Women and Leadership Mentor Program
The Equity Office at the University has been conducting very successful mentor programs for women since 2002.
The Women and Leadership Mentor Program
Participation in the program is open to female academic and general staff, with the aim of assisting them to overcome barriers to career progression and improving their job satisfaction. All supervisors and mnagers are encouraged to support female staff across all USQ campuses so they may participate freely in this worthwhile program. Postive outcomes identified by previous participants include:
- Promotion to higher positions
- Success in gaining a new position
- Personal development/empowerment/confidence
- Enhanced ideas and techniques for balancing work, life and family
- Personal growth, commitment and effectivess
- Clearer insights into personal and career goals
What is mentoring?
Mentoring is the process of having a significant beneficial effect on the life or career of another individual, generally as a result of personal one-on-one contact. A mentor is one who offers knowledge, insight, perspective or wisdom that is especially useful to the other person.
What is involved?
Traditionally mentoring has been used to assist promising junior executives climb the career ladder. It usually involves a more skilled senior person sponsoring and encouraging the protégée. Very often this happened through informal networks. Recently the concept of mentoring has taken on a new dimension focused more specifically on career direction, goal setting, role models, mentee visibility, networking, support systems, and a revitalisation of self and career. Current practice has also found peer mentoring to be highly effective and while it is important that the mentor should be experienced and be able to pass on the wisdom of that experience to the protégée, it is not always necessary for the mentor to be at a very senior level within an organisation.
Who benefits from mentoring?
Both parties to the mentor process benefit. In the past it was assumed that mentoring was a one-way process in which only mentees gained. In fact, mentors report that their participation in mentor schemes have made them analyse their own career trajectories more carefully, that they have derived great personal benefit from helping another person, and that mentoring has enabled them to expand their networks and understanding of an organisation.
What commitment is required from me?
One of the purposes of the program is to assist mentees achieve a specific objective, acquire a particular set of skills, or gain experiences that will further their career advancement. Mentees are therefore encouraged to identify a project or goal that they wish to achieve during the period of the mentor relationship. This forms the basis of the Mentor Contract and provides a benchmark for measuring future progress.
The Program will run over the year and finish in December 2008. During this period informal meetings will be held to provide an opportunity for participants to give feedback on problems and progress, to share experiences with other participants and to expand professional networks.
In addition, a series of optional seminars on relevant topics (nominated by the participants) will be organised throughout the semester. There will also be links with career development workshops offered by the Women's Network and Organisational Development and Training. More detailed information about these programs will be provided at the initial introductory session.
Will mentoring take a lot of time?
The program is very flexible and can be designed to suit your needs. The frequency, duration and nature of the contacts between mentors and mentees should be arranged by the mentoring colleagues themselves according to their own time requirements. Some participants prefer to meet informally every two weeks; other very successful mentor arrangements have been conducted almost entirely through email and telephone contact.
Am I eligible?
The Program is open to all female staff (academic, general and research) irrespective of level.
How do I participate?
Complete the Mentor Program Response Sheet (DOC 42kb). This requires you to nominate your choice of participation as a mentor or mentee (or both if you wish), and to identify the skills and experience you have to offer (as a mentor), or the skills and goals you wish to attain (as a mentee).
You will then be contacted by the Staff Equity Officer to provide further information that will faciliate the selection of the most suitable person as your mentor colleague.
Based on the information provided in your Response Sheet and from your discussions with the Equity Office, a Matching Panel will place you with an appropriate mentor/mentee. If you are comfortable with your match, you will then be required to attend an Introductory Session where you will meet with your mentor/mentee colleague. At this session you will also learn more about the do's and don'ts of mentoring and how to make the program work most effectively for you.
If you would like to be involved, please send your completed Response Sheet to the Program Manager, Rebekah Davidson, Equity Office. Hard copies can also be forwarded to the Staff Equity Officer, S404, Toowoomba Campus.
Applications are encouraged from women across all USQ campuses. However, places are limited and will be filled based on application receipt date.
Further information on the specific details of the 2009 Program (PDF 40kb) are also available.