Mentoring
PTK Faculty Mentoring Coordinator
The Mentoring Coordinator for PTK faculty is Senior Lecturer Dennis Winston. He can be contacted at englptkmentoring@umd.edu.
Mentoring for New Hires
Hires new to the English Department benefit from working with a mentor in their first two semesters. Faculty changing programs within the English Department or instructors who begin teaching in a format new to them are considered “new hires” for mentoring purposes; such instructors, however, require only one semester of mentoring.
Mentoring provides guidance in developing course materials including syllabus, assignments, and presentation materials; teaching practices; and understanding of the Department and its policies and procedures. In consultation with the new hire, mentors develop an evaluative report at the end of each semester of mentoring. This report is forwarded to the Program Director and the Associate Chair and is used as part of the determination for continued employment.
Mentoring for Professional Development
All PTK faculty can benefit from professional development. Working with a mentor can assist lecturers of any rank who want to make changes to their pedagogy, from reconfiguring assignments to improving classroom climate to incorporating new technologies into their classes. The Mentoring Program encourages people to offer and seek mentoring depending on their pedagogical expertise, interests, and needs.
Mentoring for Promotion
Lecturers and Senior Lecturers who are preparing for promotion may request a mentor to help them develop materials necessary to apply for promotion. A mentor can help compile the applicant’s dossier, providing feedback on documents, conducting a class observation for inclusion in the portfolio, and guiding the instructor through the promotion process. If you are going up for promotion and would like to be assigned a mentor, please email the mentoring coordinator at englptkmentoring@umd.edu.
Mentoring Handbook
To learn more about PTK faculty mentoring, refer to the current version of the Mentoring Handbook.