Mentoring Breakfast (Thursday)

Thursday’s Breakfast is a chance to discuss Mentoring (and explore opportunities for mentoring)…

It follows the same pattern as the other breakfasts: talk about it if you want to, otherwise just listen

Here are examples of ideas about what Mentors can help with:

Advice and examples if you need…
- to write a grant proposal
- to get known
- to Network at Conferences
-to join a Proposal Review Panel, Journal refereeing
- to invite others to visit and give talks
- to use time effectively
- to learn when and how to say “yes” or “no” to professional tasks
- to make sure you are clear about the scope of something you agree to do, and that you have made clear the level of commitment you can bring
- to take on something new as a chance to let go of something else
- to work with people who seem to be good at getting things done

Remember, you should have different mentors for different activities (teaching, research, etc)

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The final breakfast this week:

Cluster Breakfast, Friday 1/06/07 at 8:00

Any queries: ask Paul Lefrere (or mail p.lefrere@open.ac.uk)

Gender Mainstreaming Breakfast

Gender Mainstreaming Breakfast
(same pattern as other breakfasts: each table should have at least one Senior Faculty, who will share insights into issues that Junior Faculty want to discuss)

Here are examples of Gender Mainstreaming issues that have been raised in other meetings:

- taking Gender Mainstreaming into account, how to get the best out of attending a conference; how to get fair pay for a job (in some institutions, salaries offered depend upon gender); how to achieve fair recognition for contributions to research success
- how to achieve gender equality and over what time period
- how to recognise the scale of the problem in a university (what percentage of women are in top positions?)
- how to gain the support of male decision-makers, in planning moves to gender equality
- how to develop goal-oriented measures, and ways to reach those goals
For example,
- if there is high gender inequality, with a high percentage of women in lower positions, what steps can they or their university take to get them to qualify for advancement?
- do there need to be schemes to give female researchers special support (affirmative action), for example additional time for research, or extra money for equipment, or provision for child care?

Pattern that could be followed:

During the breakfast: participants will make notes on ideas that they think they could use to advance Gender Mainstreaming in their institution, without negatively affecting their careers.

After the breakfast: some time during the day, junior faculty will identify other attendees they think they could work with, in the weeks and months after the Summer School, to apply the ideas from the breakfast

Before leaving the Summer School: junior faculty will mail those other attendees, to begin the process of working together to achieve their joint goals.

After the Summer School: the Prolearn Academy team will set up a wiki to support attendees in achieving their goals.

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Other breakfasts this week (details to be circulated):

Mentoring Breakfast, Thursday 31/05/07 at 8:00
Cluster Breakfast, Friday 1/06/07 at 8:00

Any queries: ask Paul Lefrere (or mail p.lefrere@open.ac.uk)

Junior/Senior Faculty Breakfast

Junior/Senior Faculty Breakfast, Tuesday 29/05/07 at 8:00

Goal: to provide a forum for junior faculty to explore ways to advance their careers, discover or create opportunities, manage their research, and maximize the benefits from any teaching responsibilities.

Starter questions to raise during breakfast: see list below

Plan: each table will have at least one member of senior faculty, willing to share experiences / advise on how junior could implement their own ideas

During the breakfast: participants will make notes on ideas that they think they could use to advance their careers.

After the breakfast: some time during the day, junior faculty will identify other attendees they think they could work with, in the weeks and months after the Summer School, to apply the ideas from the breakfast

Before leaving the Summer School: junior faculty will mail those other attendees, to begin the process of working together to achieve their joint goals.

After the Summer School: the Prolearn Academy team will set up a wiki to support attendees in achieving their goals.

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Starter questions to raise during breakfast:

• What are some good strategies for getting a professorship or “habilitation”?
• How can junior faculty get reference letters and find the right reviewers to
promote their promotion?
• How should junior faculty balance their time: teaching/research, choosing
relevant conferences?
• How can faculty keep their field of research and investigation fresh?
• What is a good strategy for playing the publication game?
• What is a good strategy to get publications in high impact journals?
• What is the importance of being on editorial boards, organising conferences,
summer schools?
• What is a good strategy for getting the right kind of funding for research?

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Other breakfasts this week (details to be circulated):

Gender Mainstreaming Breakfast, Wednesday 30/05/07 at 8:00
Mentoring Breakfast, Thursday 31/05/07 at 8:00
Cluster Breakfast, Friday 1/06/07 at 8:00

Any queries: ask Paul Lefrere (or mail p.lefrere@open.ac.uk)