As a relatively new instructor (1 year), here are my two biggest challenges / thoughts: 1. I am continually concerned with the lack of true education in the college classroom these days. I would argue that getting a college degree is (for most) an exercise of time management versus gaining a true understanding of the subject they are learning. I have seen in both my students and (as) a student the weak grading scales, the limited amount of homework, the "subjective" grading used quite liberally and the overall lack of quality students advancing through college programs. I've even spoken to vice presidents and department heads at various colleges & universities about this issue as a student and was told "professors simply don't feel comfortable grading and sometimes that leads to higher grades". How can I find a balance of challenging these, what I would define as "norms" for today's college experience, by pushing the students harder; while not overstepping what an institution would define as "excessive" work or "expecting too much of 'our' student population"? 2. In my limited experience (learning & teaching), new faculty seem to be hired and "released" to teach without a true mentor to guide them in best practice, college norms, "unwritten rules", etc. It's one thing to continually go to your Dean for guidance, but it's another thing to be formally connected to another more senior instructor that isn't your "boss", but instead is (or could be) a guide. I believe the guidance and mentorship would be extremely beneficial in building exceptional new instructors, retention and feeling an overall sense of connection to your instutition. I'm not sure what the question is here, but I guess I'm wondering what other institutions do (if anything)?