Yc INNOVATION ABSTRACTS <3" 2 © a ' ] SC i rn CANS Published by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development With support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and Sid W. Richardson Foundation , yo CG MENTORS FO THE RESCUE The Community College of Aurora (CCA) isa unique institution, A college without walls--or non-campus college--CCA offers day, evening, and weekend classes at eight different sites throughout its service area. Five full-time instructors/coordinators, one for each major discipline, and a cadre of lead teachers supervise the work of over 120 part-time faculty members. While part-time instructors usually have years of “hands-on,” practical expertise, employing a predominately part-time instructional staff creates myriad challenges for those who moni- tor program continuity and instructional quality control. More than half of the part-time instructors at CCA have sume teaching experience. However, most of this experience has not been in community college environments and little, if any, in non-campus settings. So new part-time faculty find themselves faced with several “firsts”--teaching adults, working in a non-campus setting, and handling the diversity of the community college clientele. Enter the Faculty Mentor Program. A mentor--in Greek mythology, Odysseus’ counselor--is defined as a “wise and trusted teacher.” A mentor has an apprentice, who is a beginner and a learner. These two individu- als form a symbiotic relationship; a collaborative alliance structured to tacilitate professional growth for both. The Faculty Mentor Program consists of eight steps: Step One--Mentor/Apprentice Selection and Orientation A cadre of mentors is selected. Usually, full-time instructors/coordinators or part-time lead teachers (experienced part-time faculty assigned to oversee a particular course or discipline) act as mentors. Effective mentors must have all of these characteristics of successtul teachers: a desire to teach and help others grow 2. an ability to assess performance, establish objectives tor skill improvement, and develop strategies for mas- tering these objectives 3. a mastery of sound oral/written communication skills 4. an ability to establish a rapport with others 5. a record of teaching success, as evidenced by positive peer and student evaluations 6. a demonstrated knowledge of effective instructional methods and activities an ability to organize and plan effectively. a In addition, a mentor must have (1) a desire to participate in the Program, (2) the time needed to cultivate a mentor relationship, and (3) the ability to garner confidence and respect and use these investitures to motivate, counsel, and influence the behavior of peers. Once mentors have been selected, they attend an orientation session to acquaint them with the philosophy and procedures of the Program and the backgrounds of their assigned apprentices. A mentor is assigned to each new part-time instructor. Instructors/coordinators and lead teachers mentor the apprentices in their own disciplines. Apprentices-who are told about the Mentor Program during a new faculty orientation session held before each semester--are sent Mentor Program Orientation materials and the names of their mentors, Step Two--Initial Apprentice Observation Within the first three weeks of the semester, the mentor contacts his/her apprentice and arranges a time to observe the apprentice’s class. The Classroom Observation Data sheet is used to evaluate apprentice perfor- aCe in a number of areas, including (1) preparation, (2) clarity of objectives, (3) instructional materials and activities, and (4) rapport with students. Based on the mentor’s evaluation of the apprentice’s classroom performance (as outlined on a Classroom Observation Data sheet), the mentor decides whether continued participation in the Program would be benefi- ); Community College Leadership Program, The University of Texas at Austin, EDB 348, Austin, Texas 78712 wre ee ee