Responsibilities involved with the Educational Mentor Program
Mentor I Instructor of Record I Distance Pathway Office
Mentor
- Provide educational support and guidance to students. Workload distribution will be determined by the IOR. Estimated time commitment is approximately equal to course credit hour distribution (e.g. 2 hours/week for a 2 credit hour course).
- Initiate, facilitate, monitor and maintain the course discussion board including student interactions, participation and progress
- Respond to all email inquiries within two business days. In the event of an unexpected or unavoidable absence (e.g., illness, death in family) the IOR or designee must be notified.
- Maintain flexible and reasonable ‘virtual’ office hours.
- Maintain a record of all communications and interactions with students (telephone or online).
- Develop and instruct a section of a course (course-specific).
- Assist with the grading of assignments (course-specific).
- Assist with the development of examinations (course-specific).
- Inculcate students into the profession of pharmacy (i.e. via sharing of professional experiences).
- Encourage and facilitate student participation in professional organizations.
- Complete program evaluations.
- Course development, coordination, instruction, revisions and assessment.
- Determine, review and delineate mentor responsibilities (e.g., facilitation of discussion board, answering student inquiries, grading assignments, assistance with the development of exam questions, tracking student progress).
- Identify, establish, initiate and maintain appropriate methods of communication with mentors for the duration of course involvement (e.g., weekly live, telephone or email discussions).
- Facilitate orientation to course syllabus and content, course philosophy, personal teaching philosophy, the ability based-outcomes for pharmacy graduates and how the course will be conducted.
- Provide mentor orientation (approximately 8 hours in duration). Topics covered should include such items as school and university mission statements, personal teaching philosophies, review of course syllabus and schedule, personal teaching philosophy and the ability based-outcomes for pharmacy graduates.
- Supply mentors with course materials (e.g., handouts, study guide, textbooks, answer keys, etc.). Arrange delivery through the Administrative Assistant for the Distance Pathway so that instructional materials are received at least seven days before the start of class.
- Identify tasks mentors will not be responsible for (e.g., writing examinations).
- Assign the students to each mentor.
- In addition to incidental communications, weekly or monthly one two-hour interaction may be necessary. The frequency will depend on the level of participation of the mentor in the course at that time in the semester.
- Help the Director, Pharmacy Distance Pathway, to identify and hire/recruit course mentors.
- Provide mentors with a guide to objectives; an answer key to discussion, homework and examination questions; and practical tips from previous experience teaching the course
- Delegate responsibility to the Mentor that must be within the capabilities of the mentor, both intellectually and time wise, and clearly articulated to the mentor.
- Responsible for items that mentors do not feel they can handle (e.g., items too advanced to be expected to be handled by mentors, items that will take more than the amount of time expected to be provided by mentors).
- Ultimately responsible for overall class atmosphere and tone, although mentors may be somewhat responsible on a day-to-day basis.
- Address any student concerns regarding the mentor fulfilling his/her responsibilities
- Communicate with the Director any concerns regarding the mentor fulfilling his/her duties.
- Establish and conduct an evaluation of the mentor.
- Review the evaluation of the mentor at the end of each semester.
- Provide a short written summary of how the mentor met or did not meet course responsibilities; indicate any development, training that the mentor should receive from OLAT or the office of Faculty Development and Assessment.
- Contact the mentor as soon as possible to find out if they want to continue for the next semester that the course will be taught and inform the administrative assistant to the pathway so that contracts are drafted.
- Contact the Administrative assistant to the pathway as soon as possible if the mentor is not going to be rehired or is not able to continue as a mentor so that the process of hiring a new mentor is done in a timely manner.
- Complete the mentor specification form every semester.
- Meet all the deadlines regarding the processes described above.
- Facilitate and support communications between IOR, students and mentors. Act as an impartial mediator to assist with the resolution of course- or student-related issues (i.e. those not involving OASA).
- Mentor recruitment.
- Contract development and negotiations (e.g., compensation, commitment, retention, etc.).
- Develop and maintain a mentor database to include such information as demographics, areas of expertise/interest, practice locales, organization affiliations, etc.
- Develop and maintain the Mentor Information in conjunction with OLAT, to include:
- University, school and program links and updates
- Mentor program application process
- Mentor website
- Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
- Discussion board
- Links to OLAT technology training programs
- Educational resource links (e.g., SPAHP Faculty Development Program Website)
- Mentor program assessment instruments
- Oversee and facilitate mentor training (i.e. faculty development).
- Develop, maintain, analyze and revise the mentor evaluation process (individual and program assessments).
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