Eminent Scholar

Purpose: The Eminent Scholar Program facilitates a mentoring relationship between a newly-hired UMBC tenure-track Assistant professor and a prominent researcher in their field. This relationship will be established to provide a connection for the UMBC faculty member to their larger research community in order to enhance their success as they advance through the ranks of academia.

Activity Requirements: Participation in the program entails regular contact (e.g. at least one time per semester) between the mentor and the mentee). During the 2-year award period the mentor will visit UMBC and give a seminar and the UMBC faculty member travel to the mentor’s institution to likewise give a seminar.

Provost Office Roles/Responsibilities:

  • Funding: The Provost Office provides $3,000 in start-up funds allocated on the new faculty start-up worksheet to support participation in the program during the first 2 years of hire.
  • Reporting: The Provost Office (Autumn Reed) is responsible for collecting Eminent Scholar End of Mentoring Relationship Reports from each Deans Office in June of each academic year.

Dean Office Roles/Responsibilities:

The Deans Office is responsible for administrating the program within their college and submitting the Eminent Scholar End of Relationship Report at the end of each faculty member’s 2-year award program.

  • Selection: After the Dean has approved the relationship, the Eminent Scholar will be sent one letter from the Dean to participate in this relationship and one letter from the chair explaining the program.
  • Funding: The Deans Office is also responsible for returning an unexpended funds to the Provost Office at the end of each faculty member’s 2-year award program. 

Department Chair/Program Director Roles/Responsibilities: 

  • Selection: The chair/program director is responsible for working with the new assistant professor to identify an Eminent Scholar Mentor. Ideally, this should work should begin once the new hire has accepted their offer as part of their welcoming and on-boarding process. After the mentor has been identified, the chair should notify the Dean of the selection by email. The following information should be included in the email:
    • UMBC Information
      Faculty member, title, email and telephone number
    • Eminent Scholar Mentor Information
      Name, university, title, email and telephone number
    • Semester of Eminent Scholar’s intended visit
      Contact information of the person in your department to work with while coordinating the visit

After the Dean has approved the relationship, the Eminent Scholar will be sent one letter from the Dean to participate in this relationship and one letter from the chair explaining the program.

  • Funding: Logistics for travel, visits, and funding should be made in partnership with the UMBC Assistant Professor’s home department and Dean’s Office. All meals and expenses should adhere to UMBC Travel guidelines
  • Reporting: The Assistant Professor and Chair/Program Director are responsible for completing the Eminent Scholar End of Relationship Report and submitting it to their Deans Office at the conclusion of the 2-year mentoring relationship.

Eminent Scholar Program Expenditures:

  • The $3,000 in funding may only be used to support participation in the program
  • Any remaining funds must be returned to the Provost Office at the conclusion of the 2-year mentoring relationship.
  • Funds may be used to cover:
    • Travel
    • Hotel
    • Meals
    • Honorarium

QUESTIONS

UMBC Faculty: Please direct any questions related to the Eminent Scholar Program to your Dean’s Office.