The Excellence in Mentoring Initiative aims to recruit outstanding faculty who, in addition to their demonstrated excellence or strong potential in research and teaching, have demonstrated the ability and commitment to mentor at-risk, first-generation, or underrepresented undergraduate or graduate students to achieve academic success. There is an expectation that the job description will include these skills and abilities. The focus should be on excellence in mentorship, not on the identity characteristics of the candidate.
Funding
The university will provide up to $75,000 per year for five years for tenure-track assistant professors and up to $125,000 per year for three years for tenured associate professors or professors. The school, college, or division will assume full fiscal responsibility for the faculty’s salary thereafter.
Application Process
Deans’ offices are responsible for working with departments to ensure candidates are eligible for the Excellence in Mentoring Initiative. Failure to submit the required documents, or to hire a candidate without the sufficient excellence in mentoring at-risk, first-generation, or underrepresented students, will disqualify the position from funding under the initiative.
Phase 1: Request for search approval prior to posting of position
- Create a dean’s cover memo that summarizes the area of scholarship for the search and how an additional faculty member in that research area will enhance the excellence of the department and school, college, or division
- Include a draft PVL that includes language about seeking applicants who have demonstrated excellence in mentoring at-risk, first-generation, or underrepresented undergraduate or graduate students
- Save the application as a single PDF file and name it “SearchRequest-SchoolCollegeDivision-DateSubmitted” (for example, SearchRequest-Education-2024-09-13.pdf)
- Upload the file to the Excellence in Mentoring Initiative Box folder
- The Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs reviews requests regularly and will notify the dean with their decision. If an urgent response is needed, upload the file to Box and request an expedited review by emailing vpfsa@provost.wisc.edu.
Phase 2: Final documentation
- Conduct a search following the standard UW–Madison recruitment processes and procedures. In rare circumstances, a PVL waiver process may be used. Once a final candidate has been hired, proceed to step two.
- Create a dean’s cover memo that describes:
- The candidate’s excellence in teaching research and service
- The candidate’s demonstrated interest or accomplishments in mentoring at-risk, first-generation, or underrepresented students, as well as their future intentions to do so
- How the candidate will improve mentoring of at-risk, first-generation, or underrepresented students in the department and school, college, or division
- How the department and school, college, or division will recognize and support the candidate’s mentoring work
- How the department will mentor and retain the candidate, including the names of potential mentors
- Include the candidate’s cover letter and CV
- Include the final PVL
- Save the document as a single PDF file and name it “CandidateLastName-SchoolCollegeDivision-DateSubmitted” (for example, Smith-Education-2024-09-13.pdf)
- Upload the file to the Excellence in Mentoring Initiative Box folder
- The Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs reviews requests regularly and will notify the dean whether the documentation has been accepted.
Transfer of Funds
Signed offer letters must be uploaded to the Recruitment and Retention Tool before the Office of the Provost can release any funds. Depending on the timing of the hire, funds may be added to the school, college, or division’s annual budget allocation or transferred immediately.