Projects
- Faculty Diversity and Mentoring at Yale
- Diversity at Yale
- Task Force on Retention and Promotion of Junior Faculty
- "Women Mentoring Women" Initiative
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Faculty Diversity and Mentoring at Yale
On February 15, 2005, members of the Council were joined by Jon Butler, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, and Peter Salovey, Dean of Yale College, at a meeting to consider questions of mentoring and faculty development at Yale. That meeting, in turn, grew out of initiatives of the WFF and of the administration, both concerned about the issue of mentoring. The following document came out of that meeting. Click on the title to download.
Faculty Development and Mentoring at Yale
The attached memorandum synthesizes the major themes from that discussion and makes concrete proposals related to faculty development and mentoring.
In order to facilitate an exchange of ideas, the WFF prepared several documents in advance of the February 15 meeting. Click on the title below to download documents.
Faculty Development Program at Yale
This memo outlines some of the aspirations to consider for a faculty development program. Paula Kavathas was its author, with help from several other WFF Council members.
Possible Innovative Elements for an FAS Junior Faculty Mentoring Program at Yale
This memo sets forth a suggested set of practices to consider. These suggestions were culled from a review of programs elsewhere. Rachel Thomas was the principal author.
Exemplary Junior Faculty Mentoring Programs
This memo, by Rachel Thomas, summarizes some of what we have learned from programs at other universities.
Selected Annotative Bibliography on Mentoring Literature
This bibliography includes information for deans, department chairs and faculty members on their roles in the creation of and participation in a junior faculty mentoring program. Lois Joy was the principal author.
Diversity at Yale
The WFF reviewed past reports on the status of women and minority faculty at Yale in 2002, in order to learn how best to shape appropriate responses in light of contemporary concerns. In conjunction with the distribution of “The Effects of Gender on Yale University: A Snapshot 2002,” the subcommittee drafted recommendations on how to create structural responses to issues addressed within the report. At the close of the 2002-03 year, the WFF formed a new Subcommittee on Women of Color to examine the issue of faculty diversity at Yale and sponsors events on that subject. The WFF is currently working with many groups across the university to develop programs and initiatives that support existing women of color in the University, and to advocate policies that ensure increases in their numbers.
Task Force on Promotion and Retention of Junior Faculty
The Task Force aims to understand the reasons for the departures of some of the junior faculty as well as to learn more about the factors that enable or prompt some to remain. In April 2004, a preliminary pilot study was conducted of departing junior faculty, of whom a small number completed questionnaires and were interviewed by Task Force members. In 2005, the Task Force has continued its work, and plans to examine the best practices of academic departments within and outside of Yale - particularly at peer institutions - with regard to feedback procedures and mentoring, equitable distribution of department and committee obligations, and practices that address the needs of faculty members in dual-career families.
“Women Mentoring Women” Initiative
The WMW Initiative is designed to promote and facilitate the development of mentoring relationships between women graduate students, post-docs, faculty and administrators. The WMW program has recently come under the direction of the Graduate Student Career Services office. Jessica Cronce is the MacDougal Women Mentoring Women Fellow for 2005-2006. The WMW website includes a searchable database that allows women graduate students and post-docs to connect and establish formal mentoring relationships with women faculty, staff, and advanced post-docs. To learn more about this initiative, please visit http://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/careers/wmwintro.htm. There are a number of planned events this year as well as resources on mentoring, visit the website for more information.