A central aim of the Fellows program is to provide a successful transition from graduate school to life as an independent teacher/scholar in a liberal arts setting. This transition is difficult for many. It has long been acknowledged that graduate programs typically do not (with a few notable exceptions) train their students to excel as teachers. Rather, the emphasis is on scholarly production, usually with a high specialized focus. After obtaining their first job, new PhDs are often thrown into the deep end of the academic pool, asked (especially at liberal arts colleges) to juggle intensive teaching loads with community service demands and the need to establish an independent research program in a new setting. All of this tends to occur with a rather limited amount of support.
Consider the difficulties of this important transition, which may determine the ultimate trajectory of many academic careers. As a graduate student, the new fellow may have led sections of a course with a set syllabus and procedures. Coming into the first academic job, all course responsibilities (including devising the structure of the course, assignments and exams, as well as planning individual class sessions) suddenly fall squarely and solely on the individual’s shoulders (and, at liberal arts colleges, this means teaching several courses each semester or term). Community demands (even if formal committee and advising assignments are withheld during the first year) are frequent, often in the form of informal requests from students and colleagues who new faculty members are naturally eager to please (making it difficult to simply say no). At the same time, new PhDs are expected to establish themselves as independent scholars, absent the coterie of individuals with shared interests and the specialized resources of a graduate program.
The Lawrence Fellows program addresses some of these difficulties simply by the way the position is structured. A lower teaching load ought to leave Fellows more time to construct an independent scholarly program and to adapt it to the liberal arts college setting. Freed from worries about reappointment and tenure (because the position is temporary), Fellows can focus on career development and be more selective about accepting community service requests. While we believe these structural factors themselves go a long way toward promoting a successful transition from graduate school to life as a faculty member at a liberal arts college, the Fellows program will be considerably more proactive in doing all that is possible to ensure the Fellows’ development as teachers and scholars. The Fellows development program will be especially attentive to teaching development because this is unlikely to have been focused upon in graduate school. Encouraging Fellows to find productive ways to accomplish their scholarship within a liberal arts college setting so that teaching and scholarship are, as much as possible, complementary (e.g., involving students in empirical research, finding ways to incorporate one’s scholarly interests in one’s classes) is also a central goal.
Rather than taking a “sink or swim” approach, the Fellows program involves a coordinated development plan. The broad outline of our approach is to: a) immediately and consistently prompt the Fellows to reflect upon and set both short-term and long-term goals for themselves as teachers and scholars, b) help Fellows to construct an individually tailored (specific and realistic) plan for achieving those goals, c) consistently assess Fellows’ progress in meeting their self-defined goals (both through self-assessment and feedback from others, such as students, peers, and faculty mentors). This approach recognizes that academic life is complex and involves a great deal of autonomy, requiring faculty members to develop their own goals and ways of achieving them. Thus, the development program will have a strong “bottom-up” component (in which Fellows themselves have a considerable say in its shape). There will be no set prescriptions (e.g., there is no preferred “teaching method” Fellows are urged to adopt), but rather the recognition that each faculty member must construct his or her own career. The development program will be structured so that career paths are not a matter of happenstance, but of considerable self-reflection, goal-setting, and planning.
We recognize, however, that even though each individual must take his or her own path, there are common challenges all faculty members face (e.g., how to balance teaching and research, how to get a reticent student to talk in class, etc.) and that experienced faculty members can serve as advisors and guides. Fellows will not be left on their own to reinvent the wheel, but will have the support of peers and of faculty mentors who will aid them in setting realistic goals and plans to attain those goals.
Additionally, goal setting and planning works best when there is subsequent feedback about goal attainment. Fellows will not only periodically be asked to reflect on their progress toward self-defined goals, but will also receive systematic feedback from others. Faculty mentors will observe Fellows teach (at least once each term) and give both written and oral feedback. Mentors will also review and discuss Fellows’ self-evaluations and goals with their assigned Fellows. Similarly, we plan to share student feedback with Fellows and to encourage constructive peer evaluation.
