ACUMent
ACUMent, which stands for Across CU Mentoring, offers three types of mentoring programs for faculty at all career stages including pre-tenured faculty, teaching & clinical faculty, and tenured associate professors. This interdepartmental program fosters cross-disciplinary connections, allowing faculty from various departments to share diverse perspectives and expertise.
The application deadline has been extended to August 22, 2025.
Questions? Email OFAFDS@Colorado.EDU.
Three Types of Mentoring Programs
- 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.
- ACUMent mentors come from various academic units and departments, with a wealth of expertise and experience at CU Boulder.
- ACUMent mentors come from various academic units and departments, with a wealth of expertise and experience at CU Boulder.
- Peer Mentoring Circles: Groups of 3-5 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 faculty in leadership roles, lab scientists and researchers, international faculty, faculty parents, faculty caregivers, teaching and clinical faculty, new faculty, pre-tenured 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.
- 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
ACUMent Participant 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 assistant professors."
"I did enjoy the conversations we had and it was interesting to hear from others in my circle about their careers and experiences."
ACUMent Mentors
Coming Soon
Scott Adler, Dean, Graduate School
Steven Ayer, Faculty Director for Civil Engineering and Associate Professor, Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering
Eric Bogatin, Professor, Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering
Martin Boileau, Chair and Professor, Economics
Michael Breed, Professor Emeritus, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Juliann Couture, Director of Researcher & Collections Engagement and Associate Professor, University Libraries
Heidi Day, Teaching Professor, Psychology and Neuroscience
Yi Luen Ellen Do, Director, ATLAS Partnerships & Innovation and Professor, ATLAS Institute
Marissa Ehringer, Chair, Institute for Behavioral Genetics and Professor, Integrative Physiology
Andrea Feldman, Professor Emeritus, Program for Writing and Rhetoric
Patrick Ferrucci, Chair and Associate Professor, Journalism
Jennifer Fluri, Chair and Professor, Geography
Diego Garcia, Burridge Endowed Chair and Professor, Finance
Bri-Mathias Hodge, Associate Chair for Research & Graduate Education and Professor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Tara Knight, Associate Chair of Graduate Studies and Professor, Critical Media Practices
Gregg Macaluso, Teaching Assistant Professor Emeritus, Supply Chain Management
Robert McDonald, Senior Vice Provost, Online and Extended Education and
Dean, University Libraries
Shelly Miller, Chair, Boulder Faculty Assembly and Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Rolf Norgaard, Associate Director for Upper-Division Curriculum and Teaching Professor of Distinction, Program for Writing and Rhetoric
Bobby Schnabel, Department External Chair and Professor, Computer Science
Payson Sheets, Professor, Anthropology
Nuria Silleras-Fernandez, Professor, Spanish and Portuguese
Harry Surden, Professor, Law
William Waite, Professor Emeritus, Computer Science
Jim Walker, Teaching Professor, Undergraduate Enrichment Programs
- Mona Attwa, Associate Teaching Professor, Asian Languages and Civilizations
- Holly Barnard, Associate Dean for Research and Professor, Geography
Martin Boileau, Chair and Professor, Economics
- Michael Breed, Professor Emeritus, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Heidi Day, Teaching Professor, Psychology and Neuroscience
- Jaelyn Eberle, Professor, Geological Sciences
- Michaele Ferguson, Associate Professor, Political Science
- Nicholas Flores, Professor, Economics
Diego Garcia, Burridge Endowed Chair and Professor, Finance
- John Hoover, Research Associate Professor, Bilingualism and Biliteracy
- Toby Hopp, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, and Associate Professor, Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design
- John Keller, Director, Fiske Planetarium
- Clayton Lewis, Professor, Information Science
- Ben Livneh, Director, Western Water Assessment and Associate Professor, Hydrology, Water Resources & Environmental Fluid Mechanics
- Robert McDonald, Senior Vice Provost, Online and Extended Education and Dean, University Libraries
- Pat O’Rourke, Chief Operating Officer, Strategic Resources and Support
- Antonio Papuzza, Teaching Associate Professor, International Affairs Program
- Nabilah Rontu-Carlon, Teaching Associate Professor, Chemistry
- Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, Interim Dean for the School of Education and Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering
- Rebecca Safran, Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Bobby Schnabel, Department External Chair and Professor, Computer Science
- Burton St. John III, Professor, Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design
- Lev Szentkirályi, Faculty Director of Global Initiatives and Assistant Teaching Professor, Social Responsibility and Sustainability
- Janet Tsai, Associate Chair, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Associate Teaching Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Tony Tong, Chair of the Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Operations Division and Professor, Strategy, Entrepreneurship & Operations
- William Waite, Professor Emeritus, Computer Science
Jim Walker, Teaching Professor, Undergraduate Enrichment Programs
- Marcia Yonemoto, Professor, History
- Scott Adler, Dean, Graduate School
- Kirk Ambrose, Founding Director, Center for Teaching and Learning and Professor, Art History
- Lori Bergen, Founding Dean, College of Media, Communication and Information
- Michael Breed, Professor Emeritus, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Caroline S. Conzelman, Faculty Director, International Education and Teaching Professor, Residential Academic Programs
Heidi Day, Teaching Professor, Psychology and Neuroscience
- Robert Easton, Professor Emeritus, Applied Mathematics
- Patrick Ferrucci, Chair and Associate Professor, Journalism
- Nicholas Flores, Professor, Economics
- Gerard Hauser, Professor Emerirus, Communication
- Nils Halverson, Professor, Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences
- Joseph Kasprzyk, Associate Chair for Graduate Education, and Associate Professor, Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering
- Mary Kraus, Associate Vice Chancellor and Vice Provost, Program in Exploratory Studies
- Rebecca Kuglitsch, Associate Professor, University Libraries
- Daryl Maeda, Dean, Arts & Sciences, and Professor, Asian American Studies
Elizabeth J. Meyer, Chair and Professor, School of Education
- Laura Michaelis-Cummings, Professor, Linguistics
- Russ Moore, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
- Jillian Porter, Director of Russian Graduate Studies, and Associate Professor, Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures
- Nabilah Rontu-Carlon, Teaching Associate Professor, Chemistry
- Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, Interim Dean for the School of Education and Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering
- Ann Schmiesing, Vice Chancellor for Academic Resource Management and Professor, Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures
- Anu Sharma, Associate Chair and Professor, Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
- Rachael Deagman Simonetta, Associate Teaching Professor, English
- Krishnamurthy Sriramesh, Professor, Public Relations
- Burton St. John III, Professor, Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design
- William M. Waite, Professor Emeritus, Computer Science
- Jim Walker, Teaching Professor, Boettcher, Daniels and Norlin Scholars
- Terri S. Wilson, Faculty Director of MAHE and Associate Professor, School of Education
- Wendy Young, Associate Chair and Teaching Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering
- Kirk Ambrose, Founding Director, Center for Teaching and Learning and Professor, Art History
- Francisca Antman, Professor, Economics
- Deborah Cantrell, Professor, Law
- Patrick Ferrucci, Department Chair and Associate Professor, Journalism
- Wendy Glenn, Professor, School of Education
- John Griffin, Associate Professor, Political Science
- Taylor Jaworski, Associate Professor, Economics
- Karim Mattar, Associate Professor, English
- Helmut Muller-Sievers, Professor, Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures
- Anu Sharma, Associate Chair and Professor, Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
- Harry Surden, Professor, Law