The UGA Mentor Program, the University's first comprehensive mentorship initiative, is a digital platform which allows students to form mentoring relationships and/or schedule 15-30 minute Quick Chats (formerly known as informational interviews) with UGA Mentors (faculty, staff, and alumni), regardless of geographic location, who can help make their future a little clearer.

• Support students in developing their personal and professional networks with UGA staff, faculty, alumni and friends (i.e. Board members) of the University.
• Provide an avenue for students to explore professional goals, career interests, and workplace preferences.
• Help students to gain an appreciation for mentoring as a personal and professional development tool.
• Provide a meaningful opportunity for staff, faculty, alumni, and friends to connect with UGA students around life, career, and professional experiences.
• Inspire staff, faculty, alumni, and friends to strengthen their relationship with and support of the University.

• Mentees = UGA students (undergraduate, graduate and professional students)
• Mentors = UGA staff, faculty, alumni, and friends of the University (Board members)

Absolutely! This is a global program without geographic boundaries; students and alumni of UGA living anywhere in the world are strongly encouraged to participate. Students and mentors can connect via numerous channels: 1) In-person, 2) phone, 3) email, or 4) video chat.

• Using the UGA Mentor Program online platform, students and mentors will each complete a profile. After students complete their profiles, the platform will present students with 3 suggested mentors.
  
• Students may request a mentor from this list, or they can search for a different mentor based on available search criteria to narrow down the selection.
  
• Once the student requests a mentor, the UGA Mentor has the opportunity to either accept or decline the request, establishing mutual ownership in the mentorship connection process.
  
• Students can also connect with a UGA Mentor through a Quick Chat for 15-30 minutes (formerly known as informational interviews).

• First, please check your junk/spam email box.
• If the confirmation email is not there, please contact us at ugamentor@uga.edu. We will confirm your account.

We apologize for this inconvenience.

It will take you approximately 15-30 minutes to complete your profile. Please note that you will save time in the profile creation process if you initially create your account via LinkedIn. Following, you can copy and paste all of your work experience from your LinkedIn profile into your mentor profile.

Students cannot view other students, and mentors cannot search student profiles. Once a student makes a mentoring request, that individual mentor will be able to view the student’s profile in order to determine if they believe the mentoring connection is a good fit.

• Initiation: Where rapport and trust are established
• Goal setting: The purpose or goals of the relationship are established
• Progress making: Marked by an interchange and learning
• Winding up: The dyads review what they have achieved and their plans to move forward, either independently or together
• Moving on: From the mentoring relationship; how mentors and mentees decide to interact together in the future, if at all

Clutterbuck, D. (2014). Everyone needs a mentor. 5th ed. London: CIPD Press.

• Autonomy - Promote independence and knowledge
  
• Beneficence - Increases well-being
  
• Fidelity - Keeping confidences
  
• Non-malfeasance - Do no harm
  

Johnson and Nelson (1999)

All in-person meetings should take place in a public location, such as a coffee shop. Meetings can also take place via phone or video chat.

Please check out all of our Resources, especially the Suggested Activities and Discussion Topics.

We would be glad to help! We are located in Clark Howell Hall and would be happy to meet with you, or discuss your question via email. Email us at ugamentor@uga.edu with questions or to set up a meeting, and we will get back to you with an answer at our earliest convenience.

We never stop searching for better answers and solutions; therefore, we would greatly appreciate your constructive feedback and recommendations. Please share with us at ugamentor@uga.edu. If you are a mentor, please submit this feedback form. If you are a mentee, please submit this feedback form.

• Connecting with your Bulldog family can help you get ahead in life and career, but it can also be a little intimidating. The UGA Mentor Program helps foster community and connections with other Bulldogs to help you get started!
• The UGA Mentor Program is a unique opportunity for you to form meaningful and impactful relationships with a diverse, experienced pool of 5,000+ UGA Mentors (faculty, staff, and/or alumni) that will extend beyond campus.
  
• Also, you can connect with a UGA Mentor in a mentoring relationship and/or via a 15-30 minute Quick Chat.