Finally, the development program will use peer support, regular meetings of Fellows, to address common concerns. The Fellows themselves, based on group discussions of their goals and needs, will determine the agenda of these meetings, which might involve peer discussions (e.g., of classroom problems each has encountered), peer evaluation (e.g., viewing and discussing each others’ videotaped class sessions), workshops (e.g., on grading), or getting advice from recognized experts (e.g., inviting particularly successful faculty scholars to give advice to the group on how to establish a research program in a liberal arts setting).
In short, the development program will involve systematic self-reflection, goal-setting, individualized plans to achieve goals, feedback from multiple sources, peer and faculty support. All of this will be aimed at encouraging Fellows to be thoughtful and proactive in the development of their careers, while ensuring that they receive the best advice and available resources to achieve their goals. We believe that the benefits to the Fellows will be substantial and the innovations piloted with the Fellows program, in turn, can be fed into improving the mentoring and development program for tenure-track faculty as well.
The development program has three primary components: 1) self-assessment, goal setting, and planning, 2) mentoring, 3) peer support.
Goal-Setting, Self-Assessment, Planning, and Evaluation
The mentoring and development program will encourage the active involvement of Fellows in setting their own goals and assessing their progress toward those goals. The aim of such self-reflection is to encourage the Fellows to think explicitly about career development, setting priorities, and balancing the demands of an academic job. Additionally, these self-assessments will be used to guide the content of any development activities (e.g., content of luncheon discussions) sponsored by the Fellows Committee, making those programs more relevant to and targeted toward Fellows’ needs. Further, self-assessment will provide a more natural way to begin discussions with mentors. For example, if a self-assessment reveals that a Fellow desires advice on how to encourage student discussions, the mentor can provide constructive suggestions or put the Fellow in contact with someone who is acknowledged to be particularly skilled in this area.
Orientation
At the initial Fellows orientation session in the Fall (before classes begin), the Fellows Committee will inform Fellows about the details of the development program. Fellows will be required to complete a substantial self-assessment of teaching and scholarship (their self-perceived strengths and weaknesses, concerns and anticipated challenges), as well as to set goals and plans for achieving them. Fellows will be asked to reflect upon both short-term (for the coming year) and long-term (over the next seven years) scholarly goals. A standard form will be provided for these tasks, which will include specific categories to be rated (e.g., structuring a course, planning individual class sessions, leading discussion) as well as narratives (e.g., about strengths and weaknesses, anticipated needs, goals). The self-assessment and goal-setting form (see, Self-Assessment, Goal-Setting and Planning Form) will be handed out at the Fall Orientation with the expectation that it will be completed within a month, before the Fellows Retreat (to Lawrence’s Bjorklunden property) in October.
Self-Assessment and Goal-Setting in September
In the month-long period between the orientation and subsequent Fellows retreat, Fellows will not only complete the self-assessment and goal-setting forms, but share an initial draft with their faculty mentors (the mentoring program is described in more detail below). Fellows will then meet with their mentors to discuss their self-assessments and goals. This process will help to define a meaningful, constructive, and collaborative Fellow-mentor relationship, providing an entrée into deeper discussion of the Fellow’s needs and concerns. Having Fellows systematically reflect on their needs and goals will help them to set the tone for the relationship, rather than implicitly encouraging the mentor (however subtly) to impose goals. However well-meaning mentors may be, such relationships have an implicit power and status dynamic given mentors’ greater experience. By initiating the relationship with a discussion of Fellows’ goals, we aim to promote an active (not passive) role for Fellows right from the beginning. At the same time, mentors ought to be able to provide useful feedback and ideas about Fellows’ goals and to advise Fellows on what resources are available to help in achieving them.
With respect to scholarship, the goal-setting form asks Fellows to articulate the issues, concerns or problems that guide their scholarly interests and inquiries. Further, they will construct both long-term (seven year) and short-term (one to two year) goals. Finally, they will be asked to reflect on how they might tailor their research to a liberal arts environment and integrate scholarship with teaching as complementary, not competing, activities.
