Faculty and Staff

Mentoring Requirements for Assistant Professors

Requirements for Departmental Mentoring and Evaluation of Assistant Professors

UW-Madison’s Faculty Policies and Procedures require that departments establish procedures for mentoring (“guidance”) and annual evaluation (“oversight”) of assistant professors. Chapter 5.21.E and Chapter 7 provide the following specific requirements for these procedures:

  1. The departmental executive committee shall establish procedures for guidance and annual evaluation, give a copy of the guidance and evaluation procedures to each probationary faculty member at the time of his or her appointment, and file a copy with the relevant dean(s) and the provost (FPP.7.05.A.).
  2. The procedures must include specification of the voting rules of the executive committee (FPP 7.05.A.).
  3. The departmental executive committee shall establish written criteria and standards it will employ in recommending tenure, provide a copy to each probationary faculty member, and file a copy with the appropriate dean(s) and the provost (FPP 7.05.A. and 7.14.D.).
  4. The probationary faculty member is informed of any changes in departmental goals (FPP 5.21.E.).
  5. One or more members of the executive committee are assigned responsibility for guidance of each probationary faculty member (FPP 7.05.B.) [often called the mentor or mentoring committee].
  6. The probationary faculty member shall be informed of the membership of the oversight committee (FPP 7.05.C.) [often called the evaluation committee].
  7. The probationary faculty member will meet at least once each year with one or more members of the oversight committee and department chair to discuss expectations and progress toward tenure (FPP 7.05.C.).
  8. The oversight committee shall ensure that the probationary faculty member’s file contains all relevant material for evaluation (FPP 7.05.C. and 7.05.E.).
  9. The oversight committee shall provide the departmental executive committee with an annual evaluation of the progress of the probationary faculty member (FPP 7.05.D.).
  10. An approved copy of the annual evaluation shall be given to the probationary faculty member (FPP 7.05.D.).
  11. The probationary faculty member may respond to the evaluation (FPP 7.05.D.).