School of Music New Faculty Mentoring Guidelines

The School of Music provides mentoring for new faculty members as assistance in adjusting to their positions and roles at the University and in the School. Paramount is affording tenure-track faculty members the opportunity to understand expectations defined in the University Promotion and Tenure Guidelines and School of Music PROCEDURES for (a) the Promotion and Tenure Process and (b) the Progress Toward Tenure Process.  Likewise, understanding and successfully preparing submissions for the School of Music Faculty Evaluation Plan is critical for new faculty.  These guidelines are also intended to facilitate successful engagement with students in instructional and non-instructional activities.  Guidelines prescribed in this document encourage productive interaction of tenure-track faculty members with their more senior colleagues.  Mentoring serves as a point of reference regarding general questions and procedural issues and creates a formalized vehicle for tenure-track faculty to receive advice from colleagues.  It also offers senior faculty the opportunity to support colleagues new to the University of Kansas.

Mentorship is intended to be a professional and collegial process conducted in an atmosphere of trust and confidentiality.  Notwithstanding the purposes espoused in this document, it remains the sole responsibility of tenure-track faculty members to meet professional expectations as defined in School of Music P&T and Faculty Evaluation policies.  Also, tenure-track faculty members are encouraged to seek the advice of several faculty colleagues, including those who may not be formally assigned to them as mentors.

Mentoring of Tenured-track Faculty

New tenure-track music faculty members will be assigned a faculty mentor.  All tenured faculty members are eligible to serve as mentors.  The dean will consult with new faculty members, as well as the new faculty member’s division director, before assigning a mentor.  Tenure-track faculty members may request a change in their mentor at any time.  The request should be submitted in writing to the dean.  New mentors will be assigned according to the same process described previously in this paragraph.

In the first semester of appointment, new faculty members and their mentors should meet several times.  Whereas division directors (or their designates) are responsible for assisting with preparation of course syllabi and for providing other general information about protocol and function within the School, mentors are responsible for introducing and explaining guidelines, policies, and procedures of the School of Music and University. General advice, including informal observation and recommendations regarding classroom teaching effectiveness, is also recommended.  New faculty should investigate additional opportunities on campus, such as the Center for Teaching Excellence, that are resources for enhanced teaching support.  It is the responsibility of the tenure-track faculty to request assistance regarding teaching and/or other general information from their mentor and others.

Tenure-track faculty members and their mentors are encouraged to attend P&T trainings organized by the Office of the Provost.  In the spring of each year, the School of Music P&T committee will meet with tenure-track faculty members (and their mentors) who will be considered the following academic year for tenure and promotion or progress toward tenure.  The purpose of this meeting is to provide advice for preparing the tenure dossier and to answer any questions about the upcoming review.  This meeting will be open to all interested faculty members.

Tenure-track faculty members shall continue to have assigned mentors through their final review for tenure.  Tenure-track faculty members are responsible for initiating meetings with their mentors.  Meetings can be formal or informal and can be as frequent or infrequent as they feel is necessary.