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2015-2016
CUmentor
Center for Career and Professional Development
CLARION UNIVERSITY OF PA
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Mission:
Clarion University provides transformative, lifelong learning opportunities through innovative,
nationally recognized programs delivered in inclusive, student-centered environments.
Vision:
Clarion University will be a leader in high-impact educational practices that benefit students,
employers, and community partner.
Center for Career and Professional Development
Mission:
Our mission is to inform and empower students and alumni by linking them with resources and
opportunities so they can develop and achieve their career goals.
Our responsibility:
The CUmentor program will be primarily administrated by the Center for Career and
Professional Development. The day-to-day operations of the program will be handled by this
office, including activities such as accepting applications, planning a kick-off event, recruiting
mentors and mentees, publicizing the program, maintaining a database of participants, matching
mentors and mentees, being available for conflicts and issues that arise, updating the CUmentor
Handbook, requesting mentors and mentees fill out evaluations, collecting the evaluations to
monitor the program, offering suggestions for activities, and other duties as they arise.
Our students have access to career research, gaining experience, job search preparation and
resources, live and virtual career and job fairs, transition from student to professional assistance,
and graduate and pre-professional application information. These services may complement your
own career development knowledge. To learn more, please visit www.clarion.edu/careers.
Table of Contents
Learning Objectives ........................................................................................................................ 1
Mentor Defined ............................................................................................................................... 1
Role of the Mentor .......................................................................................................................... 1
Role of the Mentee .......................................................................................................................... 2
Benefits of the Program .................................................................................................................. 2
The Matching Process ..................................................................................................................... 3
Expectations .................................................................................................................................... 4
Commitment ................................................................................................................................ 4
Maintain Regular Contact ........................................................................................................... 4
Contact Limitations ..................................................................................................................... 4
Be Responsive ............................................................................................................................. 4
Primary and Secondary Relationships......................................................................................... 4
Financial Assistance .................................................................................................................... 4
Honor Commitments ................................................................................................................... 5
Conflicts ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Evaluate ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Mentoring Skills.............................................................................................................................. 5
Actively Listen ............................................................................................................................ 5
Responding to Feedback ............................................................................................................. 6
Take Ownership of Your Own Development ............................................................................. 6
Reflect on Learning Moments ..................................................................................................... 6
Commitment Form .......................................................................................................................... 6
Recommended Sources ................................................................................................................... 7
References ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Learning Objectives
The learning objectives of the CUmentor program are to:
1.
2.
3.
Provide our students with opportunities for professional development, networking, and
information/idea exchange with professionals in their academic area
Provide opportunities for our alumni and employer partners to connect with Clarion
University and play a notable role in current students’ future endeavors
Establish links between alumni and employer partners and students to facilitate career
exploration and career coaching
Mentor Defined
A mentor is a more experienced individual who helps and guides another individual’s
development. Mentoring is a developmental partnership through which the mentor shares
knowledge, skills, information, and perspective to foster the personal and professional growth of
the mentee.
Role of the Mentor
The Center for Career and Professional Development defines the role of a mentor as a
professional who either obtained a degree from Clarion University, is a registered employer
partner with the Center for Career and Professional Development, or has a desire to serve as an
educator, motivator, coach, and role model for current students.
A mentor should be willing to:
Educate
Guide
Motivate
Act as a role model
Coach
Educating: The mentor should share with their mentee some of the specific skills and knowledge
necessary for successful job performance. The instruction can be formal or informal.
Guiding: All professions have their “unwritten rules” and a mentor should relay these to their
mentee.
Motivating: A mentor should challenge their mentee to think deeply about their own actions,
desires, and needs. Motivate your mentee to seek new, educational, endeavors to gain more
knowledge and differentiate themselves from their peers.
Acting as a Role Model: A mentor serves as an individual whom the mentee may wish to
emulate. Remember that often actions speak louder than words.
1
Coaching: A mentor should evaluate, modify, and endorse the mentee’s goals and aspirations. A
mentor should provide encouragement for the mentee to strive towards their goals and
aspirations.
