Center for theAdvancement of Teaching & Learning
Support for the New Faculty Members: Mentors & CATL Network
New Faculty Mentors: Each tenure track faculty member is paired with a mentor from within his or her home unit. Assignments are coordinated by the unit chair. These mentors are a valuable resource in many ways—especially for learning the procedures and expectations of the home unit and for feedback during the process of establishing a scholarly program on campus. New faculty members are also strongly encouraged to turn to other members of their executive committee and to their department and unit chairs for additional views on these and other topics.
CATL Network: In addition to home unit mentoring relationships, many new faculty members find it valuable to seek out networking relationships from outside their units. The CATL Network is an optional way to do just that, and is available to all interested pre-tenure faculty members on campus. The goals of the CATL Network are to provide support to new faculty members as they transition to teaching on this campus and to the broader UWGB community.
CATL Network Opportunities Open to All Pre-Tenure Faculty Members
| Name | Description |
| Writing Circles | Four to six participants in this group will meet approximately monthly to support each other as they work on writing projects relating to their scholarship. These groups are facilitated by the members themselves, and are intended to serve as sources of support. Participants may use the groups to set writing goals, to discuss next steps for their current projects, and to share ways they make time in their busy work week for making progress on their publications. |
| Network Circles | Four to six junior faculty members will be matched with one or two facilitators for monthly conversation. Although the facilitators will provide topics for the first one or two meetings, the most successful Network Circles are the ones in which junior faculty members bring questions and suggestions to the table. |
| Teaching Techniques or Pedagogy Reading Groups | Participants in these groups will select one or more topics focused on teaching techniques (e.g. cooperative learning, classroom management) or pedagogies (e.g. backwards design, assessment for learning) and meet around those topics with a group facilitator. Activities could include, but are not limited to, readings and classroom visits. |
| Women in Academia Reading Group | Participants in this group will select a book such as Ms. Mentor’s Impeccable Advice for Women in Academia or Lifting a Ton of Feathers. 4-6 facilitated meetings over the course of the academic year will provide the group with the opportunity to discuss both the reading and the challenges and rewards that they encounter. |
| Teaching Techniques or Pedagogy Webinar Groups | Webinar Groups are much the same as Reading Groups, but rather than selecting books as the focus of discussion group members will have the opportunity to participate together in taped Webinars, with discussion during and/or following the presentations. |
| New Faculty Webinar Group | Participants in this group will select Webinar topics such as 15 Survival Strategies for New College Instructors for viewing and discussion with each other and a group facilitator. |
| Peer Evaluation | Interested faculty members may request a peer evaluation visit to one of their classes. The peer evaluator will meet with you ahead of time to discuss goals and questions that you have for the visit, and will provide you will oral and/or written feedback as you request. Feedback may be included in your personnel file only if you include it yourself. These reviews are intended for your use and development. |
CATL Network Opportunities Open Only to Faculty Members in Their First or Second Year
| Informal Network | This non-facilitated group is purely a chance to meet others who are also new to teaching at UW-Green Bay. The CATL Office will maintain an e-mail list of interested first and second year faculty members. Subscribe to the list by sending an e-mail to catl@uwgb.edu. Several times a semester, e-mails will be sent to list members to notify them of social events (for example, dinner and an on-campus play) which the group can attend together. Note that costs associated with these events are the responsibility of the participants and are not covered by CATL or UW-Green Bay. |
Additional Opportunities Open to Faculty Members After Their First Year
| Teaching Scholars | The Teaching Scholars Program has one central focus: to provide an opportunity for faculty to engage in discussion and activities that enhance teaching and learning. Scholars identify a teaching-related project which they design and conduct over the course of the academic year, and participate in monthly discussions and readings. Acceptance to the Teaching Scholars Program is required. A Call for Scholars goes out each Spring for the following academic year. |