The primary purpose of the program is to promote professional and personal development by establishing a relationship between two staff members that provides informal guidance, coaching, knowledge-sharing, and enhanced understanding of the University of Victoria environment.

The Mentoring Program is run with a cohort of approximately 20 participants each year.  Participation in the program is by application or invitation only. 

The program will normally start in fall and be 6 months in duration.  It will include a mix of structured events and flexibility for pairs to meet on their own as they see fit.

Please note that at least one pairing will be reserved for members of a designated group as defined by the University Equity Policy. Also note that while all staff are encouraged to apply, priority will be given to those in regular appointments.

Structured events will include:

• Mentor and Mentee Orientation Sessions
• Kick-Off Event –including pair orientation & relationship-building
• Monthly Lunches – including sharing of experiences & activities
• Wrap-Up Event – including reflection & evaluation of the program

Click here to view the 2012-2013 schedule of events.

Mentorship Poster

PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for Applications is November 9, 2012. Click below to apply today!

UVIC MENTORING PROGRAM APPLICATION

For more information on the program contact:

Tonya Said-Wilson

Human Resources Consultant
Tel (250) 721-8090

We realize that getting the right partner is a critical success factor in the mentoring experience. For that reason, we ask prospective Mentees to fill out an application to assess their needs.

Based on the information in the application form and subsequent conversations with the Mentee, we will then invite a specific staff member to act as their Mentor.

Prospective Mentors can put in an expression of interest to participate in the program by emailing Tonya Said-Wilson.

Mentoring benefits individual employees as well as the organization as a whole.  The following table lists some of the benefits to each of the stakeholders involved in the program:

The concept of a Mentoring Program at the University of Victoria was discussed at the Management Forum Open Space on “Engagement & Retention” in November of 2007.  A committee was formed to explore options to make this idea a reality.  After much discussion and research, the decision was made to partner with the SEEDS (employees under 30) group which also expressed a keen interest in this topic.

In June 2009, a special SEEDS Think-Tank session was held, with Mentoring being the topic.  The purpose was to get input from the age 30 and under group of employees on campus as they are likely to be the primary users of the Mentoring Program.  The result of the session was that specific recommendations were provided on possible structure, resources, expectations, and potential benefits of the program as seen through the eyes of that particular stakeholder.  Many attendees volunteered to participate in a pilot program, indicating that they saw this as the best way to proceed with the project.

The pilot was run from November 2009 to May 2010 and evaluations from participants indicated it was a great success!  The program was given approval to continue as a regular professional development offering, open to all staff at all stages of their careers.

• "I wanted to share some good news - I got a new job on campus! For me, a big part of how I got this job was the mentoring program. My experience with my mentor let me learn about how things were done in her department, work on projects and meet people all over campus — all of which helped me a lot in my interview and I know will help me once I start the job.  I've been wanting to make a change like this for a while and I'm so glad I was finally able to do it. Thanks for all your work with the mentorship program, I so appreciate what you've helped me do for my career.”
• “It was a great opportunity to network outside of my department”
• “I was extremely satisfied with the program!  It was a pleasure to be paired with someone who was able to share very positive experiences at UVic and impart such valuable wisdom in a relatively short amount of time”
• “Excellent program - well organized and well facilitated”
• “I learned a lot about myself during this process.  The gains I had were actually much different than what I expected when I started”
• "I was surprised at my overall experience.  I expected it to be good, but the group, the facilitation, and my mentor pairing exceeded my expectations."

• “The program gave me an opportunity to get to know others from different areas of campus.  I was able to expand my perspective of life and work at UVic, both with my mentor and others involved in the program.”

• Ring Article - "Mapping the art of mentoring

• Ring Article- "Building friendships, community and employee satisfaction"