Role of the Mentee
The Center for Career and Professional Development defines the role a mentee as a student who
has successfully completed at least 45 credit hours and is in good academic standing, having at
least a cumulative GPA of 2.00, and has successfully completed the required five out of the nine
(5/9) sessions in the Professional Development Series. A mentee seeks out their mentor’s advice,
knowledge, and experiences to further their own professional development.
A mentee should be willing to:
Actively engage with their mentor;
Accept advice and coaching from their mentor;
Candidly discuss their career aspirations and goals;
Discuss misconceptions about the field they intend to enter; and
Discuss other personal questions related to profession
Benefits of the Program
The CUmentor program is a mutually benefiting professional partnership between a mentor and
mentee(s).
The benefits of the mentee may include:
Encouragement;
Observation of the work place environment;
Self-reflection;
Self-development;
Opportunities to explore career path(s); and
Networking
The benefits to the mentor may include:
Satisfaction of watching someone grow and succeed;
Enjoyment in sharing knowledge, skills, and expertise;
Strengthening relationships with Clarion University; and
Giving back to Clarion University
2
The Matching Process
Upon receiving a student’s application and commitment to become a mentee, the Center for
Career and Professional Development will work to match mentors and mentees based upon one
or more of the following criteria.
To ensure the protection of minors, all participants must be at least 18 years of age or older.
Students will work to successfully complete the required five out of nine sessions, resulting in a
bronze badge and "mentor eligibility status." Completion of any two of the remaining four
sessions will result in a silver badge and completion of all nine sessions, result in a gold badge.
Students who successfully earn a gold badge will have the opportunity to be matched first with a
mentor, followed by silver, and then bronze.
Mentor-mentee matching criteria may include but is not limited to one or more of the following:
Academic commonalities
Desired industries/setting of the participants
Desired personal and professional developmental areas
Desired personal and professional experiences
The geographic area in which the mentor practices
The geographic area in which the mentee intends to enter
The CUmentor program coordinator is continually recruiting mentors to expand the number of
participants, and will make every effort to find you a mentor that you can contact. However, we
can't completely guarantee a match with a mentor or preferred mentor, as sometimes the demand
from students exceeds the available mentors. If a mentor can't be found for you at the start of the
program, your name will be kept on a waiting list and we will continue to search for a suitable
mentor. You will be notified by email of a successful match.
A second digital badge will be awarded at the successful completion of the CUmentor program.
Per the expectations listed below.
3
Expectations
The following are guidelines that will help you have a successful and positive mentoring
partnership.
Commitment
The commitment to the CUmentor program is one year with a minimum of four contacts per
academic semester (fall and spring). However, it is encouraged that contact is made at least once
per month and extend beyond one year. It is required that two of the four (2/4) contacts made
must be conducted via phone call, virtual conferencing, or in-person.
Maintain Regular Contact
Contact refers to communications via the following media; for example, in-person
(recommended but not required), phone call, virtual conferencing, e-mail, and social media (i.e.
Facebook or LinkedIn).
Contact Limitations
In contact with your partner, (1) offensive language and (2) transmission of offensive images are
strictly prohibited. Offensive language includes, but is not limited to, (a) profanity or verbal
abuse directed towards your partner, (b) sexually suggestive comments directed towards your
partner, and (c) derogatory remarks directed towards any individual or group of individuals
based on religion, race, color, ethnicity, country of origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, or sexual
identity. Offensive images include, but are not limited to, (a) images that are sexually suggestive,
lewd, or pornographic and (b) images that include offensive language, as described above.
Be Responsive
Both participants are expected to return contact in a timely manner, unless agreed upon
otherwise (e.g. within two-three business days).
Primary and Secondary Relationships
Mentee’s primary relationship and responsibilities with their mentor are outlined under the roles
and expectations of participants within this handbook.
Secondary relationships are any relationships that form outside of the primary responsibilities. A
secondary relationship is defined as a romantic or sexual relationship. It is discouraged to pursue
a romantic or sexual relationship with a mentor, or similarly a mentor with the mentee.
