Teaching Mentor Program

Call for Mentors, Mentees, and Teaching Partners

We are seeking faculty and instructional academic staff, and Teaching Assistants from all our colleges and schools and UWM campuses to participate as mentors and mentees or Teaching Partners. All faculty, Teaching Assistants, and instructional academic staff are strongly encouraged to participate. This fall we are matching partners and mentors/mentees in small groups of three to five. This will better enable us to match your course format interests and build partnership options.

  • The UWM Mentoring and Teaching Partnership program is an opportunity to connect and exchange with other members of the UWM community around teaching and learning at any point in your career. By sharing our teaching experience, knowledge of students, and successful teaching practices, we can support each other’s growth and increase student success. Participating in a Teaching Mentor or Partner Group provides an opportunity to:rejuvenate your teaching
  • Gain further personal satisfaction and fulfillment from teaching
  • Develop a reciprocal relationship with colleagues outside your department

How to Participate
To receive a set of matches in the Mentoring and Teaching Partnership program, please complete this brief form: https://milwaukee.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1Y7SQRCthvdGkiG

The intended scope of this program is to focus solely on teaching and learning within your group as mentors, mentees, or teaching partners. Participants determine the frequency of contact and level of investment they deem appropriate.

By completing the very brief survey above, you will be matched with a small set of colleagues according to your course format interests: online synchronous; online asynchronous; mixed online and synchronous; face-to-face; or a mixture of face-to-face and online (hybrid/blended), and particular course types such as large class or active learning classrooms. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning will try to match as many of your selected interests as possible.

Participation Options

On the survey, please select your preferred option as a participant. You can choose to be participate as a Mentee and be matched with a group that includes experienced instructors. If you would like to be provide mentoring, select the Mentor option below to have at least one mentee in your matched small group. If you prefer to have a small group of instructors to exchange and form connections around teaching, please select the Teaching Partner Group Option.

  • As a Mentee matched with a group of mentors and colleagues in teaching
  • A Mentor for colleagues in teaching and learning
  • A Teaching Partner (an opportunity to connect with colleagues for exchange in conversation around teaching and learning)

Even if you have been an instructor for decades, you can benefit from participating in a teaching mentor or partnership group.

Matching Process
Instructors will be matched with three or four others based on teaching interests and position category (e.g., faculty, instructional academic staff). Matches are limited to the pool of volunteer mentors, mentees. and partners available each semester from any of our UWM campuses. You will be matched with a small group of colleagues beyond your department in order for you to freely exchange outside of your departmental structures and increase the likelihood of locating matches. If you have already been a mentor or mentee in this program in previous semesters, please complete this survey to include your name in the process this semester. If you would like a new mentoring relationship or teaching partnership each semester, please respond to our recruitment call in each future semester.

Match Confirmation
You will receive an email from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) when your set of matches have been made and some suggested next steps. If we are unable to arrange a group for you this semester, we will contact you. Your interaction with your matched colleagues can be arranged as remote and/or in-person meetings. Please reach out to your matched group early in the semester.

You can discuss within your group if you’d like to continue your mentoring relationship or partnership beyond this semester. Please contact CETL if, for some reason, your matched mentor or partner group isn’t working out or if you have any questions or concerns.