Professional Development

The Professional Development Mentor Program

The Office of Professional Development has designed a mentor program for those faculty and staff who aspire to a management or leadership position. It is also for those experienced managers who want to take the next step and move into a higher-level administrative position.

The purpose of the Professional Development Mentor Program is to provide opportunities for employees who have a desire to develop and enhance their career development opportunities, to be paired with a mentor who will guide, advise and motivate them to continue to improve their skills and knowledge and grow with the College into a management or leadership position.

The Professional Development Mentor Program is open to all full-time and adjunct faculty, classified and confidential staff and administrators.

Program Goals
  • To encourage motivated employees to develop themselves to their fullest potential
  • To retain good managers
  • To grow future managers and administrators for the College
  • To create and foster effective and mutually beneficial relationships between the mentors and mentees
  • Current and aspiring managers will have an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills that will assist them in moving up to the next level
  • Mentorship will be a non-evaluative, relaxed relationship focused on coaching

Program Participation
To participate either as a mentor or mentee in the Professional Development Mentor Program, please contact Leslie Carr in the Professional Development office at leslie.carr@canyons.edu or at campus extension 3100.
 


Mentor Program for New Online Faculty

The Mentor Program for New Online Faculty is designed to provide additional support to instructors during the first semester or two of online teaching. The program will pair new online instructors with instructors who are experienced with online teaching in order to provide feedback on course design and offer ongoing encouragement and advice.

Mentors will earn 8 hours of FLEX credit per semester, with a maximum of 16 hours per academic year.

New online instructors can request a mentor by contacting Jennifer Brezina at jennifer.brezina@canyons.edu. If you are an experienced online instructor and would like to become a mentor, please contact Jennifer Brezina at the same email address listed above.
 


New Fulltime Faculty Mentor Program


Newly hired fulltime faculty can have the benefit of having a “friend in the business” at COC; mentors can help newcomers work on professional projects, develop curriculum, or they can be simply a source of guidance and information, all in a non-evaluative manner.

To sign up to be a mentor, please contact Fred D’Astoli at campus extension 3710 or at fred.dastoli@canyons.edu. Eight hours of FLEX credit per semester will be given to mentors.

Introduction Booklet

#62S Mentor Program for Noncredit Faculty

The Mentor Program for Noncredit Faculty is designed to provide additional support to noncredit instructors who are interested in improving their teaching skills. The program will pair noncredit instructors with others who are experienced teachers in order to provide feedback on course design as well as ongoing encouragement and advice. Some participants may desire feedback and advice regarding general teaching strategies, while other participants may be interested in issues specific to noncredit teaching, such as managing multi-level classes, open entry/open exit classes, and off-campus teaching. The primary purposes of this program are to encourage reflection and discussion of noncredit pedagogy and to provide moral support for noncredit instructors.

Qualifications for Mentors
-Fulltime faculty members who have expertise in active learning, assessment techniques or working with nontraditional student populations
--Completion of the one-hour Noncredit Faculty Mentor Training session


FLEX credit
Mentors will earn 6 hours of FLEX credit per semester, with a maximum of 12 hours per academic year. The time requirements for mentors are as follows:
--Attend a mentor training session prior to mentoring a noncredit instructor (1 hour)
--Meet with the new instructor prior to the class being offered to provide feedback on course design (1 hour)
--Meet with the new instructor (formally and informally) throughout the semester to provide ongoing support (4 hours)

Procedure
--As schedules are created, noncredit instructors can request a mentor by contacting Jose Martin via email at jose.martin@canyons.edu. A list of these new instructors, including their disciplines, will be compiled.
--A list of potential mentors based on the qualifications listed above will be generated each semester with the assistance of the Community and Continuing Education office. These instructors will be contacted to ask the if they are interested in being a mentor. If possible, mentors will be matched with instructors from their discipline.


 

 


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College of the Canyons

Valencia campus:

(661) 259-7800

• 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91355

Canyon Country campus:

(661) 362-3800

• 17200 Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita, CA 91351