Faculty Mentor Program

The purpose of the NATA Foundation Faculty Mentor Program is to:

1) Support and facilitate the transition of new athletic training faculty member into the faculty culture as they navigate their development as a new faculty member in higher education.

2) Provide a supportive external environment for the athletic training faculty member as they develop as a teacher, researcher, and professional while seeking tenure and promotion.

3) Form a lasting relationship to help the mentee build a solid knowledge base and acquire an understanding of the balance necessary to becoming a successful researcher and educator.

Direction of the relationship and areas of focus will be built upon the mutual interests and goals of the pairings. Each mentor and mentee will work together to set expectations for the relationship.

Review the Faculty Mentor Program Overview to learn more about the program, requirements, expectations and timeline.

Mentee Prerequisites
  • Completed doctoral training
  • Currently working as a faculty member in higher education
  • Less than 6 years of experience as a faculty member
  • An academic rank no higher than assistant professor
  • Active scholarship and research agenda
  • Current NATA member and BOC-certified athletic trainer in good standing
Mentor Prerequisites
  • Completed doctoral trainingCurrently working as a faculty member in higher education
  • Minimum of 6 years experience as a faculty member
  • An academic rank of associate professor or higher
  • Active scholarship and research agenda
  • Current NATA member and BOC-certified athletic trainer in good standing

PROGRAM TIMELINE:

  1. Mentor pairings in late April/early May.
  2. Attend the NATA Foundation Mentor event at the NATA Convention for face to face meeting with mentor/mentee
  3. Establish timeline with mentor/mentee for planned, frequent communication that meets the needs and expectations of each pair.
  4. Consider scheduling a meeting every 2-3 months where you check in to discuss your progress, goals, and plan of action for the following 3 months. Allow this to be an open conversation where each individual can reflect upon how the mentoring relationship is going thus far and what each individual’s goals are. Suggested discussion points include:
    • Discuss your overall level of satisfaction with your mentoring relationship at this stage. What characteristics do you value in your mentor/mentee?
    • Discuss your interactions with your mentor/mentee since you began the program. How frequently and in what way do you interact? Discuss what is going well and what areas may need to be improved.
    • Discuss where you are at in the process of meeting your goals of the mentor relationship. What road-blocks have you faced and how have you/do you plan to overcome them
  5. Mentor program participants are invited back to the Mentor Luncheon at the conclusion of their first year of participation to meet with their mentor and network with other participants.

HOW TO APPLY:

Those interested in participating in the program should complete and submit an application, along with a current CV to Kathryn LaLonde at kathrynl@nata.org by March 15.

Mentee Application
Mentor Application