Expand mentoring of women from underrepresented groups

Task Force Recommendation: Elevate and Protect the Status of Women

Task Force Project: Expand mentoring of women from underrepresented groups

Champion: Sam Catanzaro

Status: Ongoing

Implementation Team Actions

  • Provost's Office Administrator-in-Residence Professor Daneca Avant (SWK) is developing a survey of tenured faculty to assess their reflections on factors that facilitated or impeded their path to tenure and factors that are important for their continued growth and career advancement.
  • Provost's Office Administrator-in-Residence Professor Li Zeng (THD) developed and administered survey of mentoring needs in Spring 2018. Results documented need for development of a variety of mentoring opportunities available to all faculty, recognition and reward of mentoring contributions, and training for mentors especially with respect to unique needs of women faculty and faculty of color.
  • Provost's Office has purchased a three-year institutional membership in the National Center for Faculty Diversity and Development (NCFDD), a well-recognized network of educational and mentoring resources for faculty throughout their career journey. Resources include webinars, short courses, on-line community building/support, time management and planning tools, and strategic career development tools. Retention and professional development of faculty from traditionally underrepresented groups is one area of focus for NCFDD.
  • Assistant Vice President Yojanna Cuenca-Carlino has formed a team with Professor Sandra Osorio (TCH) and Professors Zeng and Avant to develop and support a University Faculty Mentoring Network. Meetings have been scheduled and the agenda and activities to initiate the Network are in final stages of development. Focus will be on pre-tenure faculty in their first three years of appointment.

Next step/Timeline

  • Continue to promote NCFDD membership and provide opportunities for faculty to build communities organized around NCFDD resources (e.g., webinar watch/discussion lunches, local writing groups, etc.)
  • Invite faculty to Mentoring Network meetings to occur in Spring 2020 semester.
  • Complete survey of tenured faculty on perceived faciltators and obstacles of professional growth.
  • Continue to collect evaluation and needs assessment data on programs.