This policy requires mentoring for all new adjunct and tenure-track faculty in the Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship (JJCBE) at Montana State University-Bozeman. Each new faculty member will be assigned a mentor for the first semester of employment, after which the faculty member will be allowed to select a new mentor and/or adapt the mentoring relationship as deemed appropriate.

Adjunct Faculty Mentors:

Prior to the beginning of the first day of the semester the new adjunct faculty will be assigned mentors as described below:

Coordinated or Supervised Courses - the coordinator, supervisor or lead instructor for courses being taught by new adjunct faculty will be responsible to assign mentors from among the experienced faculty also teaching the course. It is preferred that when appropriate the coordinator, supervisor or lead instructor for the course will be the assigned mentor.

Autonomous Courses - new adjunct faculty teaching in courses for which they are the sole instructor or teaching courses taught only by new adjuncts will be assigned a mentor by the Associate Dean of the college.
 

Tenure-Track Faculty Mentors:

New tenure-track faculty will be assigned a first semester mentor based on the consensus of the group of academic faculty teaching in the same option area, i.e. accounting, finance, management or marketing.
 

Role of the Mentor

The mentor's role is to provide a resource for answering questions, providing support and giving advice. The mentor supplants the required college orientations which are described in the college faculty orientation policies.

Mentor/Faculty Orientation - in addition to the general college orientation provided by the Associate Dean's office, prior to the beginning of classes, the supervisor and/or mentor will provide an orientation for the new faculty providing, but not limited to:
    • past course syllabi for courses assigned
    • list of past course instructors
    • past texts and other required course materials
    • course rolls for upcoming semesters
    • unique course management policies
    • unique course grading policies
    • unique course objectives and/or requirements
Tenure-Track Topics - topics which must be included in the orientation of new tenure-track faculty, but which are not required in the orientation of new adjunct faculty include:
    • Research expectations for promotion and tenure
    • Service expectations for promotion and tenure
    • Teaching expectations for promotion and tenure
    • The promotion and tenure process including required reviews and documentation

 

New Faculty Orientation Policies

Prior to their first semester of employment, new members of the tenure-track and adjunct faculties will be required to attend a college orientation provided by the office of the Associate Dean. The orientation will include information regarding all aspects of employment at the Montana State University Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship. Presenters at the orientation may include, but are not limited to, administrators, support staff, adjunct faculty and tenure-track faculty as necessary.

Required Information - the topics covered in the orientation for all new adjunct and tenure-track faculty will include but not be limited to:

Structure, Policies and Expectations

  • the mission of the college
  • the governance structure of the college
  • the structure of the curriculum including university core, college pre-core, college core and option requirements
  • teaching and advising expectations including grading, office hours, syllabi, student evaluations, colleague coverage, add/drops, and academic integrity guidelines
  • annual reviews and evaluation of currency
  • computers and other technology needs
  • travel/professional development funds and policies
  • college student clubs and activities
  • college internet links to pertinent policy documents including all college policies, the university faculty handbook and the university academic grievance policies (see http://www.montana.edu/business/Faculty_and_Staff/)

Physical Facilities/Functions

  • keys
  • offices
  • computers
  • payroll
  • parking
  • mailboxes
  • faculty services