Fellows Retreat (at Bjorklunden) in October
The Fellows, members of the Fellows Committee, and (if possible) faculty mentors, will attend the Fellows retreat weekend at Bjorklunden in October. The purpose of this weekend will be to share and discuss Fellows’ self-assessments and goals, with the ultimate aim of defining both individualized plans and common programming (e.g., peer discussion) throughout the academic year to reach those goals. Consistent with the general approach of the development program, Fellows will be encouraged to shape the program in a way that best suits their needs. The Fellows Committee members and mentors will provide encouragement, ideas, and advice based on their knowledge of the faculty role and the resources of the institution, but in a manner that is collaborative and supportive rather than prescriptive or condescending.
The weekend will also serve as a bonding experience for Fellows. The Bjorklunden property is located in Door County, Wisconsin, an area noted for its natural beauty. The Bjorklunden lodge is located on the Lake Michigan shoreline. The setting is serene and private, perfect for a retreat. Bjorklunden weekends begin Friday night and end Sunday after lunch. In addition to the serious business of planning, there will be time for relaxation, hiking, and informal conversation. Intensified bonds among the Fellows and increased comfort with the Fellows Committee and mentors ought to be a natural result of the retreat.
Goal-setting and self-evaluation of strengths and weaknesses will take place at the beginning of the academic year. Self-assessment of progress toward the goals defined at the start of the year will occur at the end of each academic year.
Periodic Self-Assessment and Feedback
Fellows will be asked to videotape a class session once per term, completing a self-assessment of that session, as well as an end-of-term self-evaluation of each course the Fellow teaches. Fellows will also be asked to reflect on the degree to which they achieved the goals they set at the beginning of the year for teaching and for scholarship. These periodic self-assessments will assist Fellows in reflection on their progress toward goals and continuing challenges and needs. The self-assessment forms will also be used for program evaluation. Finally, we will encourage Fellows to share these periodic self-assessments with their mentors and to discuss them together.
In addition to self-assessment, Fellows will be provided with feedback each term. Like all faculty, they will receive student evaluations for each class they have taught. We will also encourage Fellows to share and discuss student evaluations each term with their mentors, who can help to keep Fellows from focusing only on negative comments, figure out why the comments occurred, and encourage Fellows to come up with ways in which they might address any concerns students express. Another source of feedback will be directly from mentors, who will be asked to observe their assigned Fellow in the classroom at least once during each term.
Mentoring
Each Fellow will have a faculty mentor in his or her department, typically the faculty member who supervised the interview and hiring process for the department (building upon this initial familiarity and relationship). Mentors must be tenure-track (preferably, but not necessarily already tenured) members of the teaching faculty. The main purpose of mentoring is to aid in the Fellow’s self-defined professional development. Because good mentoring is time-consuming, we will encourage structures that facilitate mentoring while also benefiting or in some manner compensating the mentor. For example, co-teaching with a Fellow can ease the mentor’s teaching load while simultaneously providing ample opportunity to observe the Fellow’s teaching, discuss pedagogy, assess strengths and weaknesses, etc.
Lawrence’s Current Tenure-Track Mentoring Program
Lawrence’s current mentoring program for tenure-track faculty deliberately pairs new faculty members with faculty in another department. This choice was made for several reasons: a) it is assumed that mentoring within the department occurs anyway, b) by going outside the department new faculty members form contacts with people they might not otherwise interact with, and c) new faculty feel reassured that there is sufficient separation between mentoring (aimed at development) and evaluation.
Lawrence’s current mentoring system for tenure-track faculty has one formal element, mentoring lunches (attended by newer faculty, their mentors, and the Dean and Associate Dean of Faculty) that typically consist of one or two established faculty members speaking to a predetermined issue (e.g., how to balance scholarship and teaching) followed by a group discussion. Faculty currently view the lunches as being useful. Fellows and their mentors will have the option of partial or full participation in these sessions.
