Eminent Scholar Mentoring Program

The Eminent Scholar Program facilitates a 2-year formal 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.

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 will travel to the mentor’s institution to likewise give a seminar.

At the conclusion of the Program, the Assistant Professor and the Chair/Program Director are responsible for completing the Eminent Scholar End-of-Program Report and submitting it to their Dean’s Office.

• Mentor Selection: The Chair/Program Director is responsible for working with the new Assistant Professor to identify an Eminent Scholar Mentor. Ideally, this work should begin once the new hire has accepted their offer, as part of their welcoming and on-boarding process. Eminent Scholar mentoring relationships should be established during the new hire’s first semester at UMBC. After the mentor has been identified, the Chair should notify the Dean of the selection by email and cc: the 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.
• Funding: Logistics for travel, visits, and funding should be made in partnership with the UMBC Assistant Professor’s home department/program and their Dean’s Office. All meals and expenses should adhere to UMBC Travel Guidelines.

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

• Mentor 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/Program Director, explaining the program. Please cc: the Assistant Professor on these emails.
• Funding: The Dean’s Office is also responsible for returning any unexpended funds to the Provost Office at the end of each faculty member’s 2-year award program.

• 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-Program Reports from each Dean’s Office in June of each academic year.

• The $3,000 in Provost funding may only be used to support participation in the Eminent Scholar 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:
  • Travel
  • Hotel
  • Meals
  • Honorarium

Logistics for travel, visits, and funding should be made in partnership with the UMBC Assistant Professor’s home department/program and their Dean’s Office. All meals and expenses should adhere to UMBC Travel guidelines

All requests for extensions should be submitted in writing to your Dean’s Office for consideration.

• Eminent Scholar Mentoring Program Processes and Procedures
• Eminent Scholar End-of-Program Report

Please direct all questions related to the Eminent Scholar Mentoring Program to your Dean’s Office.