HOTCUS: Call for mentors and mentees

In summer 2018, HOTCUS launched a new mentoring programme to provide additional service to the field of modern American history. The programme offers an opportunity for PGRs, ECRs and mid-career scholars to access advice from those further on in their careers, supplementing more generic sources of career support available at their home institutions with field-specific guidance.

After a successful trial period, HOTCUS now invites expression of interest from HOTCUS members who would like to serve as mentors or who would appreciate access to a dedicated mentor from within the organization for the next two years.

Selection of mentors and mentees from the pool of applicants will be based on needs and availability, though the committee is also particularly keen to encourage applications from members of social groups under-represented in the field of US history as practised in the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe.

The HOTCUS committee will be responsible for matching mentors and mentees and for monitoring the programme as it develops.

The mentoring relationship will work as follows:

  1. Mentoring consultations at least twice a year (no more than four times). Ideally, one of these meetings would be face-to-face, most obviously at the HOTCUS annual conference; others could occur via Skype or telephone.
  2. The mentoring relationship should be mentee-led, focused on the issues most pressing for the mentee. These might include work-life balance, experience with teaching and administrative work, overcoming obstacles, thinking strategically about their career, either inside or outside academia, publishing, next research steps, grant capture, networking, etc.
  3. Sensitivity to limits: the mentoring relationship should not undermine the supervisory relationships or sources of career support available to the mentee at their own institution. The mentee should recognize the difference between a mentor and a patron.
  4. Monitoring: the HOTCUS committee will ask for brief annual reports on the progress of the mentoring relationship from both mentee and mentor in order to assess the value of the programme.

If you would like to take part in the mentoring scheme for the period 2020-22, please contact Uta Balbier, HOTCUS Vice-Chair, at [email protected]. We would like to receive expressions of interest by the end of October. These should include a brief CV (no more than two pages). Potential mentors should provide a short statement on their mentoring experience (if applicable) and research expertise;  potential mentees should provide a summary of current mentoring needs (current career stage, aspirations, perceived obstacles, particular issues which you would value raising with a mentor).