Fellows Mentoring Program
In contrast to the existing mentoring program for tenure-track faculty, we have chosen for Fellows to have mentors within the department because: a) the Fellows program encourages overlap of interests between Fellows and department faculty that would not be “affordable” with tenure-track hires, creating more natural pairings of Fellows with faculty (with whom they may collaborate on teaching and research); b) Fellows are not tenurable, so that any concern about whether a department member is more of an “evaluator” than a mentor is mitigated, and c) because Fellows will soon be on the job market, they are likely to benefit the most from the advice of someone in their field.
As noted above, the Fellows mentoring program is designed to ensure that the Fellow has a more active role. The first required contact between Fellows and mentors involves the mentors responding to the Fellows’ self-assessment and self-defined goals. We believe that this will be important in establishing an active, not passive role for the Fellows within the relationship. Additionally, this task (and others) will provide structure to the relationship, shape the content of what is discussed, and ensure that the relationship progresses past superficialities.
In addition to the discussion of self-assessment and goals that will initially shape the mentoring relationship, both Fellows and mentors will be given general guidelines (see Appendix J, Mentoring Guidelines; also detailed in the sections that immediately follow). Consistent with our general approach, these guidelines will not be a set of prescriptive rules (though there will be some specific expected activities). Each Fellow-mentor relationship will be (and ought to be) unique, but a common set of guidelines and activities will help to ensure that these relationships have a sense of purpose and mission, plus built-in ways of achieving them.
Discussions of Self-Assessments and Goals
Fellows will provide mentors with their self-assessment and goal-setting documents when they complete them. In the Fall, Fellows and mentors will discuss those documents before the October Bjorklunden retreat. Fellows ought to provide their mentors with updated self-assessments (including progress toward goals) in each subsequent term. These documents should also be the basis for meetings between mentors and Fellows (each term) that focus on the Fellow’s development as teacher and scholar.
Classroom Observation
Fellows ought to invite (and mentors to agree) to observe the Fellow in the classroom at least once each term. Afterwards, mentors are asked to fill out the observation feedback form, which will be shared both with the Fellow and the Fellows Committee. Mentors will also be expected to discuss the observed session with the Fellow. We also encourage mentors to invite Fellows to observe their classes and subsequently to discuss these experiences together. Mentors may also help to arrange for Fellows to observe other faculty members’ classes, based on the Fellow’s particular interests or needs. For example, a Fellow who wishes to learn more about leading class discussion might be directed toward a faculty member noted for doing this well.
Mentor Lunches/Dinners
As noted above, Fellows and their mentors are welcome to attend any or all of the faculty lunches/dinners that are part of Lawrence’s established mentoring program. In general, Fellows ought to decide which of the sessions they want to participate in and then invite the mentor to attend if he or she is able.
Program Evaluation
Program evaluation is an important feature of the Fellows program and the method by which it will improve. Both Fellows and mentors are asked to cooperate in program evaluation by submitting copies of materials (self-assessments, classroom observation forms, etc.), as requested, to the Committee. They will also be asked to evaluate the success of the program in annual reports and at a Bjorklunden weekend at the end of the academic year.
Dealing with Mentoring Problems
If either the Fellow or the mentor believes that the relationship is not working well, they are encouraged to bring this to the attention of the Director of the Fellows Program. If a Fellow wishes to switch mentors, he or she is free to do so (as long as the potential new mentor agrees to serve in the role).
Peer Support
Consistent with the principle that Fellows will actively direct their own development, promoting the skills that will help them become successful independent teachers and scholars, peer support is a significant component of the Fellows development program. Fellows bring a variety of levels of experience, particular skills and talents, and their own expertise that can be shared with their peers. For instance, in our first group of eight Fellows, prior teaching experience ranges widely, with some having little experience and other having helped to train fellow graduate students to teach. An exciting and distinctive aspect of the Fellows program is that it brings together a sizable group of people who can support and mentor each other.
Other Development Resources
Fellows will have access to any other professional development activities, opportunities, or resources offered by other University committees and offices. The Committee on Teacher Development offers a variety of discussion groups and workshops related to teaching. The Center for Teaching and Learning offers resources to aid in teaching development (e.g., books on pedagogy) and self-assessment (e.g., videotaping of classes so that Fellows can view themselves teaching).
