THE MENTOR PROGRAM
The Mentor
Program: What It Is
Howard Community College is committed to ensuring the success of its faculty. This commitment includes the encouragement of teaching excellence, service to the college, service to the community, and professional growth. Teaching excellence is the most important priority; however, it does not preclude responsibility to the other three areas.
The relationship that develops between the new faculty member and the mentor serves as the primary vehicle for the mentor program. This relationship is critical for a number of reasons. Beginning a new position can be a hectic experience, and it often sets the pattern for the long-term faculty member into the world of Howard Community College. The ongoing interaction between the two faculty members is inherently bi-directional, thereby enriching both members of the team. Although this dialogue encompasses many issues, its emphasis is always on teaching. The exchange of idea about teaching techniques fosters the development of strategies that will ensure excellence in the classroom.
Through this process, both the individual and the college are enhanced. The mentor program with a veteran faculty member’s voluntary involvement and the program’s emphasis on success in the classroom hopefully lead to a more committed faculty member as well as to a solid foundation for the future.
The relationship of the mentor and new faculty member evolves through interaction, which occurs throughout the academic year. Initially, bringing about this interaction may require greater effort by the mentor; however, as the year progresses, the effort should become more reciprocal. Specifically, the mentor provides procedural information and suggestions for classroom techniques and organization. As the relationship develops, new faculty members begin to contribute ideas of their own. This mutual exchange of ideas enhances the competence of each faculty member, and ultimately, the experience of each student exposed to the mentor team.
The new faculty/mentor team will have formal and informal meetings throughout the academic year. Although the time, place and frequency of meetings is not dictated by the program, each faculty team should meet a minimum of twice a month during the first semester, once during intersession, and twice during the spring semester. The number of meetings may be increased to fit the needs of each team. The mentor is responsible for first contacting the new faculty member early in the fall semester, ideally during the professional development period, to help with orientation.
The following list of suggestions is certainly not intended to be exhaustive. The only constraints are those set by the individuals. Team participants should select those that are most appealing or add their own to the list. The objective is to foster ongoing productive interaction between members of each team. Although the success of the new faculty member is the primary purpose of these activities, benefits of participating in them extend to the mentor as well.
Go to conferences, faculty development activities, or salons together
Brainstorm instructional activities for a specific topic, experiment, and report the results
Schedule a meal together each week
Share technological expertise or train together to learn something, like WebCT or Micrograde
Discuss Learning Improvement Projects, Merit Achievement Plans, Faculty Evaluation System
Help newcomers with places to live, shops, doctors you like
Discuss how to handle difficult students, late students, etc.
Discuss how to formulate a grading policy
Agree on scheduled and/or unannounced mutual class visits
The primary objective to the mentor program is the successful integration of new faculty as teachers and professionals. The nature of the relationship between mentor and new faculty member, however, fosters growth for both members of the team. Hopefully, it will be seen in this light and will be a helpful, challenging and exciting experience for both individuals. Team members should enjoy the year, their fellow faculty and each other.