Frequently Asked Questions

• What am I expected to do? Mentors are expected to provide their mentee with about one hour of support and interaction per month. Most of this interaction will take place via email and other web-related tools (for example, instant messaging) or face-to-face, as appropriate. Mentors should work with their mentee to determine what kind of support will be most useful—specific feedback related to finding jobs, general career advice, information on higher studies, technical information, personal encouragement, and so on.
• How long will the commitment be? We ask our mentors to make commitments of twelve months in order to ensure that the mentee is able to fully benefit from the relationship. If a mentor must leave the relationship early, we request at least one month's notice in order to search for a replacement mentor with similar background.
• Are there any potential risks to me personally? No, the relationship should only involve the flow of general information and advice regarding academics and your experiences as a student in the College of Engineering.  
• What should I do if my mentoring relationship isn't going well?​  We encourage you to contact the program administrator as soon as possible. We will help resolve any issues in order for you and your mentee to have the best experience possible. 
• What if my mentee is not responding to my outreach?  Please contact the program administrator as soon as possible to help facilitate your connection or to assign you to another mentee. 

Mentor DO's

1. Commit at least one interaction/hour of support per month.
2. Set aside time for the mentoring process and honor all appointments.
3. Invite the mentee to meetings or activities, as appropriate. Schedule meetings with planned topics.
4. Be flexible on meeting times and places.
5. Arrange frequent contacts through telephone, email, face-to-face, etc., as appropriate.
6. Respond to emails from your mentee within two days of receipt.
7. Keep information that your mentee has shared with you confidential. If something concerning the mentee needs to be discussed with others, it should first be discussed within the mentoring relationship.
8. Establish open and honest communication and a forum for idea exchange.
9. Foster creativity and independence. Help build self-confidence and offer encouragement.
10. Provide honest and timely feedback to your mentee.
11. Provide opportunities for the mentee to talk about concerns and ask questions.
12. Above all, LISTEN.

Mentor DON'Ts

1. Try to give advice on everything.
2. Encourage mentee to be totally dependent upon you.
3. Provide your personal history, problems, animosities, successes, failures, etc., unless they are constructive contributions.
4. Be too busy when the mentee needs your friendship or your support. If you do not have time, give the mentee a heads up, so that they know when they can reach you.
5. Criticize.