On September 27, 2023, the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) held the first workshop of the Staff Mentoring Program (SMP), focusing on "Exploring Character Strengths for Enhanced Professional Growth." The session was facilitated by Dr. Edith Yan, an Educational Developer at CTL. The workshop attracted 8 staff members, or 4 mentor-mentee pairs, for interactive sessions.

Group photo of all participants

Professor Adrian Bailey, Chair Professor and Special Advisor to the President, inaugurated the workshop by delivering a welcome address underscoring the importance of mentorship in our professional growth.

The SMP aims to help new academic staff, particularly Lecturers or Assistant Professors, adapt to their roles at UIC. The program is about building strong mentor-mentee relationships, sharing experiences, and supporting the professional growth of new staff during their first year of teaching.

Attended colleagues during the workshop

During the workshop, the participants gained insights about their unique character strengths and how they can use these strengths in their teaching. This understanding can enhance the effective delivery of their courses in the future. The workshop also addressed what mentors and mentees can expect from each other. After the workshop, the collaboration continued. Mentees started working on their action plans, and mentors were there to support them, giving feedback and guidance.

Attended colleagues had a heated discussion with each other