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1 GUIDELINES FOR JUNIOR FACULTY MENTORING PROGRAM PURPOSE The Junior Faculty Mentoring Program (JFMP) is an informal program designed to help newly hired, non-tenured faculty members adjust to their new environment. The program serves as professional development to help these individuals balance and improve their teaching, service, and research responsibilities. Whether it is academe or the Virgin Islands that are new, a well- respected mentor will provide assistance that is instrumental to be successful. The JFMP is beneficial to mentees and mentors because ideas and viewpoints are exchanged and knowledge and experience are shared. However, the program’s success is dependent on mentees’ and mentors’ active participation in the acclimation process. PARTICIPATION Participating in the JFMP is voluntary. Upon being hired, individuals will be contacted by the Faculty Mentoring Program Coordinator to inquire if they are interested in participating in the program. Mentors will be tenured faculty members who have volunteered to serve in this capacity. The new faculty will be matched with experienced faculty who are knowledgeable about UVI campus and academic life. The mentoring relationship between the mentee and mentor will be informal and last for two years. The mentor will orient the new faculty member to UVI and the expectations of their position, campus support services, and assist the new faculty member in the early stages of their academic careers at UVI. Additionally, the mentee and mentor will sign a confidentiality agreement statement. JUNIOR FACULTY MENTORING PROGRAM GOALS Overall goals are to:  Retain and develop employees by partnering a new faculty with a mentor.  Help new faculty become familiar with the institution’s culture, resources, and other employees.  Create a culture of inclusiveness by developing positive relationships between mentors and mentees that honor individuality and respect confidentiality. Help new faculty:  Learn about UVI and support resources for faculty.  Learn how to balance teaching, scholarship, and service.  Adjust and become active members of the university community.  Learn how to navigate within the Virgin Islands community. Encourage experienced faculty to:  Gain professional growth through the exchange of ideas as they share their knowledge and experience with new faculty.  Address new faculty needs, concerns, or questions as they adjust to campus.  Promote collegiality on campus.  Contribute to teaching, scholarship, and service activities on campus. 2 RESPONSIBILITY OF MENTOR  Contact the mentee within the mentee’s first two weeks of work.  Stay in touch with new faculty for the first year two years.  Provide new faculty with informal advice on teaching, scholarship, and service.  Share knowledge and experience that can benefit the new faculty’s progression at UVI.  Maintain confidentiality about discussions and interactions. RESPONSIBILITY OF NEW FACULTY  Regularly interact with mentor.  Informed mentor of progress, problems or concerns.  Suggest a list of activities that she/he deems necessary or needed for growth in the profession, school or college, and institution. MENTEE AND MENTOR RELATIONSHIP  The mentee and mentor, in conjunction with the mentee’s immediate supervisor, may develop the first 3-year Professional Development Plan and review goals periodically.  The mentee and mentor may create a meeting schedule based on their preference.  The mentee is not obligated to accept the mentor’s recommendations. SUGGESTED MENTORING ACTIVITIES  Discuss the following topics: o Short-term and long-term career goals and professional interests o Publishing o Progression towards tenure o Collaborating on research at UVI o Preparing annual performance reports o Collaborate – research outside UVI o Integration into UVI culture o Advising/mentoring students  Share information about using teaching resources on campus/school/department.  Share information about balancing work and family  Explore professional development opportunities available to new faculty  Explore possible collaborations on teaching at UVI CHANGING MENTORS The new faculty or mentor should consult with the Mentoring Program Coordinator if the relationship is not mutually satisfactory or beneficial, if they are incompatible, or there is a change in commitments. The changes would be made without prejudice and the new faculty is encouraged to seek additional mentors as need arises. 3 MENTORING PROGRAM COORDINATOR The Coordinator is appointed by the Provost. The duties of the Coordinator include:  Recruiting experienced faculty to volunteer to serve as mentors.  Providing an orientation of the program to new mentors and mentees.  Matching mentors with new faculty based on information from the Mentoring Profile Form.  Serving as resource to mentors and new faculty.  Making changes to mentoring assignment as requested.  Reporting to the Provost on the progress of the Junior Faculty Mentoring Program.