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University of the People Mentorship Program Mentee’s Guide
University of the People Mentorship Program
Mentee’s Guide
Introduction
Dear Student, Welcome to the UoPeople Mentorship Program! A central goal of this program is to support students in meeting their personal, academic and career goals by offering them the opportunity to enter into a collaborative relationship with a mentor who will be focused on their success. Mentors will offer support, encouragement, motivation and share skills that will help students be successful in their academic studies and beyond. The role of mentor will be filled by UoPeople volunteers who have chosen to donate their time and skills to the University to support our students through mentorship. Done right, mentoring is one of the most powerful and efficient tools to help you grow and advance. But to make it work, you need to pursue your goals with diligence and commitment. We have prepared this “Mentee’s Guide” to show you how. You will find out:
• What mentoring is • What your role as mentee is
You will also learn how to: • Launch a successful mentoring relationship • Set up your mentoring development plan • Measure your success • Close the mentoring relationship
We hope the relationship between you and your mentor will be a close and supportive one, inspiring you to work your hardest and motivating you to do your very best throughout your studies. Best regards, UoPeople Mentorship Program Office For general guidelines and program
information, please contact: [email protected]
Section 1
What is Mentoring?
What to Expect? 1
The Role of the Mentor 1
Benefits 2
What Does Good Mentoring Look Like? 3
Section 2
Your Role as Mentee
Self Reflection 4
Responsibilities 4
Section 3
Getting Started
The First Three Meetings 5
First Meeting Checklist 6
Requirements and Recommendations 6
Section 4
Development Plan
Setting Your Goals 7
Section 5
Measure and Celebrate Success
Move in the Right Direction 8
Section 6
Mentoring Closing
Recap 9
Appendix Partnership Agreement Confidentiality Agreement Contact Information at UoPeople
What to Expect?
“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” – John Crosby
Mentoring is a powerful personal development tool. It is a collaborative learning partnership between two people (mentor and mentee), where both participants share their interests and work and discuss real-time issues and questions. It is a helpful relationship based upon mutual trust and respect. It requires active sharing and listening from both sides. Everyone benefits and everyone learns. It is most successful when it is focused on specific goals.
Development
A collaborative learning environment
Team Work
Shared Interest Apply Focus Set Goals Clear Communication
Trust & Respect Active Listening Be Pro-Active
Utilize Values Take Responsibility
Section One What is Mentoring?
Page 1
It is the process of working together to discover and develop your (the mentee’s)
abilities. Mentoring provides you with an opportunity to think about your personal, academic and career options and progress. It is about becoming more self aware, taking responsibility for your life and steering it the direction you decide, rather than leaving it to chance.
The Role of the Mentor In this program, you will be connected to an
experienced and empathic person (your mentor) to guide you in the examination and development of your own ideas, learning and personal growth. Your mentor will be your guide who can help you find the right direction, develop your skills, and think about next steps after graduating from the University.
The mentor will have a lot of experience to share but it is most important that she listens to you and motivates you to do your very best throughout your studies. Your mentor will be there to provide counseling and encouragement but also to challenge you and ask questions. Your mentor will allow you to explore new ideas in confidence. It is a chance to look more closely at yourself, your issues, opportunities and what you want in life.
Section Two - 3 - What is Mentoring? Section One
What is Mentoring? Page 2
Your mentor is expected to: • Be a resource
• Provide feedback
• Allocate time and energy
• Help develop a learning plan
• Follow through on commitments
… and not expected to: • Drive the relationship
• Do most of the talking at meetings
• Do work for you, including helping you with
academic assignments
• Be an expert in all areas of development
• Develop a friendship
Benefits
For the mentee • Access expert knowledge and advice: mentoring provides a place to discuss concerns and challenges
• Learn from experience: accelerated learning through working with a mentor and role-model
• Broaden business knowledge, network and perspectives
• Increased confidence and motivation
• Opportunities to practice in an environment dedicated to their development
For the mentor • Volunteers choose mentoring because they get satisfaction from helping others
• Open conversations that build new ideas
• Productive use of own knowledge and experience
• Active involvement in the development of a student and their future
• Advancement of coaching skills
Section Three - 4 - Getting Started Section One
What is Mentoring? Page 3
Benefits
Most of us realize mentoring is beneficial if we want to develop and advance in our personal, academic and
professional lives but what should quality mentoring involve, exactly? Here are some ground principles:
Open Dialogue with high degree of trust and respect
• Spend some time to get to know each other first (e.g. education, personal interests, communication style
etc.). “Clicking” with someone personally empowers and motivates you to do your best. Sometimes that
matters even more than expertise.
