Faculty Mentoring FAQs
What are the goals for this initiative?
The program is a facilitator of mentored guidance and support for all faculty at UT Dallas. The primary goal is to provide all faculty accessible opportunities for development in research, teaching and service, including a sense of community.
I am a lecturer. May I participate in this program?
Absolutely! Both tenure and nontenure system faculty are encouraged to participate.
How do I become a mentee?
For the official program, all first-year faculty are mentees and are assigned official faculty mentors. However, we consider mentorship to be essential across all stages of one’s career and encourage all faculty to build their own network of mentors. UTD offers several avenues for identifying potential mentors, including NSF ASPIRE2 (pdf).
How do I become a mentor?
We welcome all mentors! The best way to be an official mentor for our program is to let your department head know. We defer to department heads on mentorship assignments. Another way to become a mentor is to serve on the Academic Senate Committee on Faculty Mentoring.
How are the matches made?
Official mentor-mentee matches for our program are made by department heads and officially assigned by the faculty mentoring program.
What is my responsibility as a mentee?
The primary responsibility of a mentee is to self-advocate. Mentors want to be respectful of the mentee’s needs. Thus, it is up to the mentee to express their needs for mentorship in terms of topics and frequency of communication. We have outlined specific guidelines for mentees in our handbook.
What is my responsibility as mentor?
The role of the mentor is very broad and should be responsive to the needs of the mentee. Although we have some specific guidelines, mentors for first-year faculty should help mentees with their transition to UTD. This includes ensuring that mentees understand departmental and University processes, introducing mentees to others and being a source of information. The key to a successful mentorship is communication and helping the mentee feel supported.
Does this initiative replace the mentoring that occurs in departments and units?
This program should enhance but not replace mentoring in departments and units. Departments and units can better provide support that is unique to a faculty member’s primary area of research and teaching.
How much time will be involved?
Time commitment varies tremendously based on the needs of the mentees, but the program recommends that mentor-mentee pairs meet at least twice per semester to discuss progress.
Why am I matched with a colleague in another unit?
Decisions on matching are made within the unit. We advise discussing this with your department leadership.
How can I be a mentor to someone who is not in my academic field(s)?
Since matches are made within the department, we recommend making this request with your department leadership.
How long is my commitment to this program?
Our official mentor-mentee assignments have a one-year commitment. However, because these relationships naturally evolve, most mentors-mentees continue their relationship beyond the first year.
What are the individual benefits of this program?
Mentees can develop self-sufficiency through engagement in mentoring activities that improve objective and subjective outcomes. For mentors, studies have shown that support of junior faculty colleagues not only helps grow professional networks but also increases career satisfaction.
What if the match does not seem to be working?
We understand that sometimes different factors contribute to a bad fit in a mentoring relationship. In this case, a mentor or a mentee should contact the Provost’s Office Faculty Mentoring Program to discuss potential options.
