Harpur College Faculty Mutual Mentoring Initiative
This program is not accepting applications at this time. Check back for updates about future deadlines.
Purpose
The traditional one-on-one mentoring model assumes a senior faculty member who guides
the career development of his or her mentees. Because a person’s need for guidance
and advice is likely to exceed the expertise of a single mentor—and because mentoring
often involves reciprocal learning opportunities for mentors—the idea of “mutual mentoring”
describes a network-based model of support in which faculty work with multiple mentors
who provide support in their respective areas of expertise. These mentors may be at
different stages of their own careers and may also be affiliated with other institutions.
The goal of Harpur College’s mutual mentoring initiative is to promote faculty success
through the formation of mutual mentoring teams. Such teams might form within departments,
as interdisciplinary groups (accommodating common research interests and approaches),
or as affinity groups (accommodating common challenges). Most of the past projects
have focused on junior faculty and their paths toward tenure and promotion. Other
types of teams are also encouraged, for instance those that focus on the challenges
of getting promoted to full professor or on pedagogy and teaching. Chairs who wish
to implement a departmental mentoring plan, or to improve upon an existing one, are
also encouraged to apply.
Examples of Past Projects:
- Anti-Racist Pedagogy Group provides support and training for those who wish to engage with emerging conversations on anti-racism and anti-racist pedagogies.
- Addressing Interdisciplinary Challenges in STEM: Effective Mentorship in an Increasingly Diverse Community, an interdisciplinary team of new tenure-track faculty in STEM that seeks to improve pedagogy for diverse students, strengthen scholarly productivity, and increase a sense of scientific community in Harpur.
- Romance Languages Pre-Tenure Faculty, a departmental project focused on the tenure preparedness of eight junior faculty members in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures.
- Fine Arts Pre-Tenure Mentorship Network, composed of nine pre-tenure faculty in the departments of Art & Design, Music, and Theatre. It exists to provide support for faculty “scholarship or other creative contributions” as they approach renewal and tenure.
- Publicly Engaged Faculty Mentoring Group, an interdisciplinary team of five members that assists publicly-engaged faculty as they navigate challenges associated with their career advancement through the tenure and promotion process.
- Diversifying the Shakespearean/Professional Pipeline through Mentorship couches mutual mentoring as “menteorship”—that merges the terms “mentor” and “mentee”—and unites currently active black Shakespeareans and, by extension, their external mentors, to establish a diverse, interdisciplinary networking and support group that has local and national impact.
- Writing Life Workgroup, Supporting Women Faculty Scholarship through Mentoring, an affinity group that aims to develop a process of peer and mutual mentoring of scholarly production, organized by three women faculty from Harpur and CCPA. The year¬long mentoring program centered around ongoing small group meetings to share manuscripts, discuss the writing process, and consult a professional writing coach.
Eligibility
All tenured/tenure-track Harpur College faculty are eligible to apply. While the PIs must be Harpur College faculty, teams may include faculty from all colleges and schools at Binghamton University, as well as faculty from other universities.
Use of Funds
Grants of up to $4,000 will be awarded to 3 to 4 teams. Funds may be used for:
- Travel expenses and honoraria for external speakers to visit campus
- Travel expenses for team members to seek mentorship off campus
- Meals and refreshments for team events
- Hourly wages for undergraduate or graduate assistants
- Relevant books, software, or supplies
Matching funds from departments and programs are strongly encouraged.
Review
All proposals will be evaluated by the internal awards committee, which will make funding recommendations to the dean. The committee will consider:
- The challenges that the group members face.
- The way in which the proposed activities will address these challenges.
- The likelihood that the project will achieve its expected goals.
Questions
Pamela G. Smart
Associate Professor, Chair; Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Programmatic Initiatives, Harpur College of Arts and Sciences
Art History; Harpur College of Arts and Sciences
