Author: Jennifer Henry, Launch Program Manager, University of Michigan
Starting a faculty position is exciting—and overwhelming. New assistant professors are expected to quickly learn the “hidden curriculum” of academia: how things really work in their department, how to build networks across campus, how to navigate expectations for research, teaching, and service, and where to find resources that make success sustainable. Too often, that support depends on a single mentoring relationship that may be shaped by uneven access, limited time, or lack of structure.
The University of Michigan’s ADVANCE Program is addressing this challenge with Launch Committees—a constellation mentoring approach designed to strengthen onboarding, expand access to support, and cultivate belonging for all newly hired tenure-track assistant professors in partner units. Instead of relying on one senior mentor, Launch brings together a small network of people who share responsibility for helping new junior faculty members thrive during their first year at U-M.
What makes Launch different is both its structure and its flexibility. The program is built around institutional demystification, structured socialization, and professional development—helping new faculty gain clarity on expectations, build productive interdisciplinary relationships, and identify strategies that fit their goals and career trajectory. While a uniform committee composition and meeting cadence are managed centrally, agendas and discussions are shaped by the mentee and their constellation of mentors ensuring the individualized experience is responsive to real needs as they arise.
Launch Committees were developed with an explicit focus on access and inclusion. Each interdisciplinary committee includes five faculty members: the new assistant professor, their department chair, and three additional senior faculty mentors selected for complementary expertise and overlapping interests. One mentor serves as the committee convener and is trained in facilitation and mentorship best practices. The committee meets monthly for the new assistant professor’s first year in a non-evaluative environment —meaning the goal is guidance and support, not assessment. At the conclusion of the first year, committees build a mentorship plan for the coming years.
Interested in how constellation mentoring models like the Launch Program can improve faculty onboarding, strengthen retention, and advance equitable career trajectories? Join our upcoming webinar to learn how Launch Committees work, what participants report gaining from the experience, and how this model can be adapted across a variety of faculty communities.