If placed in a situation(s) where your primary relationship as a mentee comes into conflict with a
secondary relationship you have or want to have, you are required to act in accordance with your
primary relationship role.
Financial Assistance
In general, the mentor should avoid giving money to the mentee or vise versa. Under no
circumstances, however, is it appropriate for the mentee to ask the mentor for money.
4
Honor Commitments
If mentoring contacts must be cancelled, it is expected that participants will do their best to
communicate in advance of the meeting and reschedule. If you decide to remove yourself from
the program, it is expected that you will honor partnerships in progress. If circumstances prohibit
you and your partner from participating in the program prior to the end of a term, each party
must agree to notify their mentoring partner and the Center for Career and Professional
Development.
Conflicts
If a conflict arises between a mentor and mentee, the pair may be split up and reassigned another
mentor or mentee. If a conflict or situation arises between a mentor and mentee, the mentor or
mentee should contact the Center for Career and Professional Development. All communications
about conflicts will be kept confidential. Please contact us at 814-393-2323 or via email at
cumentor@clarion.edu.
Evaluate
Throughout and at the end of each semester, both participants will be required to complete
evaluation forms.
Mentoring Skills
While your mentor may not be able to provide you all the answers or be expected to offer you an
internship or job, he or she will facilitate self-reflection and self-development practices so that
you are challenged to think critically about your career path.
In order to think, reflect, and take the necessary actions to realize your career goals, consider the
following:
Actively Listen
As an active listener be sure to pay attention to non-verbal cues that you may be sending or
receiving, such as facial expressions, body language, and eye contact. As this may set the tone
for the remaining conversation.
The following are tips for active listening:
Focus your attention on the speaker
Do not interrupt the speaker
Avoid distractions (i.e. cell phones, television, emails, etc.)
Go to a quiet place to speak
Take notes of the conversation to capture important points
5
Responding to Feedback
Constructive feedback can be very difficult to receive, even when it is delivered thoughtfully.
However, this type of feedback can be an extremely effective tool for personal and professional
development.
The following are tips for responding to feedback:
Take time to digest what is being said
Do not be tempted to respond immediately
Ask questions for clarification
Be proactive and ask for feedback on how you can improve
Take Ownership of Your Own Development
Do not expect your mentor to tell you what to do or how to do it. It is your responsibility to take
initiative and ownership of your own personal and professional development. This partnership
will flourish by accepting their guidance and taking control of your actions.
Reflect on Learning Moments
This program is designed to be engaging and thought provoking, in order to help you reflect on
your personal and professional development. Take the time to write down your thoughts and
reflect upon them.
Commitment Form
If you wish to participate as a mentee in the CUmentor program, please visit
www.clarion.edu/cumentor to access the mentee application and commitment form. If you have
any questions, please contact the Center for Career and Professional Development at 814-3932323 or via email at cumentor@clarion.edu.
6
Recommended Sources
International Mentoring Association. http://mentoring-association.org/
Mentor. http://www.mentoring.org/
Mentoring. Educause. http://www.educause.edu/careers/special-topic-programs/mentoring
Mentoring Works. http://mentoring-works.com/
References
Adapted from the following sources:
"Amherst College." Pathways Mentoring Program.
https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/careers/mentoring
"The University of Tulsa." College of Law - Mentoring Program.
http://law.utulsa.edu/student-services/professional-development/mentoring-program/
"Xavier University." Career Development Office - Mentor Program.
http://www.xavier.edu/career/mentor/index.cfm
7
CUmentor
Center for Career and Professional Development
CLARION UNIVERSITY OF PA
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Mission:
Clarion University provides transformative, lifelong learning opportunities through innovative,
nationally recognized programs delivered in inclusive, student-centered environments.
Vision:
Clarion University will be a leader in high-impact educational practices that benefit students,
employers, and community partner.
Center for Career and Professional Development
Mission:
Our mission is to inform and empower students and alumni by linking them with resources and
opportunities so they can develop and achieve their career goals.
