From the time a new faculty member is hired until a final decision is made on promotion and tenure, his/her record will undergo constant scrutiny by departmental personnel committees, school and/or university-wide committees, external reviewers, and administrators. A formal and clear-cut mentoring system can benefit new faculty members: senior faculty members assigned as mentors would feel that they have the support, responsibility, and obligation to play a proactive role in establishing an ongoing relationship with the mentee; an explicit mentoring process may reduce the reluctance of the mentor and mentee to be in contact with one another; and others who evaluate a new hiree can contact the mentor. Guidelines regarding an "acceptable" record of scholarship involve the culture's parameters for publication, the publishing process for scholarly books and journal articles, and the relationship of professional associations to scholarly endeavors. Mentors must help the mentee balance teaching and research activities in ways that do not marginalize either activity. Strategies that may enhance and document effective teaching are preparing syllabi that acknowledge the academic climate; balancing student assignments with research deadlines; and enhancing and documenting teaching effectiveness and commitment. Mentors also need to protect junior faculty members from becoming over-extended in service initiatives without diminishing the import of these endeavors. If a productive and professionally committed faculty member becomes fully engaged in research, teaching, and service, the lines between these activities become blurred and the measure of success becomes internal. (Contains 10 references.) (RS)