In a mentoring relationship:
- 1-2 hours/month
- 16 week mentorship
- Ask questions, be curious
- Express gratitude

For a Quick Chat (formerly known as informational interviews):
- 15-30 minutes
- Ask questions, be curious
- Express gratitude

• Mentors = UGA staff, faculty, alumni, and friends of the University (Board members)
• Their knowledge, experience, and perspective will inspire you to achieve your personal and professional goals.

• Commit to the mentoring relationship for the full length of the program (16 weeks).
• Connect with mentor on a regular basis (once a month phone call, video chat, in-person meeting, or email conversation).
• Respond and communicate to your mentor in a timely manner.
• Work with mentor to set goals. Solicit constructive feedback and guidance to promote personal and professional development related to these goals.
• Seek guidance to enhance networking, communication, problem solving, and interviewing skills.
• Avoid asking for an internship or job opportunity.
• If you are no longer able to commit to the full mentorship, you can use the Closure Conversation Guide resource to wrap up your connection.

Mentee DO's:
- Commit at least 1-2 hours per month to your mentoring relationship.
- Take initiative in reaching out to your mentor to regularly schedule meetings.
- Establish expectations for mentorship, detailing the frequency of interactions, duration of meetings, and location of meetings.
- Accept and act upon constructive feedback.
- Honor your mentor's time by preparing discussion topics prior to each meeting.
- Keep all scheduled appointments, and notify your mentor if you need to cancel a meeting.
- Display professional behavior by responding in a timely manner.
- Send your mentor a handwritten thank you card or email for their contributions to your personal or professional development.
- Follow-up with your mentor down the road to inform them of how you have applied their wisdom.

Mentee DON'Ts:
- Arrive late to meetings or conference calls.
- Violate confidence. Discussions should stay between you and your mentor unless there is suspicious behavior or policy violations. Please email ugamentor@uga.edu if you have concerns.
- Ask your mentor to be a reference for you before you have developed a rapport with them.
- Be unresponsive to your mentor (i.e., request a mentor and stop responding to them).
- Ask for an internship or job opportunity from your mentor.
- Use inappropriate language or communicate in ways that are derogatory, unprofessional or disrespectful.
- Solicit donations of any kind.

• The purpose of the Quick Chat is to provide you with an opportunity to conduct 15-30 minute conversations with experienced UGA alumni, faculty or staff that align with your unique identity and interests.
• They may be useful in a graduate or professional school search, as you seek to find the best program fit for your academic and professional goals.
• These quick connections offer a wonderful opportunity for you and your mentor to have a conversation to determine if the two of you are a good fit for a 16-week mentorship.

After you conclude the Quick Chat, you should move the mentor to a prior connection. You can do this by logging into your account at mentor.uga.edu and clicking on the "Release from Mentorship/Quick Chat" button on your current connection. This will allow you to request a Quick Chat with another mentor.

Because the formal mentorship duration is only 16-weeks, you can only connect with one mentor at a time within the platform. Once your 16-week mentorship concludes, you can request a new mentor. You are able to have both a 16-week mentorship and quick chat connection at the same time. Quick chat connections do not automatically release. You will have to manually conclude the quick chat connection in order to request mentors for more quick chats.

Students with a disability(s) are not required to disclose their disability(s) at any time before, during, or after the application and mentoring process. If you believe you will require accommodations to participate in the UGA Mentor Program, it is best that you disclose as early as possible, by contacting us at ugamentor@uga.edu. If you are unsure as to what accommodations you might need, please work with our Disability Resource Center to identify what accommodations would best suit your disability(s).

You can only request one 16-week mentorship at a time. If you have requested a mentor and they have not responded within 7 days, we recommend cancelling the request in order to request another mentor. Feel free to follow-up with the mentor during that timeframe. We know it might be discouraging not hearing back from a mentor. If you need any help requesting a mentor, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at ugamentor@uga.edu.

