Program Overview

In 2019, the presidential task force for staff professional development proposed the UGA Staff Mentor Program to cultivate a mentoring culture and achieve its vision of becoming a thriving learning organization.

How It Works: 

• To allow for deep connections, the UGA Staff Mentor Program utilizes a one-on-one mentoring model. Mentor relationships are initiated by the mentee and will last for 6 months from the time that the pair matches in the platform. 
  
• The UGA Staff Mentor Program is run on a perpetual cycle, which means that whenever a staff mentee is ready to initiate a relationship with a staff mentor they can! We accept applications for both mentor and mentee roles all times of year, so you get to determine when the best time to begin this journey is for you.
  
• To participate in the program, staff members will create an account and apply to participate as either a mentor or mentee. To apply as a mentor, staff members must have at least one year of experience working at UGA.
• Mentor matches are driven by mentees. The platform will suggest recommended mentors based on a variety of criteria available in each staff members' profile. Alternatively, mentees may search the platform based on any searchable criteria. If the mentee does not find a suitable mentor at the time of application, they may log back in at any time to search again and see if new mentors have joined.  
• A note to mentors: Since mentees are initiating matches, this may mean that do not receive a mentor request right away upon joining the program. Be patient and keep checking back to see if you receive any requests. 
• Once a Mentor match is established, it is the responsibility of the mentee to reach out to the mentor to determine meeting time and topics to explore. 
• There is not a specific time requirement for each match. We recommend matches meet at least monthly for the duration of the 6 month match.

A Learning Partnership

The UGA Staff Mentor Program is founded on principles of adult learning. Mentor Program participants will learn about themselves, each other, and the University as they participate in discussions focused on career and personal development topics. Staff members will enter into a partnership and work together to identify and achieve established goals.