MENTORING AND SUPPORTING CONTINGENT FACULTY: FOSTERING INCLUSIVE DEPARTMENT CULTURE AND PRACTICES

Even though contingent faculty members are critically important to the sustainability of our colleges, these individuals often lack both access to quality mentoring and opportunities for meaningful professional development. This workshop aims to develop concrete and innovative solutions to overcome barriers of accessibility and promote a culture of faculty inclusivity. Guiding questions include: What do we "owe" in terms of mentorship and professional training do we "owe" newly minted PhD VAPs and other short-term faculty? How can institutions elevate the stature of long-term non-tenure-track faculty members and open up leadership pathways for them? Resulting resources will include an open-access idea bank of models, strategies, and best practices for supporting and mentoring contingent faculty and a multi-institutional network (LinkedIn or email group) of faculty and staff who can be queried for advice, support, or future collaborative initiatives.