Community Mentoring

Adopted December 2023

Mentoring of all faculty, staff, and students is an important component of overall department and individual member success and job satisfaction. Our goal is to provide support for all members of our department community to be successful and have a rewarding career at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. You may be familiar with the quote, “It takes a village.” To achieve success as a department, it is vital that we collectively invest in the individual success of each member. This document provides best practices and examples of mentoring for the success of our community and each member, which is critical for the long-term success and professional satisfaction of a thriving department. Effective mentoring can be mutually beneficial for both mentors and mentees and can address professional, personal, and cultural development while fostering critical and long-lasting relationships.

Reason for Community Mentoring

Most mentoring programs focus on having a coach or individual mentor. This model has limited success and is dependent on the individuals and the random nature of a personal connection (Montgomery et. al, 2022). Another model is to assign a mentoring team. This model can be successful but requires several people to coordinate their schedules for meeting discussions and formal evaluation processes. In all cases (faculty, staff, and students), there are formal evaluation processes in place for committees and/or individuals to provide feedback on performance. When needed, there are clear points made for needed improvement in all forms of employment and study. The goal of the community-mentoring plan is to create a comprehensive and caring work place where all members want the best for the department and each of its members. This avoids the bias of individual mentoring, or even the team approach, as we all have biases that influence our approach to productive behaviors. The community approach allows all doors to be open for department members to ask questions and seek advice from those who serve as key resources on any given topic.

Goals of the Community-Mentoring Program
  • Build connections for open communication throughout our Department of Plant Pathology
  • Ensure that a creative pathway for success is available for all members
  • Build awareness and connections for all to contribute to the collective department culture, mission, and vision
  • Provide support in locating and accessing department, IANR, UNL, and professional resources
  • Promote healthy professional relationships and guidance for all focus areas (research/teaching/extension)
  • Reduce professional barriers to progress in our department
Participation by Faculty, Staff, and Students

Participation in our community is an expectation as an active and contributing member of our department. It is vital that senior department members share institutional knowledge with new members. We all have something to share that will help our department members, and that is the foundation of the community-mentoring program. All members should feel welcome to approach the chairs of key department committees (Graduate Chair, Promotion & Tenure Committee Chair, Extension Team Leader, Curriculum Committee Chair, and Department Head) for guidance and resources as they work in their positions and develop their programs.

Department Neighborhoods

The Plant Pathology community is composed of Plant Sciences Hall, Beadle Center, Virology Center, and the Panhandle Research and Extension Education Center. Each of these locations are important components of our community and contain resources that provide tools to help the collective efforts of the department. As a member of our community, we all need to ensure that each site is well connected and included in all aspects of our community. Communication among all parties is critical for progress. Community mentoring provides our members with a supportive environment to establish career foundations in research, teaching, extension/outreach, and service in alignment with their position.

Our Collective Commitment

We commit to ensuring our doors are open when someone is in need of help. Some key differences in our community approach is that students may interact with faculty not serving on their advisory committee as part of their mentoring team. Students and staff may serve as mentors to others in the community. At the same time, all of us respect that someone may be up against a deadline and unable to assist immediately. Asking “Do you have time for a conversation?” is appropriate. Many in our department prefer a predefined time for a discussion due to busy schedules.

Departmental Support

Everyone has a network of connections that varies across our department. There are several key components that the department can provide as a strong foundation for building your network of resources. Main resources are available on the department website. Additional resources can be identified as needed.

Examples of Key Resources Within the Department Include:

University Resources at the IANR and UNL Levels
Potentials Topics for Mentoring Discussions

Below is a non-limiting list of potential topics for mentoring conversations:

  • Research, teaching, or extension program development and resources
  • Performance expectations
  • Annual accomplishment reporting
  • Impact reporting and storytelling
  • Developing promotion and/or tenure documents
  • Developing goals with measurable outcomes
  • Professional, University, or department service opportunities
  • Professional development opportunities
  • Professionalism and collegiality
  • The process of developing a new class or improving an existing class
  • Information on the right person to contact about utilizing an available resource
  • Developing collaborations
  • Development of academic networks or teams
  • Work-related pressure or stress affecting mental health and well-being
  • Time management
Mentee Responsibilities

For the community-mentoring program to be effective, the mentee will need to work with their supervisor to complete a mentoring map. A resource that all UNL faculty and students have available to them is the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) through a contract paid by UNL. This organization provides resources to assist with professional development. All students and faculty in the department are encouraged to sign up for membership at Faculty Diversity to access all of the NCFDD programs and modules. There is also a webinar specifically related to mapping your mentoring network. This key resource for starting your mentoring program is focused on faculty but would apply to anyone looking for professional development resources. It is the department’s expectation that all new faculty and graduate students complete the mentoring map within their first year at UNL.

Resources available to staff include the CliftonStrengths Assessment and one-on-one coaching with Human Resources to help you maximize your natural strengths in your position. Staff wishing to participate in professional development and mentoring should work with their supervisor to complete the mentoring map. This activity is optional for all staff but highly encouraged. Building a network of support particular to your position type can lead to a variety of benefits including knowledge of best practices and expanding responsibilities for greater professional development and fulfillment.

Conflict Resolution

If at any time there is a conflict resulting from a work-related matter or mentoring discussion, the department head is your point of contact to help resolve the conflict. UNL also has Faculty Omsbud and Staff Omsbud services on the UNL campus to facilitate conflict resolution. Keep in mind the following University policies and practices:

  • All UNL members have the right to be judged by their academic and/or work performance without regard to race, sex, religion, sexual preference, or marital status, and without interference from personal relationships or bribery.
  • Faculty are ethically obliged to give credit where it is due.
  • The relationship between teacher and student is to remain confidential, and avoid personal exploitation.
  • When faculty accept a position as advisor to a student, they commit the necessary time and level of attention needed to complete the degree.
  • There are formal appeal processes in place for faculty and student performance evaluations.
Finally, for Consideration

As part of our plant pathology community, your success is important to all of us. We want you to find your role in our department to be rewarding and satisfying. We are committed to our collective success, and feedback is intended to help you improve and be the best that you can be. We also recognize that not all department members aspire to invest in the same level of community building as their colleagues, and we understand if you simply want to perform your given task and unplug. Our hope is that you venture on a professional journey with us that builds connections in ways that are meaningful and fulfilling. Our department is a place where academics, students, teachers, researchers, extensionists, and office professionals build a thriving, successful scientific community that will help to ensure a safe and secure food supply for our world. Our community is here to support you; please open the door to assist others when someone knocks, emails, or calls. We all have a responsibility to ensure the success of our plant pathology community.