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.
Digital Badge: To earn a badge associated with this mentoring groups and for more information about the FacultyBadges@GVSU Initiative, visit this site.
The following menu of mentoring options is designed in response to requests from across the campus faculty community.
REGISTER for a Mentoring Community
Mentoring Resources
Visit our Mentoring Faculty page for sites, articles and books.
New Faculty Mentoring Communities
Below is a list of mentoring groups designed specifically for new faculty. Descriptions of each group can be found further below. Click the mentoring group name to be brought to that description.
- First Year Faculty (FYF)
- Groups meeting virtually on a variety of dates/times
REGISTER for a Mentoring Community
Faculty-to-Faculty (F2F) Mentoring Program
Below is a list of all faculty-to-faculty mentoring groups. Descriptions of each group can be found further below. Click the mentoring group name to be brought to that description.
- Years 2 through 6 Tenure Track Faculty
- Years 2 through 6 Visiting and Affiliate Faculty
- Black Faculty Mentoring
- Faculty of Color Mentoring
- STEM Faculty Mentoring
- Women in Higher Ed Faculty Mentoring
REGISTER for a Mentoring Community
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.
2024-2025 Mentoring Communities
|
Mentoring Group |
General Meeting Day/Time |
Specific Meeting Dates |
Location (Campus) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
First Year Faculty (Group 1) |
Mondays; |
FALL 2024: 9/23, 10/7, 10/14, 10/28, 11/11, 11/25 |
In-Person on the Allendale Campus |
|
First Year Faculty (Group 2) |
Mondays; |
FALL 2024: 9/23, 10/7, 10/14, 10/28, 11/11 |
Hybrid (some meetings on Zoom and others in-person) |
|
First Year Faculty (Group 3) |
Tuesdays; |
FALL 2024: 9/24, 10/8, 10/15, 10/29, 11/12, 11/26 |
Online/Virtual with Zoom |
|
First Year Faculty (Group 4) |
Wednesdays; |
FALL 2024: 9/25, 10/9, 10/16, 10/30, 11/13, 12/4 |
Online/Virtual with Zoom |
|
First Year Faculty (Group 5) |
Thursdays; |
FALL 2024: 9/26, 10/11, 10/17, 10/31, 11/14, 12/5 |
In-person on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus |
|
Years 2—6 Tenure Track Faculty |
Mondays; |
FALL 2024: 9/23, 10/14, 11/11, 12/2 |
In-person on the Allendale Campus |
|
Years 2—6 Tenure Track Faculty |
Wednesdays; |
FALL 2024: 9/25, 10/16, 11/13, 12/4 |
Hybrid (some meetings on Zoom and others in-person) |
|
Years 2—6 Tenure Track Faculty |
Thursdays; |
FALL 2024: 9/26, 10/17, 11/14, 12/5 |
In-person on the Pew GR Campus |
|
Years 2—6 Tenure Track Faculty |
Fridays; |
FALL 2024: 9/27, 10/18, 11/15, 12/6 |
Online/Virtual with Zoom |
|
Years 2—6 Visiting & Affiliate Faculty |
Fridays; |
FALL 2024: 9/27, 10/18, 11/8, 12/6 |
Online/Virtual with Zoom |
|
Black Faculty Mentoring |
Fridays; |
FALL 2024: 9/27, 10/18, 11/15, 12/6 |
In-Person; alternating between the Pew Grand Rapids Campus and the Allendale Campus |
|
Faculty of Color Mentoring |
Fridays; |
FALL 2024: 9/27, 10/11, 11/8, 12/6 |
Online/Virtual with Zoom |
|
STEM Faculty Mentoring |
Fridays; |
FALL 2024: 9/27, 10/18, 11/15, 12/6 |
Hybrid (some meetings on Zoom and others in-person) |
|
Women in Higher Ed Faculty Mentoring |
Wednesdays; |
FALL 2024: 9/25, 10/23, 11/13, 12/4 |
In-Person on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus |
Did you know that Grand Valley State University has renewed its Institutional Membership with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD), a nationally recognized, independent organization providing online career development and mentoring?
