New Faculty Mentoring Groups

New Faculty: Receive Individualized Support!

New Faculty Mentoring Groups are available to those full-time instructors who are within their first 4 years of teaching at ETSU.

Those new to ETSU, but not necessarily to teaching in higher education, can develop cross-disciplinary collegial relationships as well as learn some of the ropes that are particular to ETSU.

Those new to teaching in higher education can receive support and guidance from a veteran instructor, who will mentor instructional practices, instructional trouble-shooting, and the growth of habits of professional development for teaching.

Group Guidelines

• Group Formation

  Mentors will be recruited to serve in a mentoring role for 2 new faculty members. This group meets together. As possible, the intention is to diversify the disciplines each group member represents.

  New faculty who are interested in placement in a New Faculty Mentoring Group can sign up using the button below.

  Any full-time faculty member who is new to ETSU or new to teaching in higher education can participate as a "new faculty" member. ["New" is defined as within 4 years.]

  New Faculty must sign up by September 1 to be eligible for a group. Number of groups and placements will be subject to mentor recruitment and availability.

  New Faculty: Sign Up Here

   

• Group Agreements

  Under the leadership of their assigned mentor, this small group agrees to:

  • Meet twice each semester (spring, fall) of the academic year.
    • Groups schedule their own meetings, based on their members' time and availability. Plan on meetings that last approximately 1 hour.
    • 
      Groups are encouraged to schedule these meetings well in advance, so they aren't forgotten or difficult to schedule later.
  • Complete small "assignments" from their mentor, in advance of each meeting.
    • Assignments may vary, but are likely to include participation in CTE professional development events, observation of instruction (one another's or another ETSU instructor's), or another learning activity focused on teaching in higher education.
  • Support each other's teaching efforts, even outside of meetings.
    • If teaching problems arise, casual communications among group members is encouraged to trouble-shoot.

Group Benefits

• Support & Connections

  Meet and develop a professional relationship with one or two other people across campus that you might not otherwise have met. Receive support for your teaching from a veteran instructor as well as from another faculty member who is, like you, newer to the ETSU teaching experience.
• CTE Meeting Support

  The CTE intends to support these groups by covering the costs of 2 meals at the Dining Hall each semester (that is, if meetings are held at the Dining Hall, these costs will be covered). The CTE is still working out how to best accomplish this goal, likely through the use of meal vouchers.
• Mentoring Group Documentation

  For group members who successfully complete the agreements for the academic year, the CTE will issue that member a letter of recognition for their initiative and participation in the New Faculty Mentoring Groups program. This letter can be uploaded to Watermark as evidence of teaching professional development.

• Professional Development Credit

  In addition to documentation of any time spent participating in each CTE PD event (e.g., as an assignment for the group), group members will receive 1 CTE credit (indicating approximately 1 hour of learning time) for each mentoring meeting they attend, documented on their end-of-year CTE record.

  This record is sent to each ETSU employee who participates in any CTE events for the academic year.

• Mentoring Celebration

  All active and participating mentors and mentees will be invited to an end-of-academic-year Mentorverse Gathering, to meet one another and celebrate a year of teaching success.