Introduction

ACUMent, which stands for Across CU Mentoring, offers three types of mentoring programs for faculty at all career stages including pre-tenured faculty, non-tenure-track faculty, or tenured associate professors.

Three Types of Mentoring Programs

  • Peer Mentoring Circles: Groups of 5-7 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 BIPOC faculty, women faculty in leadership roles, lab scientists and researchers, international faculty, faculty parents, faculty caregivers, teaching and clinical faculty, new faculty, pre-tenure faculty, associate professors, etc.
    • Potential topics for discussion could be writing advice, research productivity, time management, healthy work-life balance, creating a dossier, etc.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Note: Placement in Peer Mentoring Circles and Mentor-Mentee Matches are made based on responses to the application. Offerings for Peer Coaching will be created based upon interest level.

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 Mentors

ACUMent mentors come from various academic units and departments, with a wealth of expertise and experience at CU Boulder. See the list of current and past ACUMent mentors here!

Congratulations to our Outstanding Faculty Mentor Awardees!

On April 7th 2023, the Office of Faculty Affairs honored our inaugural cohort of six faculty members who have showcased excellence in mentorship to other faculty. Learn more about the awardees here.

For questions about ACUMent, please contact Francisca Antman, Faculty Director for Early-Career Faculty Development.