Ohio University's Center for Teaching and Learning is offering extended orientation and mentoring programs to help new faculty members start off on the right foot.
The extended orientation is designed to help new faculty with their education, research, and creative activities, said Tim Vickers, CTL Associate Director. They meet monthly for discussions and workshops on using Blackboard and fine-tuning the class syllabus, amongst other things.
The Center created the program, now in its first year, because the provost and faculty expressed a need for support beyond the initial orientation, Vickers said.
The second program offered is the Interdisciplinary New Faculty Mentoring Program, which matches junior faculty with a senior faculty mentor from a different department.
Dr. Laurie Hatch, CTL Director, brought the program to OU last year from her previous job at California State University ' Monterey Bay.
Since many departments offer non-formal mentoring programs, this program offers additional support on many aspects of their work life, which one person can't always provide, Hatch said.
They get matched up with people they might not normally meet
Hatch said.
Bringing together two people from different departments helps to extend the person's network, receive more neutral advice and gain a different perspective, Hatch said.
We can benefit from as many mentors we can possibly have she said.
Lynn Eun Kwak, assistant professor of retail merchandising, came to Ohio University last year and took an interest in the mentoring program during orientation.
Jane Sojka, associate professor of marketing, learned about the program from Hatch and was chosen to be Kwak's mentor.
Sojka would help Kwak mostly with aspects of classroom management, such as giving students feedback, making the class more receptive, and preventing behavioral problems such as texting and using laptops for checking e-mail.
Sojka also helped her understand how to engage the students in classroom activities, and how to deliver the knowledge effectively not only through lecture, but also discussions and activities.
Kwak's questions allow her to think creatively about her own teaching. By having to adapt her techniques to a different teacher and discipline, it allowed her to refine and improve her teaching.
Eventually their mentor-prot+ lasting friendship by now
Sojka said.
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