The University at Buffalo is committed to creating a positive culture of faculty development and mentoring in support of a successful faculty. This policy was developed with the understanding that effective faculty development and mentoring programs require the participation of faculty, chairs, deans and the provost. Pursuing faculty development and mentoring opportunities is the responsibility of the individual faculty member.

The following are components of faculty development and mentoring strategies to be implemented across campus. 

A. All schools and departments are expected to provide development opportunities for all faculty. Development activities can include, but are not limited to, programs that enhance effectiveness in faculty professional obligations including teaching, scholarship, clinical care, service and engagement.

B. A key component of faculty development is mentoring. Consequently, all schools and departments shall provide faculty mentoring opportunities for all tenure-track and clinical/research/adjunct faculty and tenured associate professors for the first five years after tenure is granted. Mentoring for associate professors beyond five years and full professors is optional but highly encouraged.

C. Mentoring practices within schools and departments should be based on best practices associated with faculty mentoring. Refer to http:// www.buffalo.edu/provost/admin-units/facultyaffairs/mentoring.html for guidance.

D. Faculty development and mentoring protocols should be flexible enough to respond to the unique needs, preferences, and discipline norms within and across academic units. These should include, but not be limited to, attention to teaching, research expectations, and service obligations. Mentoring should include opportunities for guidance and advice on issues related to work-life balance.

E. Mentoring of colleagues is a responsibility of all tenured faculty members. Mentoring assignments are considered part of the workload for faculty.

F. Department chairs are responsible for implementing, overseeing, and assessing the effectiveness of their faculty development and · mentoring programs. Chairs are expected to provide their dean with a periodic review of their development and mentoring programs including information on mentoring activities, successes, and challenges.

G. Deans shall ensure that departments provide on-going faculty mentoring, shall review departmental mentoring activities, and shall provide periodic updates to the Provost through the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.

H. A Faculty Development and Mentoring Advisory Committee, chaired by the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, shall be created to provide advice and counsel regarding the University's faculty development and mentoring activities. The Committee will coordinate periodic assessments of faculty development and mentoring programs to identify best practices, successes and challenges.

I. While faculty mentoring programs are designed to assist in enabling faculty members to succeed throughout their career at UB, the frequency and quality of mentoring is never a guarantee for achieving tenure and promotion. Mentoring reports, should they exist, are not to be included in promotion and tenure packets.

The objective of this policy is to ensure faculty members are provided informal channels to gain advice and feedback on performance and to have the opportunity to exchange ideas and challenges with colleagues as their careers develop. This policy explicitly recognizes the distinction between mentoring and a management function associated with evaluation and performance.