The mentorship platform only allows UGA mentors (faculty, staff, alumni) to mentor up to two students at a time. Mentors can select in their account settings how many students they're willing to mentor at one time -- one or two students. If you see the language "Mentor [Name] cannot be requested at this time," this means that this mentor has been maxed out with the number of mentees they're willing to work with at this time. Once the mentor formally concludes one of their mentoring relationships, they will become available again and you can request them. In the meantime, we recommend you bookmark their profile by hovering over the "More" button and clicking the "Bookmark Profile" button. This will add a quick-access link to their profile in your Bookmarks tab, meaning you can easily get to their profile and check to see their availability anytime you log into the platform.

Please give them several days; they are busy personally and professionally. If after 7 days you don't hear from your requested mentor, log into your account and cancel the request. Feel free to follow up with the mentor during that timeframe. They may have just missed your message! However, if you still hear no response, you can request another mentor.

If you're still having issues, don't hesitate to contact us at ugamentor@uga.edu. We are here to serve and support you; we will help you find a mentor.

There may be a variety of reasons why a requested UGA Mentor declined your request. They simply may not have the capacity to mentor at this given time. Do not get disheartened. Log back into the UGA Mentor Program, and search for and request another mentor. There are more Bulldog mentors that would love the opportunity to connect with you. The right fit is just around the corner!

We are excited that you are thinking of this question. Please utilize the Being a Successful Mentee resource. Additionally, please refer to a full list of Suggested Activities and Discussion Topics in the resources section.

Once connected, we ask the mentor and mentee to discuss how much time they can commit to the relationship and the duration of their relationship. Our suggestion is invest 1-2 hours/month, but the most important objective is to achieve the set goals.

If the mentorship is not working and/or if you need support, be sure to contact us at ugamentor@uga.edu rather than waiting until after the mentorship concludes to voice your concerns. We are here to serve and support you.

• Click on the mentor's profile and hover over the "More" button.
  
• Select the “Contact Admin" flag icon, and include a message of why you are concerned about this individual.
• You can also notify UGA Mentor Program team directly via emailing ugamentor@uga.edu and/or calling 706-542-3375.

No, our goal is that you develop a diverse kitchen cabinet of mentors prior to going beyond the Arch to ensure that you are getting a diversity of experience and perspectives from your mentors.

You can also gain more personal and professional clarity and career connections through the Quick Chat feature!

Absolutely! You can recommend your mentor to other students or even share a short testimonial about your experience.

Recommending your mentor to others:
- Click on your mentor's profile picture icon
- Hit the "More" button
- Click the "Recommend To" button
- Type the fellow student's email address (It can be any student; they don't have to be a current participant in the UGA Mentor Program)
- Click "Send"

Submit a testimonial about your experience:
- Log into your account.
- On your homepage, look for the "Has your mentoring relationship been successful? Share your story here." text.
- Click on the red, hyperlinked text to submit your story!

• Share articles, podcasts, and/or books that your mentor will enjoy.
  
• Offer a new perspective on their industry.
  
• Share information about the most current technology and/or applications.
  
• Educate mentors on how professors see new industry trends.
  
• Share relevant parts of your personal and professional network with your mentor.

If you and your mentor agree that you want to continue the mentoring relationship, that is fantastic! Be sure to check with your mentor to confirm that they want to continue the relationship and have the time to continue investing in the relationship.

Being part of the Bulldog Nation goes way beyond a valuable degree. It’s a like-minded community that shares your values and aspirations. College and beyond is exciting, but navigating new territory and new challenges that come with it can be overwhelming. Mentorship has proven to be life-changing with research showing that through friendship and acceptance, a mentor helps students to develop a sense of professional competence and self-esteem needed to achieve career success. In fact, 75% of the top executives in the United States had been mentored, and compared with their counterparts, they earned 28% more, were more likely to have a degree, were happier with work, and were more likely to mentor others . It’s also shown that students are more likely to have increased academic achievement when they have a mentor in college. You can be a part of inspiring the next generation of Bulldogs. With your wisdom and guidance, we can work together to make sure students maximize their UGA experience by connecting with the Bulldog Nation.

