The Leading and Inspiring Faculty Together (LIFT) Mentoring Circle Program is designed to support institutional goals for faculty retention and success and to further the institutionalization of high-quality mentoring as a distinctive feature of IU Indianapolis. LIFT builds upon and complements formal and informal mentoring opportunities hosted in schools and departments.
LIFT fosters a community of support and interdependence that assists participants in navigating university systems so they can thrive and be successful. Mentoring Circles (MCs) hosted under the auspices of LIFT:
- Provide opportunities for faculty to develop mutually supporting, collegial relationships with peers across campus that:
- enhance their sense of belonging, job satisfaction, and professional agency.
- honor their strengths and identities as part of a thriving workplace.
- attend to and work to mitigate implicit biases that inhibit advancing the above goals.
- Expand the range of mentoring experiences available to and designed for faculty regardless of appointment type.
- Facilitate knowledge and skill development that promotes faculty success across teaching, research, and service.