The lead mentor works within the Michigan Consortium for Addressing Rural Education Expansion and Retention (MiCAREER) Resource Hub. Mentors are experienced educators who guide candidates through the educator credentialing process while fostering professional growth and confidence. Mentors play a vital role in addressing the teacher shortage by supporting candidates’ unique needs and strengthening school communities. MiCAREER mentoring work is centered around relationships and community building. In addition, the lead mentor will assist the faculty appointed mentoring coordinator in managing the mentoring program for MiCAREER. This includes onboarding new mentors, maintaining a mentoring handbook, assisting in the development of new supports, and working with districts to connect the MiCAREER program with induction programs. Furthermore, they will assist in the submission of hours for temporary mentors. MiCAREER is a consortium of universities that includes CMU, EMU, MSU, SVSU and NMU.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree.
Three years of experience working in PK\-12 schools or higher education.
Strong organizational and problem\-solving skills.
Ability to plan, establish priorities, and handle multiple tasks and projects.
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and project a positive attitude.
Experienced, credentialed (or formerly credentialed) educator with a strong understanding of classroom practice and professional standards.
Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills, with the ability to mentor adults using an asset\-based, supportive approach.
Commitment to relationship\-based mentoring and building community within schools and among colleagues.
Flexibility to adapt support to the various needs of candidates, especially in rural or under\-resourced communities.
Ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree.
Five years of experience working in PK\-12 schools or higher education.
Familiarity with academic advising, admissions, and/or student affairs in a higher education setting.
Duties \& Responsibilities
Builds strong trust\-based relationships with candidates from the start of their MiCAREER journey.
Provides individualized support tailored to candidate logistical goals and challenges (MiCAREER tasks), including instructional practices, MTTC preparation, and professional development.
Advances logistical questions to the mentoring coordinator and troubleshoots challenges as needed.
Serves as a knowledgeable guide to participants through credentialing requirements and program expectations.
Fosters collaboration, reflection, and resilience through coaching conversations and ongoing check\-ins.
Participates in mentor training and professional learning to ensure alignment with program practices.
Contributes to the growth of the MiCAREER mentoring model by sharing insights, refining supports, and collaborating with fellow mentors.
Assists the mentoring coordinator with partnership proposals to apply for grant funds with district partners.
Develops and implements trainings for new mentors.
Develops policies and procedures in coordination with the mentoring coordinator, ensuring that policies are properly maintained in a mentoring handbook.
Submits mentoring hours in TimeClock Plus for all temporary mentors.
Serves as the main point of contact for MiCAREER policies for mentors.
Supervision Exercised
None.
Message to Applicants
Central Michigan University is dedicated to fostering an environment that is reflective of the communities we serve. We are especially interested in highly qualified candidates who will advance and promote CMU’s mission, vision, and leadership standards.
You must submit an on\-line application in order to be considered as an applicant for this position.
Cover letters may be addressed to the Hiring Committee.
Applicants must submit letters of recommendation. To include recommendation letters, please utilize the Recommendation Letters upload field.
Even though initial grant funding for this position is scheduled to end on September 30 ,2026, the department has funding set aside to continue this position through September 30, 2028\.
Central Michigan University has a Flexible Worksite Policy. Some flexible worksite arrangements may be possible for this position in accordance with this policy.
Employee Group Professional \& Administrative \-Salary
Staff Pay Level
Pay Range $50,000 \- $60,000 per year
Division Academic Affairs
Department Teacher \& Special Education
Position Status Provisional
Position End Date 09/30/2026
Employment Status Full\-Time
FTE 1\.0
Position Type 12 month
Weekly Work Schedule Mon\-Fri, 8:00 a.m. \- 5:00 p.m. / weekends and evenings as needed
Location Mount Pleasant, MI
About the Department
About CMU
Central Michigan University has a more than 125\-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and in their personal and professional lives.
We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, master’s, specialist and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence.
CMU leads the nation in leadership development programming through our Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute, and we are proud to be among only 5% of U.S. universities in the top two Carnegie research classifications. Our faculty work with graduate and undergraduate students in areas such as Great Lakes research, medical innovation, engineering technology and more.
Central is home to 17 men’s and women’s Division 1 sports including football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, wrestling and more. Our student\-athletes achieve great success in competition and in the classroom, capturing Mid\-American Conference championships and maintaining an average cumulative GPA of 3\.17\.
CMU is located in Mount Pleasant, a community that blends the best of small\-town living with big\-city amenities. It’s part of the culturally varied and vibrant Great Lakes Bay Region that also includes Saginaw, Bay City, Midland and the state’s largest Native American community, centered on the Saginaw Chippewa Isabella Reservation in Mount Pleasant.
Area residents enjoy the mix of outdoor activities, cultural events, shopping and dining options, and family attractions. Other major Michigan destinations and attractions — Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Traverse City, wineries, beaches, golf and ski resorts, and many more — are within easy reach of the city’s central location in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
CMU employees enjoy access to a nationally recognized wellness program along with health care and benefits that exceed regional, state and national norms.
CMU Leadership Standards
Central Michigan University is a place where we value students and work for their success, where we act as family, and where employees are engaged, appreciated and have extraordinary opportunities to make a difference.
We intentionally maintain and strengthen the hallmark CMU culture that sets us apart from our peers by expecting CMU leaders and employees to model the following Leadership Standards and develop them within their teams.
Please review the Leadership Standards before applying for this position.