In Summer 2012, the campus founded a new Summer Teaching Associate Mentoring Program that expanded the opportunities for Summer Teaching Associates to receive mentoring from an experienced faculty member. In recognition of the importance of Teaching Associates in the teaching mission of the campus, Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas is requesting the expansion of the faculty mentoring component of the Summer Teaching Institute for Associates to ALL interested Summer Teaching Associates.
Summer Sessions and Instructional Development are pleased to facilitate this benefit to the campus. All Associates teaching in Summer 2013 will have the opportunity to partner with an experienced faculty member and with a peer group to share experiences, insights, and knowledge related to successful teaching at the university level. UCSB remains the first UC campus to offer this program.
Why participate?
Here’s what some recent summer associates said about their mentoring experience in the Summer 2012 Associate Mentoring Program:
The most useful part of the mentoring meetings? Touching base with other associates, seeing what worked and what didn't, and being able to talk in depth about our teaching as it went along.
I liked that we were in a group of 5-6 teaching associates. We had good discussions around assigning readings, facilitating discussions, planning lectures, managing conflicts and balancing our workload.
Just the advice, from someone that's been in our shoes as new instructors, that was particularly useful; especially the feedback on my syllabus.
When you have completed the entire mentoring program, you will receive:
- A certificate of completion suitable for inclusion on your CV;
- Credit toward UCSB’s Summer Teaching Institute for Associates program, and
- Credit towards the Certificate in College and University Teaching (CCUT), subject to satisfactory completion of all participation and documentation requirements.
What’s involved?
You will meet with your mentor and peer group (up to seven other Associates) once before the start of the session and three times during the session. Before the term begins, your mentor will work with you to refine and polish your course syllabus. During the term, the mentor will lead discussions on teaching strategies and pedagogies, and participants will be able to address issues as they arise in the classroom.
What’s next?
If you have not done so already, please get in touch with your department to let them know that you wish to participate in the Summer Associate Mentoring Program.
Questions?
Contact Cindy Bumgarner, Acting Director/Assistant Dean, UCSB Summer Sessions, at c.bumgarner@summersessions.ucsb.edu.