Academic Affairs

New faculty mentoring plans

Mentoring within the context of faculty & dean searches

School of Business

Informal mentorship of junior faculty takes place on a continuous basis. At the same time, School of Business junior faculty have access to a formal mentoring program that matches each Assistant Professor and Assistant Teaching Professor* with two senior faculty mentors within the school – one from within their area and one outside their area. The junior faculty meet with their mentors and receive feedback to produce their goals and objective document that will be submitted to the Dean. Other meetings may take place, as needed, especially if there is relevant feedback from the annual review process.

*for the first five years of their appointment

School of Educational Studies (SES)

Directly related to our diversity statement, faculty from underrepresented populations, especially faculty of color, are supported intentionally through our school’s mentorship structure. Mentoring begins when the Dean meets individually with all new faculty, and when together, they clarify goals and objectives. New faculty and the Dean will work together to choose a senior in rank faculty member to serve as their mentor, who will work closely with the new faculty member through reappointment, Third Year Review, and promotion and tenure processes. In addition, our school recognizes the value of a multi-pronged team approach to supporting new faculty. Thus, a mentee may enlist other faculty members for assistance. The school will ensure mentees are aware of unique scholarship, teaching, and service experiences of all school faculty, thus encouraging informal mentoring between faculty.

School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences (IAS)

In fall of 2018 IAS updated our Junior Faculty mentoring program. Each new full-time faculty member in IAS (both tenure track and teaching professor track) will participate in the IAS New Faculty Institute (NFI). This institute connects new faculty with an individual mentor and a group of senior faculty members from whom to seek advice. The NFI begins with a day-long retreat in mid-September. At this retreat faculty work with the entire cohort of new faculty and faculty mentors. We introduce them to a range of topics but focus on interdisciplinary teaching and pedagogy in IAS. The quarterly workshops introduce faculty to a range of topics including:

  • Mapping the IAS curriculum and CAWG membership
  • IAS learning objectives
  • Scholarship opportunities and support
  • Fiscal training
  • Course Scheduling
  • HR Process: including Merit, G&O’s, Promotion, and Course Observations
  • Meeting with IAS advisors
  • Planning for meaningful service and governance

Alongside the NFI, new faculty are given an IAS starting network to help them succeed and thrive in IAS. The goals of the Mentoring network are to provide:

  • Professional Development
  • Emotional Support
  • Sense of Community
  • Accountability
  • Institutional Support
  • Access to Networks
  • Role Models
  • Safe Space

Each mentor is provided a network and resources map that includes:

  • Your MENTOR guides your professional development and overall growth helping you see the big picture. Provides advice about promotions and reappointment, helps you build your portfolio for P&T, and puts you in touch with colleagues and networks.
  • Your GUIDE is a senior(ish) faculty member who can help you learn about and navigate IAS, and from whom you can get guidance and advice.
  • Your COMRADE is a junior(ish) faculty member who acts as a source of information and advice about being a new faculty member in IAS.
  • CAWG COORDINATOR runs the curricular area you are most closely associated with. Advise on teaching, course selection and professional development.
  • DEAN – Oversees IAS, will run your annual goals and objectives meeting, Overall resource.
  • THE STAFF BUDGET AND OPERATIONS TEAM is here to answer questions about payroll, benefits, reimbursements, office space …
  • THE CURRICULUM AND ACADEMIC SERVICES TEAM will work with you (along with your CAWG coordinators) to help you design your teaching schedule…
  • FACULTY COLLEAGUES – these are faculty members within and beyond your core area to try to meet with during your first year for informal conversation.
  • ASSOCIATE DEANS – the three associate deans are resources for questions about faculty scholarship and development (Ben), diversity and equity (Janelle), and curriculum and innovation (Deirdre).

School of Nursing & Health Studies (SNHS)

SNHS faculty have access to a formal mentoring program that matches each Assistant Professor with two senior faculty mentors within the school. Mentors are provided with numerous resources to strengthen their mentorship, including a mentoring checklist and individual development plans for mentees. They also meet with their mentees at least monthly. Career success is fostered through this mentorship. Faculty meet with the dean to discuss yearly performances, needs for support, and the efficacy of any mentorship they receive (either formally or informally). Faculty of color and female faculty are specifically supported through these mentorship structures and through adoption of the Boyer Model for merit and promotion. The model is known in particular for recognizing the achievements of women faculty, LGBTQ faculty, and minority faculty by expanding criteria for success and valuing teaching, service, and research equally.

