Abstract:
To help ensure the success of eight untenured faculty in the Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences (CSES) at the University of Arkansas, a faculty mentoring program was developed in 2002. The program followed a hybrid model that integrated a social component involving minimal commitment and included everyone in the department, a circle group that met monthly and included all interested new faculty and usually a few senior faculty, and one-on-one mentoring relationships that new faculty developed with senior faculty. The social component eventually ceased after participation decreased. One-on-one mentoring became less formal after one year. As a formal entity, the circle group was sustained the longest because it was supported by junior faculty, and evolved each semester in response to faculty needs and feedback. Program benefits appeared to be limited to intangible elements, such as increased feelings of interaction among peers. Senior faculty were less inclined to feel that they benefited directly from the program. Commitment of participants, continued assessment and change in response to feedback, an internal mentoring advisory committee, and support without interference by administration were critical to the success of this program.
Keywords:
mentoring, applied sciences, faculty
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