Network introduces new faculty members to CBH

“When you are new to an organisation, there is quite a lot to learn, and it is not always easy to get the information you need. The network for new faculty members is a way of providing everyone with information and giving them the opportunity to ask questions to those who are actually responsible for the issues,” says Mats Jonsson, who is Head of faculty renewal, FFA, at CBH.

As FFA, Mats Jonsson is chair of the faculty board's recruitment committee, which is responsible for recruiting new faculty members, but he is also responsible for faculty development and career progression.

Missing networks

One of the first things Jonsson did when he started at FFA was to go around and talk to the school's assistant professors to hear how they felt about their situation and what kind of support they thought would be good to have.

“I noticed that they felt there was a lack of some kind of internal network at CBH and that they thought it would be good to have some kind of mentor. That was really the starting point for creating the network,” he says.

The network is aimed at newly employed faculty, primarily assistant professors but also lecturers who do not have a background at KTH. The network meets at least once per term. Participation is voluntary, but all new employees are offered the opportunity to join. Depending on the theme, various responsible parties from within or outside the school are invited to the meetings.

Addressing ambiguities

“We address issues that may be of interest. This afternoon, we have a meeting about undergraduate education. The last meeting was about economics, and we have had a meeting where we discussed supervision and qualifying for a docent position. We try to address issues that may be unclear when you are new to CBH and KTH,” Jonsson says.

He explains that CBH's network for new faculty members can be seen as a complement to the PIL programme, Partners in Learning, which is aimed at assistant professors throughout KTH.

Highs and lows

You can talk about highs and lows with your mentor. According to Mats Jonsson, one advantage is that, because CBH is relatively heterogeneous, it is possible to find mentors who work in areas that are not so close to your own field of research.

“If you have specific problems in your environment, it is easier to talk to someone who is far away than to discuss them with a mentor who is also your boss,” he says.

What do you hope this will lead to?

"Firstly, I hope that new employees will feel that they have complete and accurate information so that they know how KTH and CBH work for their own benefit. For the sake of the activities and the school, it is important that everyone has the right information about how things work, as this facilitates the school's operations. Then I want everyone in the network to find each other, have the opportunity to collaborate and exchange experiences. The people who are part of the network will be at a fairly good stage in terms of career progression. It's about making them feel like they are part of KTH so that they are not newcomers after seven years, which can certainly happen sometimes," Jonsson says.

Text: Sabina Fabrizi ( sabina@kth.se )