Upon appointment, each junior faculty member should be assigned a more senior member of the faculty as mentor. The assignment is to be made by the Department Chair. Additionally, department chairs, deans or their delegates should confer annually with each junior faculty member to provide counseling, i.e., feedback on his/her performance relative to the standards for reappointment or promotion.
Schools and departments are expected to have policies and practices for providing mentoring to all junior faculty.
Guidelines
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Department chairs or deans or their delegates should confer annually with each junior faculty member to provide counseling, i.e., feedback on his/her performance relative to the standards for reappointment or promotion.
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During the counseling session with junior faculty, the comparative and predictive aspects of the tenure or promotion decision should be stressed.
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It is recommended mentors who are senior faculty members be other than the junior faculty's department chairs. In situations in which the initial mentor assignment is not successful, department chairs or deans should work with the junior faculty member to identify a suitable mentor.
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Mentors should provide guidance on an ongoing basis and should meet at least annually with their junior faculty mentees.
- Junior faculty should also be encouraged to seek informal mentors from inside or outside their departments who may share interests and provide additional perspectives.
Additional information about counseling and mentoring are:
Resources
Faculty Mentoring Programs at the Schools
- School of Earth Sciences Faculty Mentoring Program
- Pediatric Mentoring Program, School of Medicine
Faculty Mentoring Programs outside of Stanford
- Career Development Award Toolkit-- This virtual resource center through the Palo Alto VA provides helpful information on fostering great mentorship. The site offers extensive access and resources for mentors and mentees.
- NEW! National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) is a nation-wide cosortium, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, that offers a plethora of training and opportunities to connect for mentors and mentees in the biosciences.
- National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity-- Stanford faculty have access to the mentor network of alums of the NCFDD's Faculty Success Program and other resources.
Readings
- Survive and Thrive: A Guide for Untenured Faculty. By Wendy Crone. Mogan & Claypool Publishers. 2010. FREE copy for new faculty through VPFDD. Request your free copy here.
- Advice for New Faculty Members. By Robert Boice. Pearson. 2000.
- Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty, Second Edition. Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Burroughs Wellcome Fund. 2006. FREE through VPFDD or online .
- Getting the Most out of Your Mentoring Relationships: A Handbook for Women in STEM. By Donna J. Dean. Springer. 2009.
- The Academic Medicine Handbook: A Guide to Achievement and Fulfillment for Academic Faculty. Edited by Laura Weiss Roberts. Springer. 2013.
- Tomorrow's Professor: Preparing for Academic Careers in Science and Engineering. By Richard Reis. IEEE Press and Wiley. 1996 and 2012.
- At the Helm: A Laboratory Navigator. By Kathy Barker. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. 2002.
- Mentoring for Academic Careers in Engineering: Proceedings of the PAESMEM/Stanford School of Engineering Workshop. 2005.
- Coaching and Mentoring: How to Develop Talent and Achieve Stronger Performance. By Harvard Business School Press. 2004. (includes online tools)
