ACUMent Across CU Mentoring Center

ACUMent, which stands for Across CU Mentoring, offers three types of mentoring programs for faculty at all career stages including pre-tenured faculty, non-tenure-track faculty, or tenured associate professors.

For questions about ACUMent, please email OFAFDS@colorado.edu.

Three Types of Mentoring Programs

  • Peer Mentoring Circles: Groups of 5-7 faculty members provide mutual mentoring through a self-sustaining community around focused discussion and interests or a common career stage/experience. Opportunities to join a writing circle will be available at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. 
    • For example, circles can be centered around interests related to BIPOC faculty, women faculty in leadership roles, lab scientists and researchers, international faculty, faculty parents, faculty caregivers, teaching and clinical faculty, new faculty, pre-tenure faculty, associate professors, etc.
    • Potential topics for discussion could be writing advice, research productivity, time management, healthy work-life balance, creating a dossier, etc.
    • For AY 24-25, we have circles for teaching assistants, teaching associates, interdisciplinary/BIPOC and women+ faculty.
  • Mentor-Mentee Matches: A mentor is matched with 1-2 mentees outside of their unit/department. Mentoring pairs are expected to attend an orientation and meet at least once per month during the academic year. 
  • Peer Coaching: These are typically single coaching sessions that last about 1-2 hours, although the duration of coaching may vary depending on the subject area, faculty interest, and goal of the coaching sessions. Each session is led by 1-3 experts and whatever number of faculty are interested in a particular subject/topic. 
    • Potential topics for these coaching sessions include publishing in journals, getting a book contract with an academic press, securing grant funding, constructing a review CV, developing a writing/creative practice, etc.

Why Be a Mentor or Mentee? 

  • Share knowledge
  • Celebrate successes
  • Become a better leader
  • Change someone’s world
  • Work through challenges
  • Empower through example
  • Be inspired by your mentee
  • Share resources/connections
  • Shape the leaders of tomorrow
  • Expand your network/perspective
  • Make a difference to someone else’s life
  • Gain insight into generational differences
  • Embed what you’ve learned through teaching
  • Build a campus community of support for junior colleagues
  • Increase your knowledge
  • Get help with motivation
  • Hear words of encouragement
  • Share your stories with a trusted ally
  • Hear opinions on subjects you want to know about
  • Ask for accountability for achieving the goals you set
  • Get insight into ways to strengthen areas of your life
  • Discuss goals, planning, and strategies for success in academia
  • Gain the perspective of a senior scholar outside of your program
  • Identify opportunities, resources, networks, and communities of support

 

Testimonials

   "Both of my mentees are wonderful people and engaged departmental and campus citizens with whom I share life history and/or academic interests...Overall, I admit I'm learning as much from my mentees as they might learn from me."

  "I am enjoying the relationship and getting to know my mentee better.  I anticipate continuing to work with my mentee after this academic year since her promotion timeline is 1.5 years out."

  "Creating a new relationship with other faculty from different departments and colleges has been very beneficial. It takes time to build a relationship and I feel now we have a good connection. I look forward to continue nurturing this relationship in the coming years."

  "We have been self-motivated and are all incentivized to contribute because we are enjoying this process."

  "It's been great to have these informal meetings. My mentor encouraged me to apply for fellowships, and I recently won a fellowship. Without their support, I would not have had applied for the fellowship."

  “My mentor has been very supportive and lovely this year! Really great to have someone outside of my unit to talk to.” 

  “I’ve found this to be a really rewarding experience that definitely goes beyond what my department offers.” 

  “I’m so grateful to be a part of this program. My mentor has been lovely – accessible, supportive, and provides an important perspective on the institution outside of my department. Thank you!” 

  "Joining this program was one of the best professional development decisions I have made since joining CU."

   "I've found the women in the group supportive and have picked up some good ideas/strategies from others."

  "It's been great to connect with other female Asst. Profs."

  "I did enjoy the conversations we had and it was interesting to hear from others in my circle about their careers and experiences."