Our goals for the mentoring program include:
- Explore and discuss different career paths, companies and industries;
- Facilitate community building, character development and career advancement for both
- Help equip the mentee with skills and tools needed to make sound career decisions;
- Assist the mentee with establishing and accomplishing short and long-term goals, both personal and professional;
- Improve the mentee’s leadership, teamwork, creative thinking, decision making, and interpersonal skills; mentors and mentees.
Student Responsibilities
Mentoring is an equal partnership between two individuals; mentees are expected to put forth as much effort as their mentors! Your mentor will help you make progress towards both your personal and professional goals, but keep the following recommendations in mind:
- With your mentor, decide on preferred method and frequency of contact; listen and respect the opportunities, limitations and format of the relationship.
- Be proactive in reaching out to and scheduling 1:1 meetings with your mentor.
- Respect your mentor’s time as you do your own; respond to messages or calls within two business days and notify your mentor no fewer than 24 hours in advance if you expect to miss a scheduled meeting.
- Create an agenda for each mentor meeting (e.g., prepare questions; suggest discussion topics). We’ll do this in class.
- Keep your mentor informed of academic progress, achievements or difficulties.
- Ask for honest feedback and take action on it.
- Assume the mentoring relationship will be strictly professional; be friendly, but do discuss, agree on, and respect personal boundaries.
Adapted from the USF mentoring handbook.