• Commit to the mentoring relationship for the full length of the program (16 weeks).
• Connect with student mentee on a regular basis (e.g., once a month phone call, in-person meeting, or email conversation), providing mentee with adequate opportunities for interaction.
• Work with student mentee to set goals for the program and provide feedback and guidance related to these goals.
• Share experiences and feedback to develop mentee's networking, communication, problem solving, and interviewing skills.
• Engage in campus and student life to learn more about the mission and positive impact of the University.

UGA staff, faculty, alumni, and friends of the University (i.e. Board members) are eligible to serve as mentors in the UGA Mentor Program. Whether you are one year out of college, retired, at the peak of your career, or anywhere in between, you have valuable experience and wisdom to offer UGA students.

We have over 4,600 diverse, experienced UGA mentors located across the globe.

First, complete your profile. You can use your LinkedIn login information to create an account or set up an account using your preferred email and password. Students will be able to view your profile and reach out to request mentorship. It may take a while for a student to discover you due to the size of the program; therefore, please be patient. If you receive a request, we hope you'll accept it. However, you do have the option to decline a student if you simply don't think it's a good fit.

Mentors can select up to two mentees for a 16-week mentorship at one time. This is only encouraged if you truly have the capacity to commit to two mentorship relationships.

You can also opt into quick chats. You are able to host up to 5 quick chats at a time.

• Log in and click on the “My Account” tab either at the top right-hand side of your screen or in the ribbon on the left-hand side of the screen.
• Then, select the “Participation” tab, and use the drop down to set the maximum number of mentees you would like to connect with at one time (1 or 2).

No, the mentoring platform limits the number of students who can request you as a mentor. Once you have been requested by a student, you will be removed from the mentor pool. Please note that it is dependent upon how many students that you indicate you would like to mentor.

You will receive an email and/or text message once a student requests you to be their mentor.

You are able to opt in to receive text notifications when a student requests or messages you. This is helpful when emails fail to send to your account due to placement in spam folders or change of email address.

We are grateful for your willingness invest in the next generation of Bulldogs via the UGA Mentor Program. After you register for this mentoring program, it may take some time before you are matched with a student, since this is a student-driven program. Mentees are able to search for mentors in our database using select search criteria.

The UGA Mentor Program has to ensure a surplus of UGA Mentors to students so that students have a vast array of backgrounds to choose from. Therefore, it is crucial to make sure your profile is complete and compelling. We hope to engage alumni who are not currently mentoring students in other capacities. There is a possibility that you may not be selected or that being selected could take a number of weeks or months, so prepare yourself for that possibility.

Role of a Mentor

• Kram (1985) notes that mentors serve two primary functions: career support and psychosocial support. Career support can include helping the new professional learn best practices, methods of advancement, and options for career pathing. Psychosocial support can include the emotional well-being and growth in self-efficacy of the new professional.

Mentors also...

• Provide a different breadth of experience

• Provide tailored guidance and support

• Create a safe environment for self exploration and examination, for considering new ways of thinking, of viewing the world acting, and for change

• Enable growth and self-efficacy: that is, through the learning partnership the mentee gains the skills and confidence to act effectively independent of the mentor…and mentees form an emotional bond

Eby, Allen, Hoffman, et al (2013). An interdisciplinary meta-analysis of the potential antecedents, correlates, and consequences of protégé perceptions of mentoring. Psychological Bulletin, 139 (2), 441-476.

You have much more to offer the next generation of Bulldogs than solely career advice. Students are instructed during registration to provide you with context on why they want you to be their mentor. If a student requests specific career advice that you cannot offer, consider connecting your mentee with other Bulldogs you know in that industry. In turn, this demonstrates the importance of having a network and will help students develop their own personal and professional network. Find and provide your mentee with resources that will be helpful to their industry. Remember, you can always work on ensuring your mentee develops essential skills for the workforce (leadership, communication, cultural competency, interpersonal skills, active listening) that transcend all professional industries.