The subscription entitles ALL faculty, academic staff, post doc and graduate students access to tools to increase research and writing productivity and improve work-life balance. These tools include:
- The weekly Monday Motivator
- Monthly Core Curriculum Webinars
- Monthly Guest Expert and Multi-Week Course Trainings
- Access to the 14-Day Writing Challenge each semester
- Access to the Dissertation Success Curriculum for advanced graduate students
Learn how to activate your FREE NCFDD Membership by visiting our NCFDD webpage.
Activate your FREE NCFDD Membership
Learn more about NCFDD by visiting our NCFDD webpage.
NEW FACULTY MENTORING COMMUNITIES
FIRST YEAR FACULTY MENTORING COMMUNITIES
Semesters: Fall or Winter
Meeting Schedule: Six one-hour meetings per semester; options to meet in-person or virtually.
- Because there are multiple First Year Faculty Groups, please refer to the table above for actual meeting dates and times.
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
REGISTER for a Mentoring Community
Please contact us if none of the First Year Faculty meeting times fit your schedule and we will do our best to make alternate arrangements for your participation.
FACULTY-TO-FACULTY MENTORING PROGRAM
YEARS 2 THROUGH 6
Semesters: Fall and Winter
Meeting Schedule: Three or four meetings per semester; options to meet in person or virtually.
- Because there are multiple Years 2 Thorough 6 Groups, please refer to the table above for actual meeting dates/times.
Description: A small-group mentoring opportunity for faculty beyond their first year of teaching at GVSU. Groups meet monthly, or as desired, to discuss topics such as teaching, professional development, scholarship, and service opportunities. In past years, participants have reported that they appreciated getting to know faculty outside their disciplines and to talk about faculty life in a relaxed and confidential settings. This mentoring program is meant to complement departmental mentoring. Mentoring groups are organized separately for tenure-track and visiting/affiliate faculty.
Through participation in this Mentoring Group, faculty will:
- Learn from and with faculty from across disciplines and the university
- Explore teaching and learning topics of interest to the group
- Establish short-term and long-terms professional goals
MID-CAREER FACULTY MENTORING COMMUNITY
Semesters: Fall and Winter
Meeting Schedule: Three or four meetings per semester; options to meet in person or virtually.
Description: This group is intended for those Associate Professors who have achieved promotion and tenure and who wish to gather to discuss issues specific to mid-career faculty. Often, faculty at this stage have the opportunity to be more selective about the focus of their work while at the same time facing greater leadership responsibilities in their departments.
Through participation in this Mentoring Group, faculty will:
- Reflect on their path to tenure with a strengths-based perspective
- Consider goals and direction for post-tenure teaching, scholarship, and service
- Explore connections within the GVSU university community, as well as disciplinary professional connections
- Reflect on professional development and strategies for long-term career satisfaction
APPROACHING RETIREMENT FACULTY MENTORING COMMUNITY
Semesters: Fall and Winter
Meeting Schedule: Three or four meetings per semester; options to meet in person or virtually.
Description: This group is intended for those faculty who who wish to gather to discuss issues specific to consideration of retirement. Often, faculty at this stage have the opportunity to be more selective about the focus of their work while at the same time facing greater leadership responsibilities in their departments. Discussion may include issues of mentoring others, legacy work, changing workload priorities, and university opportunities.
Through participation in this Mentoring Group, faculty will:
- Reflect on their path to retirement with a strengths-based perspective
- Consider goals and direction for retirement and beyond
- Explore connections within the GVSU university community, as well as disciplinary professional connections
- Reflect on professional development and strategies for long-term career satisfaction
IDENTITY-BASED FACULTY-TO-FACULTY MENTORING
Semesters: Fall and Winter
Meeting Schedule: Three or four meetings per semester; options to meet in person or virtually.
Description: Identity-Based Faculty-to-Faculty Mentoring group include:
- Black Faculty
- Faculty of Color
- STEM Faculty
- Women in Higher Ed Faculty
In each group, issues, challenges, and strategies will be explored together in 3-4 meetings each semester. Mentors will work with group members to select topics and/or readings. Overall, building a space to be heard, seen, and supported is the ultimate goal. Groups work best when attendance is consistent to build relationships and create community.
For additional information about any of these programs, please contact us at [email protected].