Our responsibility:
The CUmentor program will be primarily administrated by the Center for Career and
Professional Development. The day-to-day operations of the program will be handled by this
office, including activities such as accepting applications, planning a kick-off event, recruiting
mentors and mentees, publicizing the program, maintaining a database of participants, matching
mentors and mentees, being available for conflicts and issues that arise, updating the CUmentor
Handbook, requesting mentors and mentees fill out evaluations, collecting the evaluations to
monitor the program, offering suggestions for activities, and other duties as they arise.
Our students have access to career research, gaining experience, job search preparation and
resources, live and virtual career and job fairs, transition from student to professional assistance,
and graduate and pre-professional application information. These services may complement your
own career development knowledge. To learn more, please visit www.clarion.edu/careers.
Table of Contents
Learning Objectives ........................................................................................................................ 1
Mentor Defined ............................................................................................................................... 1
Role of the Mentor .......................................................................................................................... 1
Role of the Mentee .......................................................................................................................... 2
Benefits of the Program .................................................................................................................. 2
The Matching Process ..................................................................................................................... 3
Expectations .................................................................................................................................... 4
Commitment ................................................................................................................................ 4
Maintain Regular Contact ........................................................................................................... 4
Contact Limitations ..................................................................................................................... 4
Be Responsive ............................................................................................................................. 4
Primary and Secondary Relationships......................................................................................... 4
Financial Assistance .................................................................................................................... 4
Honor Commitments ................................................................................................................... 5
Conflicts ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Evaluate ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Mentoring Skills.............................................................................................................................. 5
Actively Listen ............................................................................................................................ 5
Responding to Feedback ............................................................................................................. 6
Take Ownership of Your Own Development ............................................................................. 6
Reflect on Learning Moments ..................................................................................................... 6
Commitment Form .......................................................................................................................... 6
Recommended Sources ................................................................................................................... 7
References ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Learning Objectives
The learning objectives of the CUmentor program are to:
1.
2.
3.
Provide our students with opportunities for professional development, networking, and
information/idea exchange with professionals in their academic area
Provide opportunities for our alumni and employer partners to connect with Clarion
University and play a notable role in current students’ future endeavors
Establish links between alumni and employer partners and students to facilitate career
exploration and career coaching
Mentor Defined
A mentor is a more experienced individual who helps and guides another individual’s
development. Mentoring is a developmental partnership through which the mentor shares
knowledge, skills, information, and perspective to foster the personal and professional growth of
the mentee.
Role of the Mentor
The Center for Career and Professional Development defines the role of a mentor as a
professional who either obtained a degree from Clarion University, is a registered employer
partner with the Center for Career and Professional Development, or has a desire to serve as an
educator, motivator, coach, and role model for current students.
A mentor should be willing to:
Educate
Guide
Motivate
Act as a role model
Coach
Educating: The mentor should share with their mentee some of the specific skills and knowledge
necessary for successful job performance. The instruction can be formal or informal.
Guiding: All professions have their “unwritten rules” and a mentor should relay these to their
mentee.
Motivating: A mentor should challenge their mentee to think deeply about their own actions,
desires, and needs. Motivate your mentee to seek new, educational, endeavors to gain more
knowledge and differentiate themselves from their peers.
Acting as a Role Model: A mentor serves as an individual whom the mentee may wish to
emulate. Remember that often actions speak louder than words.
1
Coaching: A mentor should evaluate, modify, and endorse the mentee’s goals and aspirations. A
mentor should provide encouragement for the mentee to strive towards their goals and
aspirations.
Role of the Mentee
The Center for Career and Professional Development defines the role a mentee as a student who
has successfully completed at least 45 credit hours and is in good academic standing, having at
least a cumulative GPA of 2.00, and has successfully completed the required five out of the nine
(5/9) sessions in the Professional Development Series. A mentee seeks out their mentor’s advice,
knowledge, and experiences to further their own professional development.
