1. Faculty mentoring in Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
J. Catharine Scott-Moncrieff

2. Definition of faculty mentoring
Faculty mentoring is an important method of providing lifetime career guidance through which experienced faculty members share expertise, skills, perspectives, attitudes and proficiencies in order to help facilitate the scholarly and professional development of newer as well as more established faculty members. 
VCS faculty mentoring document 2010

3. Department Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Rank
Number
Tenure Track
Clinical Track
Assistant Professor 25 6 19
Associate Professor 14 9 5
Full Professor 16 13 3
Total 55 28 27

4. Mentoring policy Formal mentoring policy adopted by VCS 2010
8 page document
Current working policy less formal than originally conceived
College of Veterinary Medicine adopted less detailed mentoring guidelines 2016

5. VCS Mentoring Policy specifics
All assistant professors choose a mentor(s) from the VCS faculty within 6 months of arrival
Prior to that home section faculty act as informal mentors
Highly encourage Associate Professors to also have a mentor
May be individual or team
Decision of suitable mentor in conjunction with department head
Department head initiates request with potential mentor
At least one of mentors must be from VCS department
Mentor must be from different discipline
Adding mentors to team from outside department encouraged

6. Faculty mentors Full Professors tenure track or clinical track
Associate Professors tenure or clinical track
Usually only those who have been in rank at least 2 years
Tenure track faculty must have at least one TT mentor
Clinical track faculty may choose CT or TT mentor
No formal mentoring training for mentors
Informal peer discussion and training
Challenge to find enough senior mentors in VCS especially for CT

7. Duties of faculty mentor (VCS)
Mentor should meet regularly with mentee
Setting up meetings is responsibility of mentee
Mentors will track down mentees and set up a meeting if this does not happen
Sometimes department head requests that mentor schedule meeting
No formal documentation of meeting currently required
All aspects of career and work life balance within scope
Typically focuses on research, teaching and clinical service
Mentor presents CV at P and T meeting
Meeting with mentee scheduled a few weeks prior to the P and T meeting
Reviews department head feedback to faculty member
Sometimes attends career development meetings
Assists with development of P and T promotion document

8. Potential roles of mentor (PVM mentoring document)
Provide guidance about conducting research and scholarship
Provide guidance about the promotion and tenure process
Provide guidance about publications.
Provide guidance about grant proposals.
Provide guidance about teaching
Serve as an advocate/sponsor
Provide help finding resources
Provide advice about service
Provide advice on navigating the Purdue systems
Provide advice on work-life issues
Help establish professional relationships
Help establish social relationships
Help develop a career plan and goals to advance that plan
Offer support and a be sounding board
Encourage direct and frequent mentor communication
Help with settling in to Purdue University

9. Important points regarding mentoring
Mentoring does not replace the mentee’s ultimate responsibility for their career development and success
Faculty mentoring does not replace the role of the department head as a mentor to each faculty member
Serving as a mentor is voluntary
Additional mentors may be added or dropped
Informal mentoring also important

10. Discussion questions regarding best practice
Should mentor and mentee be required to document meetings?
Should department facilitate meetings?
E.g. by providing lunch 1-2 times a year?
Individual mentors versus mentoring team?
How to encourage Associate Professors to take advantage of mentoring?
Perhaps requires a different approach?
How to recognize contributions of senior faculty in the realm of mentoring?
How to encourage senior faculty to become mentors?
How to provide training for faculty mentors? Department/College/University
How to encourage faculty to ask for help from mentors?