History of Art and Visual Culture Department Mentorship Plan
(created and discussed with department March 2023)
Stemming from the HAVC mentorship guidelines, this mentorship plan is aimed at ensuring that all faculty have access to beneficial and constructive mentorship relationships throughout their careers and that the department cultivates and maintains a comprehensive mentorship program that informs successful personnel review and advancement. More generally, the department envisions mentorship as a key aspect of its ongoing commitment to the principles outlined in its DEI plan and as a basis for a culture of belonging and support within the department community.
Fall 2022
Based on the division’s suggested mentorship guidelines, the department created the first version of the HAVC mentorship guidelines document. During this process, the department chair worked with department staff to confirm that faculty had access to mentors. The department also revisited its personnel review guidelines document, which is intended as an accompaniment and reference for the mentorship guidelines document. Personnel review guidelines will be updated and revised as necessary through faculty conversation.
Winter 2023
In consultation with the division and through further HAVC faculty conversation at a department meeting, the first version of the mentorship guidelines document is being revised. The department chair, in dialogue with department faculty and staff, is working to ensure that service assignments for 2023-24 are discussed and assigned in accordance with the core principles outlined in the mentorship guidelines. These guidelines have also helped to structure the department’s approach to the 2023-24 CLP, especially in relation to course distribution amongst faculty. The department will also discuss ways in which its mentorship program can be further integrated into the HAVC DEI plan, including enrichment through department DEI funds.
Spring 2023
At the beginning of the quarter, the department chair will circulate the revised mentorship guidelines and personnel review guidelines documents to all mentors and mentees. At that time, the chair will check in with faculty members to answer any questions about the mentorship guidelines and to ensure that mentorship pairs meet at some point in the quarter. During this meeting, in accordance with the mentorship guidelines, each mentor will ask the mentee if they have any questions pertaining to the current year or 2023-24. If a mentee will be on the call for a personnel review, the mentor will offer guidance for preparing for the review and answer questions on building a file. If a mentee will be receiving personnel review results in the Spring, the mentor will check in to see if the mentee has questions or concerns about the review process and outcome. At the conclusion of the academic year, the department chair will identify mentorship pairs (or networks) that have worked particularly well and convey this to the division.
Fall 2023
At the beginning of the quarter, the department chair will ensure that the new HAVC faculty member (hired through the ongoing Asia-Pacific Assistant Professor search) is connected to an appropriate mentor or network of mentors. The department chair will also check in on mentors to ensure that all mentors are making contact with mentees in the first half of the quarter to discuss the upcoming year.
Points of Contact
The HAVC department chair will be the main point of contact for divisional questions about the mentorship plan. This will be Acting Chair Albert Narath for Winter and Spring 2023, and Chair Derek Murray for 2023-24.
Community Building
There will be a catered faculty-graduate student social event in the first half of the Spring Quarter. Graduate student visiting day is scheduled for March 20, which allows for prospective students, current graduate students, and faculty to interact during lunch and dinner. The department chair is also working to schedule additional optional opportunities for casual get-togethers. Participation in department events, including whether it might be counted as service, will be discussed in a department meeting during Spring Quarter.
Feedback
HAVC anticipates polling all faculty members in a department meeting at the end of Spring Quarter (and potentially at the end of each academic year in the future) in order to discuss how the mentorship plan is working and to introduce any revisions. The department will also offer a confidential feedback form so that both mentor partners can report issues or problems confidentially to the department chair. Additionally, the department chair will make themselves available to any faculty member who would like to individually discuss mentorship issue.
Mentorship of Lecturers
The department chair will hold a one-hour orientation session for lecturers and GSIs before the beginning of teaching. The orientation will cover topics such as who our students are, guidelines for teaching at different levels of the HAVC curriculum, working with TAs, keeping course rosters, grading, using CANVAS, FERPA, and other issues related to the delivery of courses. The chair will consult the department handout in preparing the orientation. In addition, the chair will make themselves available to any lecturers or GSIs who have questions or concerns. It may also be advisable for the chair to make a class visit.