The UTS Early Career Academic Network (ECAN) Committee is launching a flexible mentoring initiative to connect early career academics with mid-career or senior academic mentors across the university.
Become a mentor for the Early Career Academic Mentoring Program
Member of the ECAN Committee and Lecturer at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Dr Muhammad (Chuti) Chutiyami said the mentoring initiative provides an invaluable opportunity for both personal and professional growth, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment within our academic community.
“As an early career academic, I understand how valuable guidance from experienced mentors can be in navigating the challenges of academic life,” he said. “By connecting early career academics with experienced mentors, we can create a dynamic and nurturing space that enables new ideas, research, and teaching practices to thrive.”
Why mentoring?
Many early career academics have expressed a strong interest in gaining insights into research development, leadership, and innovative teaching practices from those with more experience.
Having access to perspectives and expertise from a mid-career or senior academic could make a significant impact in helping guide colleagues navigating their early academic journey.
What’s involved?
This mentoring initiative is designed to be flexible and low-pressure. The time commitment and nature of the interaction will be entirely shaped by your availability and the shared preferences between you and your mentee(s).
Some mentors may prefer a one-off coffee chat while others may opt for occasional catch-ups online or face to face over the course of a semester or year. There is no one-size-fits-all model.
Interested?
If you are a mid-career or senior academic open to sharing your experience and supporting the next generation of UTS academics, the ECAN Committee warmly invites you to complete a short 5-minute Expression of Interest form.
This is just an initial expression of interest. The ECAN Committee will be in touch via email with more details, including when to commence the mentoring and proposed pairings, depending on your indicated availability and areas of interest.
The ECAN Committee truly values the collegiality and generosity that define our academic community at UTS and thank you in advance for considering this opportunity to support your ECA colleagues.
For more information, please contact ECANetwork@uts.edu.au.