Outside Counsel
Dear Faculty Relations: My department is like a family—with all the connotations, good and bad. I’d love support and mentorship from someone who isn’t going to be asked to evaluate me, but I don’t know faculty outside my unit. Where do I turn? —Seeking Perspective
Dear Seeking: It’s understandable that you are looking for an outside perspective. Departments are where most of our day-to-day work happens, but they can be complicated places to seek candid advice. After all, our department colleagues are also involved in evaluating our teaching, service, and research. And sometimes the right person to talk to isn’t down the hallway—or even in your college.
For those reasons, many faculty find it valuable to develop mentoring relationships outside their units. Speaking with someone who understands CU Boulder’s institutional culture, but is not directly involved in your evaluation, can create space for more open conversation about professional goals, workplace dynamics, and work-life issues. Faculty outside your own unit can also offer perspective on how policies and expectations are interpreted across campus, how to handle tricky interpersonal situations, and what career opportunities you might pursue beyond your department.
For example, if you are a humanities professor coming up for promotion or tenure, you could meaningfully receive mentorship from a senior colleague in engineering or law who understands how cases are reviewed across campus. Or if you are a new parent, you might benefit from connecting with peers who are also balancing parenting with an academic career. Or if you are a new or aspiring department chair, you could be mentored by an experienced campus leader.
If you’re looking for that kind of broader perspective, CU Boulder’s Across CU Mentoring (ACUMent) program connects faculty across departments and colleges through one-on-one mentoring partnerships and peer mentoring circles. ACUMent is open to faculty at all career stages and is designed to support professional development, leadership pathways, and cross-campus connection in a confidential, collegial setting. Learn more about ACUMent and sign up for the cohort for the coming academic year.
Written by Michaele Ferguson, Associate Professor of Political Science and Faculty Fellow for Mentoring, Women+ Faculty and Writing Groups, Office of Faculty Affairs