Framework of Structured Mentorship

The objective of our mentorship program is to facilitate structured guidance that promotes fair and comprehensive career development, growth, and satisfaction for our faculty.

In pursuit of this goal, it is beneficial to periodically assess the framework of our existing program and explore additional resources that may prove valuable to you.

A. Primary mentors:

Primary mentors play a pivotal role as the central resource for information regarding the departmental promotion process, institutional knowledge, and guidance on individual career development plans. They also actively advocate for and enhance networking opportunities while recognizing the achievements of the mentee. When you enter our program, you will be assigned a primary mentor, often in an area of domain expertise and would typically comprise of your Section Chiefs. You may discuss finding additional mentors within or outside the department based on your academic need. You can discuss assignment of your primary mentor at the time of your job negotiation or right after in consultation with Chair or Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs. The current mentorship structure can be found here.

B. Secondary mentors:

The majority of our faculty express openness to the idea of having additional mentors within the department, with the understanding that this does not dilute the responsibilities of the Chiefs. Typically, secondary mentors are drawn from our pool of Associate Professors and Professors. Alternatively, they may come from outside our department to address specific developmental needs. These secondary mentors serve a valuable role by offering content expertise, supplementary advice, and acting as a sounding board to assist you in crafting a compelling career narrative.

C. Access to Vice Chairs:

The Vice Chairs and Chair are readily available for additional guidance regarding the promotion process and career development, and faculty can set up time with them regularly for advice.

D. Timing of mentorship meetings:

In terms of the mentorship process, it is emphasized that meetings should be initiated by the mentee. Given that the mentorship dynamic is primarily driven by the mentee, regular check-ins and accountability are essential components of the process.

Our minimum requirements for the Section Chiefs to meet with their mentees are as follows:

• Instructor – 2 times per year
• Assistant Professor – 2 times per year
• Associate Professor – 1 time per year
• Professor – As needed

Meetings with mentors should be documented and tracked for the benefit of both mentor and mentee. If faculty have trouble accessing their mentor or have conflicts, they should reach out to Dr. Safdar to discuss.

E. Web Based Mentorship Platform and Documentation

Annual Faculty Annual Development Professional Questionnaire: This is a web-based annual questionnaire completed by the faculty and their primary mentor end of each academic year. The goal is to ensure provision of high-quality mentorship and sponsorship and communication of faculty goals to their mentor as well as departmental leadership. More information is available here:

FDAQ Process:

1. Each faculty member will receive an email with a unique link from REDCap for the questionnaire which they will complete.
2. After the faculty member completes the questionnaire, the designated departmental leader will be notified via email, there is also a departmental leadership dashboard where they can see the status of the FDAQ for the faculty they are assigned to meet with.
3. The faculty member will schedule and meet with their designated departmental leadership.
4. After the faculty member meets with the designated departmental leadership, the designated departmental leadership will complete the DL questionnaire.
5. Faculty member will receive a unique link for them to acknowledge the responses provided in the DL questionnaire.

F. Career Development form:

Sample career development forms are accessible within the mentorship resources. These forms are designed to facilitate discussions with your mentor, providing a framework for setting and tracking your goals. Collaboratively, you and your mentor can utilize these forms to establish a mentorship circle. It is recommended to maintain this as a dynamic, living document that undergoes regular updates, ideally on an annual basis.