Mentors provide a friendly and helpful welcome as new faculty members get acclimated and familiar with the college, campus and larger community. Mentors meet periodically with a new faculty member, perhaps for lunch, but also at each other's office to encourage exchange about the college and its array of programs. Mentors encourage discussion about setting goals for teaching, research and service to achieve tenure and promotion. We don't want to overload new faculty yet over the course of the first year we want them to conceptualize a five-year plan for professional success.

Overall, mentoring facilitates orientation to the SIUC academic community and provides professional support and assistance for achievement of quality teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, and service. Successful productivity in these areas benefits not only the new faculty member, but also students, the profession, the discipline, the College, and the University. Success in these areas is essential for tenure and promotion.

To foster a supportive professional and collegial environment that assists new tenure-track faculty in acclimating to the College and SIUC community.

• To inform new tenure-track faculty of resources and support services offered through the College and University that may assist them in their teaching, research, creative activity, and service activities.

• To encourage new faculty to develop collaborative relationships with faculty in their discipline that advances their career and discipline.

• To encourage new faculty to utilize resources, services, and opportunities available in Carbondale and the surrounding communities.

• To encourage new faculty to initiate interdisciplinary collaborations and accompanying scholarly and creative activities.

• To assist new faculty in developing one- and five-year professional development plans that will meet their respective School or Department’s criteria for tenure and promotion.

• To assist new faculty with developing an understanding of the policies, expectations, and organizational structure of the College and University.