• Keep the scope of topics you discuss broad. Share your interests and plans for the future so that your
mentor can keep them on their radar. This creates more opportunities to share relevant ideas.
• Respect confidentiality on both sides. If you have concerns about any aspects of the communication, air
them at the start. Signing a confidentiality agreement at the beginning of mentoring guarantees mutual
discretion.
• Accept and provide constructive/direct feedback. Avoid defensiveness - if you are defensive, you may
never get feedback again.
• Be sincere. Productive mentoring demands candor - admitting your mistakes and revealing your fears,
doubts, and limitations.
• Listen - if you are receiving feedback, allow
the other person to complete what they are
saying
• Clarify understanding - ask questions to
ensure you understand the feedback
• Appreciate - let the person providing the
feedback know that you appreciate their
input and perspective
• Practice - work with the mentor to role play
life situations you are discussing in
preparation of changing your behavior
100% attention: being present for each other is up to each pair
What Does Good Mentoring look Like?
Before you enter the mentoring relationship, there is some preparation that you will need to do. Preliminary
work might take a little longer than you expect. Why so? In part because you will be interacting remotely, via
Skype or Google + and e-mail. With a long-distance relationship, you lose a number of the cues we take for
granted in face-to-face communication. Spending some time on self-evaluation before you begin your mentoring
relationship will improve your chances of success.
Self-evaluation means thinking of your strengths, development needs, career and life goals and objectives.
Remember who you are and take pride of your latest achievements. You will need this self-confidence to get
what you want out of the mentoring relationship.
If you are interested, there are some shortcuts worth considering. Before you begin your mentoring sessions, you
may want to complete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or some comparable personality assessment, if you
haven’t already done so. The results can give you and your mentor quick insight into your strengths and preferred
styles of work, collaboration, and leadership. When you meet, you can say, for instance, “I’m an INTP” (it stands
for Introversion, Intuition, Thinking, and Perceiving). If it has been a while since your mentor has visited a Myers-
Briggs website (website), remind them what INTP means: You’re interested more in ideas than in social
interaction, you’re flexible and adaptable…
As mentee you are expected to: • Initiate and drive the relationship
• Identify initial learning goals
• Seek feedback
• Take an active role in your own
learning
• Initiate meetings and discussions
• Allocate time and energy
• Follow through on commitments
Be pro-active The most successful mentoring experiences are those in which the mentee takes the initiative and truly
drives the partnership. In a mentee-driven partnership, the mentee determines the pace, route and destination. The mentor is then able to offer insights and counsel that is focused on the mentee’s objectives.
Responsibilities
… and not expected to:
• Know all the questions you should ask
• Get things right the first time
• Be submissive in the relationship
• Develop a friendship
Self Reflection Section Two
Your Role as Mentee Page 4
Initiation of your mentoring is a critical component of its success. The first meetings with your mentor should aim
at achieving clarity of commitment and expectations. This is also the time to look into the Confidentiality
Agreement. Be sure to agree with the content with your mentor upfront. You can also start setting some goals for
the mentoring relationship (See more details in the Section 4) during these meetings.
One more way to set the stage for mentoring success is attending to logistics: if your energies are low late in the
day, aim for morning sessions. These details may seem small, but they affect the quality of the exchange. Make
sure the time and arrangement is comfortable for both of you - you are more likely to give mentoring the time
and attention if deserves when time and set up is convenient for both of you.
