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  • Created 30 Sep 2016

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are faculty mentoring networks?

Faculty Mentoring Networks (FMNs) are a method for building supportive communities of faculty interested in addressing similar challenges around teaching quantitative biology.  FMNs usually consist of anywhere from ten to twenty faculty participants working with content and pedagogical mentors from the community. The groups share a private space on the QUBESHub where they can have discussions, share resources, and manage group projects.  The larger group is subdivided into smaller groups to facilitate discussions. Faculty work together to brainstorm, plan, troubleshoot and generally support one another in their efforts to implement new materials or approaches in the classroom. Mentors facilitate the discussion and provide some guidance and resources.

As faculty grapple with the many details and new challenges of implementing fundamental changes in their classrooms, ongoing community interaction is vital. The virtual nature of FMNs makes this long-term interaction possible by reducing both time and financial barriers to participation.

2. Is this opportunity only available to full-time faculty or can a long-term adjunct faculty member apply?

Yes, adjunct faculty are welcome to apply.

3. Do we need to have materials already prepared or can we develop something from scratch during the network?

Ideally, participants will begin the network with draft materials for using data in the classroom that they have already developed.  These do not need to be polished, however, and could be something as simple as an in-class activity you used once in your course.  The goal of this network is for each participant to further develop and refine these materials to bring them to a state suitable for publication in a special issue of TIEE.  

4. How is the network being assessed? Is the assessment focused on the faculty participating in the program or is there also a component assessing the students (like pre- and post-tests)?

QUBES’ assessment is focused on the participating faculty. At the beginning and end of the mentoring network, we will ask all participants to answer a short survey on your experiences, with the goal of improving future networks. We encourage you to work with other faculty in the network to develop appropriate assessments for your students.

5. What are the expectations for participants in this network?

For more details about participant responsibilities and produces, please see the application page

More coming soon! Please check back, or contact Kaitlin Bonner at kbonner@sjfc.edu or Kristine Grayson at kgrayson@richmond.edu with additional questions.