2017.

Inside Higher Ed had a nice essay on this change in mentoring. Network mentoring insideHigherEd.pdf

MetaMentors

At IUSB, we have added the role of "MetaMentors" to the network mentoring concept. We have arranged for several faculty with extensive mentoring experience to be available to serve as a "concierge" of sorts. Anyone can approach them with questions and they can make suggestions of several faculty who could be contacted about that topic, a sort of referral system. We hope that this addition will make it easier to connect with people who might be helpful.

In summer of 2017, we have identified the following MetaMentors. Although you might want to start with person from your area, feel free to contact any of them!

Arts (Northside): Jorge Muniz

Arts (Ed Arts Bldg): Susan Moore

Business & Economics: Gary Kern, Decision Sciences

CLAS--Social Science: Scott Sernau, Sociology

CLAS--STEM: Gretchen Anderson, Chemistry

CLAS--Humanities: Rebecca Brittenham, English

Education--Susan Cress, Elementary Education

Health Sciences--Cyndi Sofhauser, Nursing

Library--Nancy Colborn

Social Work--Larry Bennett

UCET resources

We are providing new faculty with the IUSB Mentor Map, and encouraging them to seek out several mentors for each section of the Map. IUSB Mentor Map.pdf

We are also developing a set of questions to help new faculty get started. IUSB QuestionsForMentorsChairsColleagues.pdf

This article by Kerry Rockquemore, who writes a column in the Chronicle with career advice, gives pointers on how to approach other faculty. Proactive mentoring

Here is a nice guide to mutual mentoring. Sorcinelli Yun Mutual Mentoring Guide Final 11_20.pdf

Interested in more background information on mentoring?

Sorcinelli and Yun have published on this topic. Sorcinelli Yun 2007 from_mentor_to_mentoring_networks_mentoring_in_the_new_academy.pdf

This article describes the network model. De Janasz and Sullivan (2001)