Here is a sample agenda for your first three meetings to get you going:
First Meeting: Establish relationship, define general direction of relationship Get to know each other first – use open ended questions: • What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work? Set Expectations • Mentee shares general goals/objectives • Agree on boundaries and confidentiality (see program agreement) • Commit to holding each other accountable • Scheduling: how often/when/rescheduling process Set general agenda for next meeting
Third Meeting: Continue building trust, clarify learning objectives/goals Relationship check-in • What was the most productive discussion or
dialogue you had last week? • What was the least productive? Explain why. Continue to discuss goals Finalize Partnership Agreement Set general agenda for next meeting
Second Meeting: Continue building trust, clarify learning objectives/goals Relationship check-in • What happened since the last meeting that was energizing? • Did anything happen that lowered your energy? Explain why. • What can we learn from these events? Use key questions to establish goals in the Partnership Agreement. For each written goal… • How does mentoring fit into your larger goals, personal
development? • Explore what possible objectives you can specify as part of
mentoring and their attainability • Explore measurability/time issues • When do we set first progress checkpoint/what is evaluation
criteria? Set general agenda for next meeting
The First Three Meetings Section Three
Getting Started Page 5
Requirements and Recommendations Requirements Set up initial goals (mentee) See section 4
Set up a Partnership Agreement: mentor/mentee agree on the goals, expectations, how they will work together
and how they will achieve their success.
• Agreement should be in place by the end of the third meeting of the mentor/mentee relationship
• Relationship can be stopped at any time if the student requests this but only after discussion with the
UoPeople Mentorship Program Office
• Relationship can be stopped at any time if the mentor discontinues their relationship with UoPeople due to
unforeseen circumstances
Confidentiality
• Mentee and mentor should discuss their perspective on confidentiality at the first meeting and complete a
Confidentiality Agreement
Recommendations
Suggested frequency, duration and location
• 1 hour meeting monthly, as a minimum
• Discuss schedule and tool for communicating between monthly meetings
• Duration of partnership - minimum of 1 year, may last for duration of studies
• Virtual meetings via Skype or equivalent
First Meeting Checklist Get to Know Each Other
Establish Guidelines
When and where will we meet?
How will we schedule meetings?
How will we communicate between meetings?
Will there be any fixed agenda items to be discussed at every meeting?
How will we exchange feedback?
How will we measure success?
Section Three Getting Started
Page 6
Setting Your Goals
A very important part of maintaining fruitful and
efficient mentoring is to work on a specific development plan. That means setting up some goals and development activities to achieve these goals.
You will need to do some homework between the first couple of meetings to set some goals for yourself. As a guideline, try to stick to three goals for the relationship. If you include more than that, you may have trouble taking in what your mentor has to offer.
You also need clearly defined goals. Goals need to be measured to track completion. Be aware that for some of the goals there may not be many metrics, instead you may need to refer to comments to evaluate success rates.
Mentors are key to successful goal setting. Draft your initial goals and agree to them with your mentor. Please use the Partnership Agreement template that you received in your welcome package to fill in your goals.
Goals need to be SMART What this means is that they must be:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Results-oriented
Time-bound
You need specific short and long-term objectives for the relationship. Goals are the road map for the relationship and targets for achievement. They must be easy to understand. Make sure you spell them out clearly for your mentor so you have the same understanding of them. They must be written down, have time frames, and be measurable.
How do you come up with your goals?
Try the following questions to guide your thinking: 1. What do you really want to be and do? Examine not only your personal, academic and career goals but also your driving passions in life. 2. What are you doing well that will help you get there? Which core strengths will best serve you? Your ability to communicate and influence people? Your careful management of detailed operations? 3. What are you not doing well that will prevent you from getting there? Take an honest look at the roadblocks, challenges, or weaknesses that are slowing you down. 4. What will you do differently tomorrow to meet those challenges? 5. Where do you need the most help - and who can provide it? Once you work your way through the questions above, you will be ready to articulate your goals for the mentoring relationship. Goals then need to be tied to your development plan. That means you should think with your mentor of development solution(s) to help you achieve each goal.
Section Four Development Plan
Page 7
Move In the Right Direction
Once you have established your expectations for the mentoring relationship and set your goals, you will be ready
to make progress - and measure it.
After articulating your goals, you will need to chart a clear path to get where you are going. Work with your
mentor to create milestones - they will give your plans direction and help you measure your progress. Without
milestones, it is not so clear where you started, what you got out of the relationship, and how that benefited you
at the end. The milestones you agree on will keep you honest and help you get value from your mentoring over
time.
