Skip to main content

Peer Mentoring Circles

TEAM ADVANCE Peer Mentoring Circles are open to early-career faculty (assistant professor level, pre-tenure or fixed-term) seeking to develop holistic well-being and advance professional goals with a cohort of peers. The program encourages networking, community-building, and self-advocacy. Early-career faculty are grouped by shared goals and interesta into circles of 4-6 pre-tenure and fixed-term peers. Each circle is led by two experienced faculty facilitators (one tenured, one fixed-term).

Registration for Peer Mentoring Circle has closed for 2022-23. Contact Joanna Helene Foland, jfoland@email.unc.edu, with questions or concerns.

The program consists of: Peer Mentoring Circles Construct

  • Monthly Peer Mentoring Circles facilitated by two experienced faculty
  • Support and preparation for departmental faculty annual review
  • Priority invitation to professional development workshops hosted by the Center for Faculty Excellence

Our curriculum includes:

  • Establishing Group “Ground Rules,” Building Trust, and Communication
  • Taking Inventory of Existing Mentoring Support and Identifying Needs
  • Understanding Promotion and Tenure Requirements
  • Developing Professional Identity  and Navigating Imposter Syndrome and Stereotype Threat
  • Negotiation and Communication Skills
  • Preparing for Departmental Faculty Annual Review

Become a Peer Mentoring Circles Facilitator

For each Peer Mentoring Circles cohort, we invite experienced associate and full professor, either tenured or fixed-term, to serve as Peer Mentoring Circles Facilitators.

Circles Facilitators are matched with a partner and guide circle discussions with a group of 5-8 early-career faculty. We pair a fixed-term facilitator with a tenured facilitator in order to support faculty mentees of each track in each circle. TEAM AVDVANCE offers ongoing support and development for facilitators:

  • An orientation introducing the TEAM ADVANCE Peer Mentoring Circles model, best facilitation practices, and preparation for the first circle meetings.
  • Continuous access to facilitation guides, workshop materials, and other resources.
  • Monthly facilitator debriefs to share experiences, challenges, and prepare for circle meetings.
  • A weekly newsletter from TEAM ADVANCE with updates, resources, and opportunities.

We anticipate the monthly time commitment of about 2.5 hours, which includes one circle meeting (90-minutes) and one debrief with TEAM ADVANCE and facilitators (1 hour). Facilitators will receive recognition from TEAM ADVANCE, the Center for Faculty Excellence, and University administration for their contributions, and many will be considered for nomination to the University’s prestigious faculty mentoring awards.