Mentoring

The Faculty Development Committee offers a mentoring program for new faculty. When a new faculty hire arrives, he or she is assigned to an experienced faculty member who will serve as a mentor for the year. Sometimes two faculty members are assigned, one as a teaching mentor and one as a research mentor.

Faculty mentors are available to consult about any issues that may arise when teaching for the first time. When possible, new hires will be matched with a mentor who specializes in the same field and can give hands-on guidance concerning the course in question.

Mentors can also give advice on research, read and comment on drafts, and answer questions about anything that may come up in the course of acclimating to a new work environment.

In addition, the Faculty Development Committee holds an all-day orientation program for new faculty during orientation week, typically held the last week of August. The program includes discussion and demonstrations by experienced faculty of teaching methods that may prove useful in large classes and in small classes, along with demonstrations of alternative pedagogy that may be new to lawyers trained in more traditional methods. There will also be an introduction to the wide array of technology available to our faculty, including BlackBoard and “smart classrooms.”

The Searle Center for Teaching Excellence, located on the Evanston campus, is also a useful resource for faculty. The center offers several workshops and other services available to the Law Faculty.