Evaluation: Mid-year, Yearly, and End • Every six months of the mentoring relationship: mid-year/yearly, evaluate the progress against goals and
plans. Re-assess and refocus efforts as necessary
• At the end of the mentoring relationship, do a thorough reflection and evaluation against goals (both
mentor and mentee)
• Inform Program Manager about results
Celebrate Success Celebrating your achievements is about recognizing and rewarding your and your mentor’s efforts, getting closure on experiences, and marking progress. But it is also about changing how you think about yourself, taking pride in who you are, and expressing your growing inner power! Showcase your accomplishments. Tell others about your mentoring experience and share what you have achieved through mentoring. Honor your mentor in an important way. Thank them for generously volunteering their time and also for the specifics of how they are helping you. Have a celebration meeting/call with your mentor. Dedicate a meeting especially to discussing what you both learned from each other, express gratitude, and have some fun! Feel the pride. Enjoy your wins and remember how it feels to accomplish your goals – the more proud you feel about yourself, the more confident you will be to meet your next challenges.
Section Five Measure and Celebrate Success
Page 8
And remember: the key is effective mentoring - and it’s
up to YOU to go get it.
• Spell out clear, realistic goals • Create a strong bond with your mentor • Measure your progress • Celebrate your achievements!
Recap
Last piece of advice: some mentee Dos and Don’ts Do • Take initiative • Be respectful of mentor’s time • Clarify goals and expectations • Practice self reflection • Keep you goals list and development plan up-to-date
Don’t • Be passive - don’t wait for the mentor to initiate interactions • Be late, disorganized • Come unprepared to the meetings
Reference Material: HBR Guide to Getting the Mentoring You Need, Harvard Business Review, 2012
UCSF Mentoring Toolkit, Adapted from the Faculty Mentoring Facilitator Toolkit July 2007 What is Mentoring? Mentor SET: http://www.mentorset.org.uk/pages/mentoring.htm
HP Internal Recourses and Mentoring Guides
Closing It is expected that you meet with your mentor at least once per month until the natural conclusion of your
mentoring relationship. If during that period either you or your mentor have a justified reason to step out of the program, that is an option. If you need to stop participation, you need to inform the UoPeople Mentorship Program Office. At the end of your mentoring relationship, you will receive a notification and program evaluation survey from the UoPeople Mentorship Program Office. You can also continue informal mentorship after official closing of the program or agree with your mentor that they remain available for guidance and questions.
Section Six Mentoring Closing
Page 9
Partnership Agreement
Appendix
Partnership Agreement
Appendix
Partnership Agreement
Appendix
Confidentiality Agreement
Appendix
Contact Information at UoPeople
Appendix
Contact Information at UoPeople: Learning More about UoPeople with the Goal of Helping your Mentee Find the Right UoPeople Office (Please refer to the current University Catalog available on our website, under “University Services and University Offices”, for up to date Contact information) Mentorship Program Students who have questions about the mentorship program that cannot be directed to their mentor or another department may contact Lori Chozick, Director of Volunteers and Mentorship Program Lead at [email protected] Course Instructors Students are encouraged to directly approach their Course Instructors about difficulties that they may have in their courses, grading, or peer assessment. The best way for a student to reach a Course Instructor is by sending a message to the Course Instructor inside UoPeople’s Virtual Learning Environment, Moodle. Office of Academic Affairs The Office of Academic Affairs oversees all aspects of the curriculum with a primary commitment to creating a dynamic atmosphere for student learning and success. In assisting students with advice pertaining to their academic studies and information regarding academic policies and procedures including incomplete grades, late withdrawals, administrative course withdrawals, and change of major or degree requests, the Office of Academic Affairs provides guidance and leadership to assist students in solving academic-related problems within their courses, peer assessment issues, communication with Course Instructors, and other general course-related issues. UoPeople Course Instructors are available to students via email throughout the academic year and students who have academic-related questions should contact their Course Instructor first. However, the Office of Academic Affairs is always available to provide support to all UoPeople students at
[email protected] Academic Advising The Office of Academic Advising is designed to be a partnership between UoPeople Academic Advisors
. Students may reach out to [email protected] students; Academic Advisors can be reached at the academic advising team as often as needed and are advised to be in touch with an academic advisor at least once a year to monitor degree progress. Academic Advisors work with students at the University of the People to answer questions and respond to concerns about academic progress, goals in attaining their degrees from the University, and challenges and decisions that need to be made throughout their academic studies.
