Guiding Lights New Faculty Mentoring Program

The Guiding Lights New Faculty Mentoring Program is designed to support new faculty members as they transition into their roles at UIS. The program fosters a sense of belonging, professional growth, and institutional engagement by connecting new faculty with experienced colleagues in a structured, collaborative mentoring environment. All mentors are trained before they are matched with new faculty.

The overarching goals include:

Enhancing faculty retention and satisfaction
Promoting inclusive excellence and equity-minded practices
Encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration
Supporting career development in teaching, scholarship, and service

Group Mentoring Model

Rather than relying solely on one-on-one mentoring, the Guiding Lights program uses a group mentoring approach, which includes:

Mentoring Circles: Small groups of new faculty are paired with senior faculty mentors from diverse disciplines.
Shared Learning: Facilitated discussions on topics such as tenure preparation, work-life balance, inclusive pedagogy, and navigating university systems.
Community Building: Opportunities for networking, peer support, and cross-departmental collaboration.
Faculty-Led Sessions: Senior faculty lead workshops and conversations based on their expertise and experience.

Peer Review of Teaching

The Peer Review of Teaching program is a formative, faculty-driven initiative designed to support reflective teaching practices and professional growth. It includes structured classroom observations, feedback, and optional follow-up sessions. The program is facilitated by the Guiding Lights (GL) Mentoring Program but is open to all instructors who would like to participate.

The goals of the program are:

Enhance teaching effectiveness through collegial feedback.
Foster reflective practice and continuous improvement.
Support professional development and mentorship.
Provide evidence for promotion, tenure, or teaching awards (if applicable).

Advisory Board Members

Jennifer Martin, Center for Faculty Excellence Peer Mentoring Faculty Associate
Timothy Hakenewerth, Assistant Professor of Counseling
Youngjin Kang, Associate Professor of the School of Public Management and Policy
Layne Morsh, Associate Provost Faculty Affairs and Professor
Sara Lupita Olivares, Assistant Professor of English
Frances Shen, Professor of Psychology
Neetu Singh, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems