Eminent Scholar Mentoring Program

Purpose: The Eminent Scholar Program facilitates a mentoring relationship between a newly-hired UMBC tenure-track Assistant professor and a prominent researcher/practitioner in their field. This relationship will be established to provide a connection for the UMBC faculty member to their larger research and/or creative, artistic community in order to enhance their success as they advance through the ranks of academia.

Activity Requirements: Participation in the program entails regular contact (e.g. at least once a semester) between the mentor and the mentee). During the 2-year award period the mentor will visit UMBC and give a seminar and the UMBC faculty member travel to the mentor’s institution to likewise give a seminar.

Provost Office Roles/Responsibilities:

•  Funding: The Provost Office provides $3,000 in start-up funds allocated on the new faculty start-up worksheet to support participation in the program during the first 2 years of hire.
•  Reporting: The Provost Office is responsible for collecting Eminent Scholar End of Mentoring Relationship Reports from each Deans Office in June of each academic year.

Dean Office Roles/Responsibilities:
The Deans Office is responsible for working with their departments/programs to administer the program and to submit the Eminent Scholar End of Relationship Report at the end of each faculty member’s 2-year award program.

• Selection: After the Dean has approved the relationship, the Eminent Scholar will be sent one letter from the Dean to participate in this relationship and one letter from the chair explaining the program. Please cc the Assistant Professor on these emails.
• Funding: The Deans Office is also responsible for returning an unexpended funds to the Provost Office at the end of each faculty member’s 2-year award program.

Department Chair/Program Director Roles/Responsibilities:

• Selection: The chair/program director is responsible for working with the new assistant professor to identify an Eminent Scholar Mentor. Ideally, this should work should begin once the new hire has accepted their offer as part of their welcoming and on-boarding process. After the mentor has been identified, the chair should notify the Dean of the selection by email and cc: Assistant professor. The following information should be included in the email:
  • UMBC Assistant Professor, title, email and telephone number
  •  UMBC Assistant Professor CV
  •  Eminent Scholar Mentor Information
    Name, university, title, email and telephone number
  • Contact information of the administrative support person in your department/program to work with the Assistant Professor to coordinate the logistics of the program.

After the Dean has approved the relationship, the Eminent Scholar will be sent one letter from
the Dean to participate in this relationship and one letter from the Chair/Program Director
explaining the program (cc: Assistant professor on emails).

•  Funding: Logistics for travel, visits, and funding should be made in partnership with the UMBC Assistant Professor’s home department/program and Dean’s Office. All meals and expenses should adhere to UMBC Travel guidelines.
• Reporting: The Assistant Professor and Chair/Program Director are responsible for completing the Eminent Scholar End of Relationship Report and submitting it to their Deans Office at the conclusion of the 2-year mentoring relationship.
• Questions: Please direct all questions to the Deans Office.

Eminent Scholar Program Expenditures:

• The $3,000 in funding may only be used to support participation in the program
• Any remaining funds must be returned to the Provost Office at the conclusion of the 2- year mentoring relationship.
•  Funds may be used to cover:
  o Travel
  o Hotel
  o Meals
  o Honorarium

Questions: