General Mentoring Coordinator#

Mentor#

Teaching Mentor#

Text modified from a document produced by Tim Roberts, 4th December 2018

Background#

Each research section within the Department of Physics has a teaching mentor. However, the role of teaching mentors has become somewhat ill-defined in recent years. This document is an attempt to clarify the core responsibilities for this role.

Responsibilities#

  1. Mentoring staff in meeting the requirement for Advance HE Fellowship: The Professional Recognition Pathway (PRP) is the University’s accredited route to Advance HE Fellowship for staff who teach or support learning. The PRP is run by the Durham Centre for Academic Development (https://durhamuniversity.sharepoint.com/teams/ProfessionalRecognitionPathway). Through PRP, applicants gain professional recognition aligned to the Professional Standards Framework (PSF 2023), evidencing their practice through reflective written application (a dialogic route also exists for Senior and Principal Fellowship). Teaching mentors may support staff in the PRP including through mentoring. Note, however, DCAD are now asking that mentors are themselves Fellows of the Higher Education Academy, hence our teaching mentors must have this qualification to be able to fulfil their role.
  2. Support for staff with low MEQ scores: Teaching Mentors should work with the Director of Education in providing advice and support for staff that receive low MEQ scores, including conducting peer observations of teaching activities where required.
  3. General support for teaching activity within their research group: The teaching mentor should ensure that staff within their research section are aware of their role and should be prepared to provide support to staff where requested. In the case of staff that are new to teaching (including PDRAs and other non-academic track staff) the teaching mentors should be pro-active in offering support.
  4. Sharing good practice: The teaching mentors may also be called upon to assist in the general sharing of good practice, for example in the Annual Review of Teaching Programmes meeting.

In addition to the above Teaching Mentors should also provide support to new exam setters.

Last updated 2026/03/29