A National Mentoring and Buddying Pilot Scheme for UK Early Career CS Academics

Abstract

In the UK, a thriving computer science education community of practice is emerging, supported by national and international professional body/learned society specialist interest groups, and being developed through relevant research and practice conferences. A key group within this emerging community of practice are early career academics who are required to overcome significant obstacles in the early stages of their academic career, from developing an independent research career, delivering high quality learning and teaching, continuing their own professional development, alongside wider academic service commitments. Institutional-level, but generally subject-agnostic, support for early career colleagues in the UK is supplemented by nationwide developmental sessions and initiatives such as journal clubs. This poster reports on a developing pilot scheme to support early career CS academics through cross-institutional mentoring from experienced academics, as well as buddying groups of similar career stage colleagues.