• Become Culturally Self Aware

Identify the culturally derived values and assumptions that could affect your relationship. It may be that you were brought up in a culture where sharing feelings is inappropriate or that a one-on-one learning relationship is seen as weakness. What values and assumptions do you hold that someone might not readily understand from a culture other than your own?

• Develop a Working Knowledge of and Appreciation for Other Cultures

Seek information about your mentee’s culture. What do you know about its people? Its politics and government? Key historical and cultural achievements? Dominant religious beliefs and practices? Family and social structure? Educational system? Economics and industry? Geography, sports, entertainment, and symbols?

• Improve Your Communication Skills

Ask open-ended questions. Paraphrase and reflect feelings and content. Repeat and rephrase. Talk about areas where there might be cultural misunderstanding. Check for understanding by asking what specific words, phrases, or expressions mean. Avoid examples that are regionally or culturally specific. Whenever possible, use universal examples and be as descriptive as possible.

• Become Culturally Attuned to Other Cultures

Be aware that people from other cultures may not express their feelings verbally. Avoid asking questions that are personal, embarrassing, or probing.

Zachary, L. Lois Zachary's Mentoring Expert Blog

Check out our Mentoring International Students resource guide!

To decline a student's mentor request, select the button just below the mentee's headshot on your home page that says "Decline". You can send the student a message if you would like or simply press decline. The student will be alerted via email that their request was unsuccessful, and they are encouraged to search for and request another mentor.

Please be sure to check your spam folder for any potential lost messages. If the problem persists, we encourage you to message your mentee to discuss whether they have over-committed and if it's in the best interest of both parties to release from the mentoring relationship. If you never hear back from the student, you can log-in to the platform and release from the mentoring relationship. Then, you will be back in the mentor pool for other students to request you as their mentor.

You can also contact us at ugamentor@uga.edu, and we will assist in contacting your mentee.

If you would like to report concern for a UGA student, Student Care & Outreach encourages you to submit an online report. Expressing concern proactively can help with early intervention and success. Once received, a staff member will contact you for more information.

You can flag a student's account, and a member of our team will be notified to follow up with both you and the mentee. To flag an account, click on the student's profile image, select the "more" dropdown box, and click on the "Contact admin..." to notify our team.

For emergencies, please contact 911.

If you and the student agree that you want to continue the mentoring relationship, that is fantastic! Be sure to check with the student to confirm that they want to continue the relationship and have the time to continue investing in the relationship. You can also use our Closure Conversation Guide to help discuss your next steps.

Yes. If you find that it is an especially busy time for you or you just need a break, you can suspend your account indefinitely or for a set amount of time by visiting the “My Account” section when you are logged into the platform. Click on the tab that says “Participation”. Uncheck the box that says “I want to be searchable in UGA Mentor Program”. Below that, list the start date in which you want to become invisible and the date in which you want to become visible again. If you need to suspend your account indefinitely, just uncheck the box, and you will no longer be searchable in the database. When you are ready to be searchable again, log back in, and check the box to opt back into the program.

If it is a busy time for you or you just need a break, feel free to suspend your account indefinitely or for a set amount of time by visiting the “My Account” section when you are logged into the platform. Click on the tab that says “Participation”. Uncheck the box that says “I want to be searchable in UGA Mentor Program”. Below that, list the start date in which you want to become invisible and the date in which you want to become visible again. If you need to suspend your account indefinitely, just uncheck the box, and you will no longer be searchable in the database. When you’re ready to be searchable again, log back in, and check the box to be opted back into the program.

If you would rather delete your account permanently, please email ugamentor@uga.edu for assistance.

Our hope is that you don't have to self-release from your mentorship. Please contact us at ugamentor@uga.edu to help you. However, if it comes to the point where you want to release, you can take the steps listed below:

• When viewing your match in the UGA Mentor Program platform, select the dropdown menu in the top right corner labeled "More."
• Select the "Release from Mentorship/Quick Chat" option.
• Explain the reasoning for ending your mentoring relationship prior to the match period.
• If you've pressed this by mistake, please email ugamentor@uga.edu for assistance re-establishing your connection.

Check out this Tableau tool to see!