School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM)

Program Overview 

Mentoring is a critical component of career advancement for all UWB School of STEM faculty. It is a multifaceted collaboration utilizing a strong network of mentors, sponsors, and peers with the primary goal of nurturing the junior professional’s development. The UWB School of STEM Faculty Mentoring Program goals are threefold: supporting the recruitment and retention of the highest quality faculty, increasing faculty diversity through improved mentoring, and improving overall faculty career satisfaction and success. New and junior faculty with appointments of more than 50% are eligible to participate. Mentoring is provided each year until tenured, or a minimum of five years, and at minimum includes the period through their contract renewal year for teaching track faculty. 

All eligible faculty are paired with a Promotion/Career mentor who is senior in rank and preferably on the same track(e.g., assistant teaching professors should be mentored by associate or full teaching professors) for the first two years of their appointment. In addition, the faculty member will be assisted in creating a robust mentor map to include a cohort of other Promotion/Career mentees, professional colleagues, the Division Progress to Promotion Committee, Division Chair, and Dean of the School of STEM, among others. 

Roles and Responsibilities for the Mentees 

The most successful mentoring partnerships are those in which the mentee takes the initiative and truly drives the partnership. In a mentee-driven partnership, the mentee determines the pace, route and destination. Mentors are then able to offer insights and counsel focused on the mentee’s objectives. Suggested roles and responsibilities include: 

  • Build out their professional network. Mentees are encouraged to work on creating a mentor map provided by the NCFDD. To facilitate part of this development, there will be mentee/mentor pairs, cohort engagements, and professional development opportunities.  
  • Meet with your mentor at least once per quarter for their first two academic years. Mentors will ensure quarterly meetings, but the mentees should reach out at any time for conversations as issues arise. Senior faculty mentors can assist you with the following topics and more:
    • Providing guidance for preparing documents for HR processes (e.g., merit, promotion, reappointment, CV)
    • Discussing issues related to the classroom experience
    • Crafting and modifying your research agenda 
  • Participate in cohort meetings with other peers at least once per quarter.  
  • Participate in all STEM Faculty Mentoring Plan sessions.   

Roles and Responsibilities for the Mentors 

Mentees want to receive honest, candid feedback from their mentor. Equally important is the feedback mentees can offer to mentors. Engaging in reciprocal and on-going feedback is a vital component of the partnership. Mentorship will be part of mentor’s assigned service to the program/division/school. Suggested roles and responsibilities include: 

  • Participate in mentor training provided by the school. 
  • Arrange meetings with mentees at least once per quarter for the mentee’s first two years and be available other times when the mentee reaches out for conversations. Provide guidance and answer questions about relevant topics spanning teaching, research, and service to support the new faculty member’s career trajectory.   
  • Participate and present in sessions offered through the STEM Faculty Mentoring Plan when invited.   
  • Encourage mentees to participate in all STEM Faculty Mentoring sessions.  

Roles and Responsibilities for School Leadership 

  • The Dean in consultation with division chairs will assign mentee/mentor pairs, schedule quarterly cohort meetings, and arrange professional development and training sessions.  
  • The division chairs will assist the Dean in identifying speakers for the professional development session, especially when senior faculty members in the school are desired speakers.  
  • The division chairs will fulfill their responsibilities to support and guide faculty members for successful career trajectories at UW Bothell. This includes the following responsibilities:
    • Recruit and retain a diverse and highly qualified faculty;  
    • Collaborate with Dean and others to support the STEM Faculty Mentoring Plan;  
    • Provide feedback during HR processes that supports the development and growth of individuals; and  
    • Allocate and advocate for resources to support faculty in teaching and research.  


Dean/Associate Vice Chancellor

  • Peer Mentor: New Dean is assigned a mentor from the Council of Academic Deans. The expectation is that the mentor initiates regular meetings with the new Dean throughout the first year starting before the new Dean begins the position. The role of the mentor is to help answer questions, suggest networking connections, proactively provide new Dean with information, and so on. This role is particularly important in terms of the many campus functions where Dean attendance/leadership is important.
  • VCAA Meetings: The VCAA normally meets 1:1 with each dean on a monthly basis. This frequency is increased to biweekly with new deans for many of the reasons listed for the peer mentor. In particular, the VCAA focuses on key connections for the new Dean and helping the new Dean navigate the inevitable issues that carry over from previous leadership or develop early in the new Dean’s appointment.
  • Prior Dean: Assuming the prior Dean remains on the faculty, that Dean is provided with a one-month salary during the summer the new Dean starts to help with the transition.
  • Professional Coaching: All new Deans are provided with funding from their school to secure a professional coach (or other leadership development program) of their choosing. This is strongly recommended and has proven helpful for most of our leadership.