Promoting Faculty Success
Advanced Career Management (ACM) promotes mid-career faculty development, success,
and retention through peer mentoring groups organized into three career tracks: Leadership/Administration,
Research Intensive, and Research and Teaching Excellence. Full Professors serve as
ACM Guides for the affinity groups and for campus activities offered to mid-career
track faculty.
In Spring 2020, the Advanced Career Management program launched its inaugural affinity
group program: small groups of mid-career faculty who share common career goals (Leadership/Administration,
Research Intensive, or Research and Teaching Excellence). Each group is facilitated
by an “ACM Guide” who guides conversation and is the primary point of contact for the group.
Affinity Groups FAQ
1
What are Affinity Groups?
Affinity Groups are peer-to-peer mentoring groups focused on career development for
Associate Professors and divided amongst three career tracks: Research Intensive,
Research and Teaching Excellence, and Leadership. These groups meet 3-4 times per
semester and discuss topics related to their career track or to one of the provided
prompts. Each group is facilitated by a Full Professor “ACM Guide.”
2
How can I get involved with an Affinity Group?
You can join an Affinity Group by contacting the ADVANCE Coordinator at advance-mtu@mtu.edu. At the beginning of each Fall semester, there will be an Orientation meeting for
interested faculty and you can sign up there as well.
3
How often do Affinity Groups meet?
Affinity Groups are encouraged to hold at least 3 one-hour meetings each semester
and more often if possible. Additional mentoring opportunities are provided periodically
beyond the group meetings but these are completely voluntary.
4
What topics do Affinity Groups discuss?
Affinity groups can discuss a range of topics related to the shared career track aspirations
of the group. Topic prompts along with relevant readings are provided to the Senior
Guide each month. These include Career Planning, Prioritizing for Career Goals, Networking,
Managing Your FARS, and Sabbaticals from Proposal to Completion. While these are offered
to all groups, participants are encouraged to discuss topics that arise in their group
discussions.
5
I'm an Assistant Professor, can I be involved?
Thanks for your interest! Unfortunately, ACM is for mid-career faculty. A mentoring
program exists for Assistant Professors: the Early Career Management (ECM) program. Newly tenured Associate Professors are strongly encouraged to participate in ACM
to clarify expectations and focus on career goals.
ACM Guide FAQ
An ACM Guide is a tenured professor who meets with Affinity Group participants either
in a group setting or one-on-one. The responsibilities of the ACM Guide vary depending
on which type of guide you become:
ACM Affinity Group Guides are ACM Guides who meet regularly with an Affinity Group. Typically we have one Guide
per group. The Guide is responsible for scheduling Affinity Group meetings, conducting
the meetings, facilitating group conversation, and responding to a set of brief feedback
questions for ACM. The Guide is the point of contact for the Group and will receive
prompts and announcements for Group meetings from ACM.
ACM Support Guides are are ACM Guides who provide mentoring and career-specific expertise at ACM events
each semester and through the ACM video series on career topics. Most Guides participate
in one event per semester.
Resources and training for both Affinity Group Guides and Support Guides will be available
through the ADVANCE Resource Center. If you're interested in joining the Affinity
Group program as an ACM Guide, please contact us at advance-mtu@mtu.edu.
2
What is the time commitment?
ACM Affinity Group Guides should expect a time commitment of 1-2 hours per month for group meetings with additional
time for discussion planning.
3
Where Can I Learn More About Being An ACM Guide?
4
What Activities Can An ACM Support Guide Participate In?
Create A Video: Using one of the topics highlighted by the ACM Team as an area of interest for participants,
Support Guides can create a short video (approx. 5min) discussing their experiences
and providing advice on the topic. The ADVANCE Resource Center can assist in recording,
creating transcripts, and adding subtitles to these recordings and will publish them
on their website and YouTube channel.
Zoom Office Hours: At least once a year, ACM sponsors an “Office Hour” with Support Guides open to any
interested Associate Professor. These are one hour meetings, either in person or on
Zoom, focused on the Associate’s career questions. Sometimes the Office Hour will
be themed—Check Your Vita or When Should I Apply for Promotion? ACM will coordinate
this meeting.
ACM Support Guide Video Series
Leadership Within The University
Join Dr. Will Cantrell, Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School at Michigan
Tech as he shares his experiences in leadership within a university setting.
Leadership In Professional Societies
Join Dr. Adrienne Minerick, PI of the ADVANCE Adaptation grant at Michigan Tech as
she shares her experiences in leadership within professional societies.
Commercialization of Research
Join Dr. Shiyue Fang, Professor of Chemistry at Michigan Tech as they share their
experiences in navigating the commercialization process for academic researchers.
Sabbatical Leave
Dr. Raymond Shaw reflects on the value of a sabbatical for developing your career, your collegial networks,
and as a positive experience for family as well.
ACM Guide Affinity Group Meeting Topics
Fall Affinity Group Topics
Meeting 1: Planning
Video Topics
Reading Topics
Activity Topics
Meeting 2: Prioritization
Video Topics
Reading Topics
Activity Topics
Meeting 3: Networking
Video Topics
Reading Topics
- Networking
- Conference Networking Tips
- Social Media for Academe
Activity Topics
Spring Affinity Group Topics
Meeting 1: COVID Statements
A Faculty COVID Statement is to be included in every faculty member’s Faculty Activity
Report for the 2021-22 academic year. Discussion might address the reasons for these
statements, what to include, and some how to write them.
- The ADVANCE website has a comprehensive introduction to the COVID Impact Statement that includes examples
and sample language as well as a link to the Unscripted blog post by Dr. Rebecca Ong
about her experiences with and suggestions about COVID impacts.
- There are explicit guidelines for how dossier reviewers, both internal and external, are to evaluate a COVID statement
and these might be both reassuring and useful in writing such statements.
Meeting 2: Sabbaticals
Mid-career faculty are eligible for faculty sabbatical leaves. Discussion might address
such issues as: how, when, and why to apply; what to say in the proposal; how to get
the most from your time away; what to do with the kids; and final reports.
Michigan Tech Policies
Additional Readings
Meeting 3: Open Topic
Groups may address any of the topics suggested on the ACM website. For example, it
may be useful to return to your Planning materials to assess your plans and strategies.
Or you may have opportunities for Networking during virtual conferences so that topic
may be useful. Alternatively, there may be a topic that emerged in discussions for
which ACM has provided materials --you will be informed about these topics and we
encourage you to talk about them. Finally, you may want to invite a support guide
to joining your meeting. See the Support Guide section below for information about
the topics these guides can talk with you about and contact ACM to arrange a visit.
Meeting 4: Focus Group Feedback
This meeting will be a wrap-up meeting with visits from the ACM team for purposes
of assessment and feedback.
Upcoming ADVANCE Events
