Thank you for participating in the UCSC Faculty Mentorship Program as a mentee!

We hope that the relationships you build with your FMP mentor will be rewarding and will support your successful transition to being a productive scholar and a faculty member at UCSC. We recognize that you may have other mentors within your department, but having a senior mentor outside your department provides a venue to discuss issues with someone who will not be involved in departmental personnel decisions.   

Participation in the FMP mentoring program is optional. Continuing faculty have the option of remaining in the program each academic year as long as it is useful. The aim of the program is to help faculty adjust to the norms and expectations of UCSC and to succeed in your career.

Meeting with Your Mentor

Mentees are encouraged to keep in regular contact with their mentors and remain actively involved in mentoring discussions to reap the most benefits from the mentoring relationship. We encourage you and your mentor to mutually agree on the frequency and duration of meetings that will serve your needs and be amenable to both. If unexpected challenges arise, do not hesitate to contact your mentors for advice, even outside your regular meeting schedule.

Creating a Constructive Relationship with Your Mentee

You can openly share questions, concerns, and struggles with your mentors as all conversations will be as confidential, unless the mentor is required by law to report it to the appropriate authorities.  New faculty may feel isolated and overwhelmed with research, teaching and service duties at first. Developing relationships with mentors can help you get connected across campus, strategically plan service commitments, and juggle work-life balance issues. Mentors can also offer valuable advice on teaching and research. If they do not have an answer to a question, they may be able to direct you to someone else who does.  Your mentors can also help you to develop an action plan to reach your goals.

Requesting a New Mentor

Although your mentor is supposed to initiate a plan for meeting with you at least once a quarter, many senior faculty are juggling multiple commitments and this may “fall off their plate.”  

If you haven’t met in person with your mentor by the end of fall quarter, please contact CCA Analyst Morgan Gardea at  mgardea@ucsc.edu, so we can either check in with your mentor or find another mentor for you.

Networking with Other Mentors

It is a good idea to develop a network of mentors from inside and outside your department, in order to get a range of advice relevant to your career and become familiar with diverse perspectives. We encourage you to be open to trying new approaches, but also reflect on the advice you receive from different sources and evaluate what might serve your needs better.

Providing Feedback to CCA

Finally, at the end of each year,  we will be asking for a brief paragraph or survey regarding your mentoring experience.  If you feel that your mentors’ advice has been helpful and constructive, please let CCA know, and communicate that to your mentor.  Developing a culture of faculty support is very rewarding for all involved.