What is the Women Faculty Mentoring Program?

Why was the Women Faculty Mentoring Program created?
The Women Faculty Mentoring Program (WFMP) began in 1989. A study commissioned by the Chancellor in 1987 revealed that untenured women faculty were voluntarily resigning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison at a rate greater than that of their male counterparts. Many women cited feelings of isolation as a major reason for their departure. To try to address such problems, all women faculty were invited to participate in the Women Faculty Mentoring Program. In 1990 the program was formally adopted by the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. In 1997, the program's mission was expanded to include additional resources and services for tenured women.

How does the Women Faculty Mentoring Program work?
The Women Faculty Mentoring Program operates very simply. In the fall of each year, all newly hired and newly tenured women are invited to participate in the Women Faculty Mentoring Program by the program's director and coordinator.  Interested women are asked to fill out a brief questionnaire indicating their field of study and personal interests. Each untenured woman is then matched with a tenured woman outside of her own department but, insofar as it is possible, in her field. The Women Faculty Mentoring Program does not replace the need for the department to assign a guidance committee or mentor for each probationary faculty member; rather, it offers additional information and resources that build upon the work of departmental mentoring relationships.

In addition to celebrating the successes of newly promoted and tenured women faculty at an annual reception, the Women Faculty Mentoring Program provides an orientation workshop for mentors and mentees and offers several "brown bag" sessions on topics of special interest to women faculty each year.

For further details on the role of the mentor and mentee, click here.