Scope
The following policy shall apply to full-time tenured and tenure-line faculty, full-time lecturers, and full-time clinical appointments who have been identified by their department chair or program director to serve as faculty mentors for Liberal Arts students in their respective programs as of August 1, 2017. The faculty mentor role involves proactive outreach and engagement with assigned students and thus extends beyond the scope of an individual’s regular service commitment as a faculty member. Faculty mentors are appointed only in departments or programs that grant bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degrees from the School of Liberal Arts.
Policy Statement
This policy shall be used to determine the expectations, responsibilities, and compensation of an individual who agrees to serve as the faculty mentor for her/his department or program during the academic year for a three-year, renewable term.
At the time that the individual assumes the position of faculty mentor, a memorandum shall be created that sets forth the terms and conditions of the appointment. The terms and conditions therein will outline the minimum activities to be carried out by the assigned faculty mentor in a given academic year. The department chair or program director shall have the authority to assign additional duties and responsibilities within the intended scope of the role, in consultation with the dean.
The assigned faculty mentor shall receive one (1) course release per academic year. The course releases shall be planned in advance for the three-year term. In addition, the department or program shall receive funding not to exceed $500 per academic year from the dean’s office for programmed events for students. The faculty mentor and her/his department chair or program director shall agree on the terms and conditions of the role and provide signed documentation of the agreement to the dean, transmitted through the associate dean for student affairs.
If the assigned faculty mentor also holds the position of program director, coordinator of undergraduate programs, or a similar role, that individual’s compensation is subject to any existing contractual arrangement and, thus the individual shall not be eligible for the additional course release associated with the faculty mentor role.
Continuation in the role on an annual basis shall be determined by satisfactory performance as measured by an annual reporting of activities and evaluation by the chair and dean; chairs should transmit evaluations through the associate dean for student affairs. At such time as the individual relinquishes or is removed from the faculty mentor position prior to the completion of her/his term, the individual shall no longer be entitled to any remaining course releases associated with the role.
Procedures
At the time of appointment, the faculty mentor shall be required to engage in the following activities in agreement with the minimum standards of practice for a faculty mentor in service to Liberal Arts students:
- Attend one meeting per semester each academic year, sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs
- Communicate regularly with students in the respective department or program, no less than twice per semester each academic year
- Meet at least once per semester with the department or program academic advisor in the Office of Student Affairs
- Meet at least once per academic year with the department chair or program director to discuss mentoring activities and priorities
- Organize and execute at least one program per academic year related to careers or graduate school options for students associated with the department or program discipline, in consultation with staff from the Office of Student Affairs
- Attend at least one IUPUI professional development event per academic year, broadly related to student services (e.g., QPR training; domestic violence awareness; student health and wellness)
- Document and submit an accounting of all mentoring activities at the conclusion of the academic year, to be reviewed and signed by the department chair or program director and the dean; materials should be submitted by chairs or program directors to the associate dean for student affairs
Faculty mentors are also responsible for disseminating information on majors, minors, and certificates to prospective and current students, referring students to other student services on campus as needed, and directing students to opportunities that will enhance their overall academic success (e.g., internships; externships; co-curricular activities; RISE opportunities).
Effective: 08-01-2017