Contact Information at UoPeople
Appendix
Academic Advising Virtual Office The Academic Advising Virtual Office (AAVO) is a resource center for students at the University, providing access to University academic advisors and academic mentors in Moodle, and allowing students to collectively support, assist, guide, and advise one another at the University through discussion forums. Designed as a gathering space to socialize and plan around their shared educational goals within an academic setting, students benefit from the support and academic guidance of both academic advisors and their fellow peers. The AAVO is accessed via the Moodle homepage and is listed as a course; participation, however, is optional at all times. Students who do not wish to have access to the AAVO may send this request to the Office of
[email protected] Affairs at Peer Assessment Office Located in Moodle, the PAO is available to students who want to strategize with other students and a UoPeople Academic Mentor to better practice and understand the peer assessment learning tool. The purpose of the PAO is to train and encourage students in peer assessment which is a central component of the learning process at UoPeople. Office of Student Affairs Students needing assistance and clarification about their academic standing, and additional support throughout their studies may contact the Office of Student Affairs at [email protected]. The Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Ariella Zeller, is in contact with students at this address. Office of Student Services The Office of Student Services forms part of a comprehensive network of services at the University designed to support and help students throughout their studies. Student Services provides students with both administrative and academic services in consultation with other bodies of the University and is also responsible for implementing university policies and procedures, keeping the student body updated accordingly. Student Services provides a range of support, information, and special services to enhance student experiences at UoPeople. All student records are permanently and confidentially maintained by the Office of Student Services. Information regarding enrollment data and the date of degrees conferred will be of public record. Students are welcome to email the Office of Student Services at [email protected] regarding course registration, proctor information, updates to student records, leave of absence questions, changing degree program or requesting to change your major, requesting official transcripts, graduate deadlines and logistics etc. Technical Support
for students [email protected] Support is available to registered students through email at who are experiencing problems within the Virtual Learning Environment, Moodle. If a student, for example, had a power outage during a quiz, they should contact the Support Office immediately.
Contact Information at UoPeople
Appendix
Scholarship Office The Scholarship Office receives and processes scholarship requests from admitted applicants and current students who are unable to pay part or all of the Examination Processing Fees. Additionally, the Scholarship Office provides scholarship information to prospective students and is available to answer any questions or
[email protected]. The Scholarship Office can be reached at Payments Office The Payment Office oversees the processing of payments for both Application and Examination Processing Fees at UoPeople, and is responsible for the handling and disbursement of grants for Application Processing Fees. Also working in conjunction with the Scholarship Office, the Payments Office processes and reconciles scholarship payments for students unable to pay Examination Processing Fees. Students who have questions regarding payments including payment methods, amounts payable, and payment deadlines may
[email protected] the Payments Office at Library Resources and Services In support of our students and their academic pursuits, University of the People has joined the Library and Information Resource Network (LIRN). LIRN enhances UoPeople’s academic programs with a rich and powerful collection of resources including over 60 million journal articles, books, encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, and audio and video clips. All University of the People instructional personnel and enrolled students may use these resources free of charge. Additionally, students are provided with other open education resources including textbooks and course materials. Questions or suggestions regarding the University of the People Library and Resource Center, including LIRN or open educational resources
[email protected] of Library Services at UoPeople’smay be directed to Internship Opportunities University of the People helps students make connections with companies providing internship opportunities to top qualified UoPeople students. Internships are announced by email to UoPeople students, and include a description of the internship, internship qualifications, and a description of the
for additional [email protected] process and timeline. Students may contact information. Note that internship announcements are made when new opportunities become available and the application process begins. Career Services Center The University of the People Career Service Center (CSC) strategy builds on current trends and best practices at institutions of higher learning and takes into consideration the unique characteristics and challenges of University of the People and our student body. Serving as the hub for students and graduates to develop essential skills in preparing for life after the degree, the CSC will offer short courses, workshops, recommended resources and career counseling among other services. Focus will be in areas such as career planning, resume writing, interview and job searching skills. An introductory not-for-credit course is planned for roll-out during the 2014-2015 academic year and the university is committed to further developing the center throughout the year.
