How to support junior faculty

In recent weeks, I have been thinking about ways to better support junior faculty.

I remember when I started as a new assistant professor at USFQ. I had just moved internationally, had to set up 3 new courses, develop my research beyond what I did during my PhD, and develop my network. Let’s say the first semesters were quite a ride.

I have also observed that for new faculty members, stepping into this role can be challenging, and it is often the research that ends up taking a backseat.

So, in trying to figure out what we can do better for our junior faculty, I have listed the following ideas:

• Mentoring: Universities could benefit from establishing mentoring programs between junior and senior faculty, that can help them navigate the challenges of starting as a new faculty member.
• Opening doors: As professors, we are often so consumed by our own ongoing task lists that we forget to stop and think about the challenges our junior faculty colleagues may be facing. I have been trying to consciously stop and think about where I can create opportunities for my younger colleagues, to help them get a smoother landing.
• Collaborate: If you have an option to take a junior faculty member along for a proposal or another form of collaboration, you should consider it – in the end, this approach is just one way of opening doors for your junior colleagues.
• Introduce: Starting to work at a new place can be hard. So, be kind to your new colleagues, take them along to lunch, introduce them to other faculty members, and help them navigate the social fabric of their new workplace.
• Teaching support: At some universities, it is not common for professors to share their teaching materials with others. In Delft, on the other hand, we are very collaborative with our teaching materials. In this light, I have always been happy to send my teaching materials to colleagues who are setting up a new course. My materials are not perfect, and my handwritten notes are not pretty, but if it helps them get a bit of a smoother landing, it should serve the purpose.

Here are some ideas I have outline to support junior faculty. What have you done to support your younger colleagues?