ATHENA Faculty Mentoring Program
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Welcome to the ATHENA Faculty Mentoring Program
Our Faculty Mentoring Program is dedicated to fostering professional growth, collaboration, and a strong sense of community among faculty members in a supportive and inclusive work environment. The program was designed as a hybrid of several mentoring models designed to address the needs of faculty at diverse career stages.
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Faculty Mentoring Program Goals
The ATHENA Faculty Mentoring Program pilot was designed to:
- Provide guidance and support for faculty career advancement.
- Promote a collaborative, well-being-focused work environment.
- Strengthen the sense of community within the department, college, and university.
Who Can Participate?
The program is open to all faculty members, regardless of rank or track (tenure-track, clinical-track, etc.).
Program 1: ATHENA Faculty Mentoring Circles
This successful pilot was designed as near-peer mentoring model for all faculty ranks, disciplines, and genders and faculty were able to choose the type of circle to join. There are currently 7 women faculty circles. There were not enough men faculty to start a circle for men by the end of the NSF grant. More information is available under the ATHENA Mentoring Toolkit tab.
The ATHENA Circles are being sustained after the NSF grant as part of a faculty-led initiative, led by a volunteering ATHENA Faculty mentoring Circle Committee.
Contact ATHENA and olfa.nasraoui@louisville.edu if you have questions. Also, fill the ATHENA Faculty Mentoring Circles application form if would like to join a faculty mentoring circle.
Program 2: ATHENA New Faculty Launch/Team-based Mentoring Program
This pilot was piloted specifically for new faculty (assistant professors) and is currently not managed by the ATHENA team. Department Chairs and faculty who desire to implement this model should follow the guidelines described in detail in the ATHENA Faculty Mentoring Handbook (available in the ATHENA Mentoring toolkit).
Roles and Responsibilities
To ensure the success of the program, roles and responsibilities are clearly defined for each participant:
Department Head
- Assigns mentors to assistant professors and facilitates additional mentorship connections when necessary.
- Monitors mentoring relationships through regular meetings with faculty members.
- Provides guidance on establishing or revising mentoring relationships as needed.
- Promotes and recognizes outstanding mentoring practices within the department.
Mentees
- Define career goals and discuss them with their mentor.
- Communicate specific mentoring needs to their mentor and department head.
- Actively participate in mentorship activities to achieve agreed-upon goals.
- Take advantage of available mentoring education opportunities.
Mentors
- Learn effective mentoring methods and strategies.
- Meet regularly with mentees to provide constructive feedback and guidance.
- Offer support on professional development and career advancement.
- Connect mentees with additional resources relevant to their goals and needs.
Additional Resources
To support mentoring efforts, the department provides a Faculty Mentoring section on its website with resources for both mentors and mentees. Faculty members are also encouraged to explore and benefit from established mentoring programs at other colleges and universities.
Why Mentoring Matters
Our mentoring program reflects a commitment to creating a positive and enriching academic environment. By fostering meaningful mentorship relationships, we empower faculty to achieve their professional aspirations and make significant contributions to their disciplines and the university community.
Team-based Mentoring Steps
For More Information
Contact ATHENA and olfa.nasraoui@louisville.edu if you have questions. Also, fill the ATHENA Faculty Mentoring Circles application form if would like to join a faculty mentoring circle.
