First Year Faculty Mentoring Communities

The Pew FTLC Mentoring Program offers structured meeting opportunities to gather with colleagues and explore the multiple sources of guidance and connection available at GVSU for professional growth and development.  An experienced faculty member serves as a mentor to groups of 6-12 faculty.  Each session centers around a particular topic but the content is flexible and responsive to the group members.  Goals and direction are often quite personal and specific for each person. 

The Pew FTLC Mentoring Program is open to ALL FACULTY, including adjunct faculty.

Digital Badge: To earn a badge associated with this mentoring groups and for more information about the FacultyBadges@GVSU Initiative, visit this site. 

Tenure-track Faculty

New, non-tenured Regular Faculty are strongly encouraged to participate in a First Year Mentoring Community, per a new Shared Governance policy, detailed on the Office of the Provost Mentorship at Grand Valley State University site. 

Video about mentoring


FIRST YEAR FACULTY MENTORING COMMUNITIES

Semesters: Fall or Winter

This Pew FTLC Mentoring Program is open to ALL FACULTY, including adjunct faculty.

Meeting Schedule: Six one-hour meetings per semester

Description: The First Year Faculty Mentoring Community is designed to acculturate new faculty to GVSU and to provide robust teaching support and general information on scholarship, service, and career planning to all new faculty. Each session centers around a particular topic but the content is flexible and responsive to the group members. Readings, discussion prompts, and supplemental materials are available on a New Faculty Blackboard site. This mentoring program is meant to complement departmental mentoring.

Through participation in this Mentoring Community, new faculty will:

  • Address first year faculty teaching challenges with evidence-based strategies
  • Gain familiarity with GVSU resources for faculty, students, and families
  • Learn from and with faculty from across disciplines and the university
  • Practice work-life balance approaches known to improve the experiences of new faculty and have lasting impact throughout a faculty career
  • Establish short-term and long-terms professional goals

FYF Topic Overview

  • GVSU resources for faculty - including internal and external funding resources
  • Learner-centered teaching; how student learn
  • Engaging learners with active and collaborative learning
  • Rubrics, formative feedback, and helping students become self-directed learners
  • Leading effective discussions in class and online
  • Faculty roles: teaching, scholarship, and service
  • Educational technologies at GVSU
  • Making sense of student ratings of teaching
  • Library resources and services
  • Personnel portfolios & integrative statements
  • Advising as teaching
  • Career planning and work-life balance

2026-2027 First-Year-Faculty Mentoring Communities Schedule

First Year Faculty Mentoring Group

Meeting Days/Times

Specific Meeting Dates

Meeting Location

First Year Faculty (Group 1)
Facilitated by Bradford Dykes

Mondays;
9 a.m.–10 a.m.

FALL 2026:  9/21, 10/5, 10/12, 11/2, 11/16k, 11/30
 

 

In-person on the Allendale Campus

First Year Faculty (Group 2)
Facilitated by David Zwart

Tuesdays;
12 p.m.-1 p.m.

FALL 2026: 9/22, 10/6, 10/20, 11/3, 11/17, 12/1
 

 

In-person on the Allendale Campus

First Year Faculty (Group 3)
Facilitated by Janel Pettes Guikema

Wednesdays;
10 a.m.-11 a.m.

FALL 2026:  9/23, 10/7, 10/21, 11/4, 11/11, 12/2

 

Online/Virtual with Zoom

First Year Faculty (Group 4)
Facilitated by Kellie Riley

Wednesdays;
2 p.m.-3 p.m.

FALL 2026:  9/23, 9/30, 10/14, 11/4, 11/18, 12/2

Online/Virtual with Zoom

First Year Faculty (Group 5)
Facilitated by Patty Bolea

Thursdays;
1 p.m.-2 p.m.

FALL 2026:   9/24, 10/8, 10/22, 11/5, 11/19, 12/3

 

In-person on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus

First Year Faculty (Group 6)
Facilitated by Donald Zinman

Fridays;
12 p.m.–1 p.m.

FALL 2026:   9/25, 10/2, 10/16, 10/30, 11/13, 12/4

In-Person on the Allendale Campus


Please contact us if none of these meeting times fit your schedule and we will do our best to make alternate arrangements for your participation. 




Page last modified September 8, 2026