A mentee should be willing to:
Actively engage with their mentor;
Accept advice and coaching from their mentor;
Candidly discuss their career aspirations and goals;
Discuss misconceptions about the field they intend to enter; and
Discuss other personal questions related to profession
Benefits of the Program
The CUmentor program is a mutually benefiting professional partnership between a mentor and
mentee(s).
The benefits of the mentee may include:
Encouragement;
Observation of the work place environment;
Self-reflection;
Self-development;
Opportunities to explore career path(s); and
Networking
The benefits to the mentor may include:
Satisfaction of watching someone grow and succeed;
Enjoyment in sharing knowledge, skills, and expertise;
Strengthening relationships with Clarion University; and
Giving back to Clarion University
2
The Matching Process
Upon receiving a student’s application and commitment to become a mentee, the Center for
Career and Professional Development will work to match mentors and mentees based upon one
or more of the following criteria.
To ensure the protection of minors, all participants must be at least 18 years of age or older.
Students will work to successfully complete the required five out of nine sessions, resulting in a
bronze badge and "mentor eligibility status." Completion of any two of the remaining four
sessions will result in a silver badge and completion of all nine sessions, result in a gold badge.
Students who successfully earn a gold badge will have the opportunity to be matched first with a
mentor, followed by silver, and then bronze.
Mentor-mentee matching criteria may include but is not limited to one or more of the following:
Academic commonalities
Desired industries/setting of the participants
Desired personal and professional developmental areas
Desired personal and professional experiences
The geographic area in which the mentor practices
The geographic area in which the mentee intends to enter
The CUmentor program coordinator is continually recruiting mentors to expand the number of
participants, and will make every effort to find you a mentor that you can contact. However, we
can't completely guarantee a match with a mentor or preferred mentor, as sometimes the demand
from students exceeds the available mentors. If a mentor can't be found for you at the start of the
program, your name will be kept on a waiting list and we will continue to search for a suitable
mentor. You will be notified by email of a successful match.
A second digital badge will be awarded at the successful completion of the CUmentor program.
Per the expectations listed below.
3
Expectations
The following are guidelines that will help you have a successful and positive mentoring
partnership.
Commitment
The commitment to the CUmentor program is one year with a minimum of four contacts per
academic semester (fall and spring). However, it is encouraged that contact is made at least once
per month and extend beyond one year. It is required that two of the four (2/4) contacts made
must be conducted via phone call, virtual conferencing, or in-person.
Maintain Regular Contact
Contact refers to communications via the following media; for example, in-person
(recommended but not required), phone call, virtual conferencing, e-mail, and social media (i.e.
Facebook or LinkedIn).
Contact Limitations
In contact with your partner, (1) offensive language and (2) transmission of offensive images are
strictly prohibited. Offensive language includes, but is not limited to, (a) profanity or verbal
abuse directed towards your partner, (b) sexually suggestive comments directed towards your
partner, and (c) derogatory remarks directed towards any individual or group of individuals
based on religion, race, color, ethnicity, country of origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, or sexual
identity. Offensive images include, but are not limited to, (a) images that are sexually suggestive,
lewd, or pornographic and (b) images that include offensive language, as described above.
Be Responsive
Both participants are expected to return contact in a timely manner, unless agreed upon
otherwise (e.g. within two-three business days).
Primary and Secondary Relationships
Mentee’s primary relationship and responsibilities with their mentor are outlined under the roles
and expectations of participants within this handbook.
Secondary relationships are any relationships that form outside of the primary responsibilities. A
secondary relationship is defined as a romantic or sexual relationship. It is discouraged to pursue
a romantic or sexual relationship with a mentor, or similarly a mentor with the mentee.
If placed in a situation(s) where your primary relationship as a mentee comes into conflict with a
secondary relationship you have or want to have, you are required to act in accordance with your
primary relationship role.
Financial Assistance
In general, the mentor should avoid giving money to the mentee or vise versa. Under no
circumstances, however, is it appropriate for the mentee to ask the mentor for money.
4
Honor Commitments
If mentoring contacts must be cancelled, it is expected that participants will do their best to
communicate in advance of the meeting and reschedule. If you decide to remove yourself from
the program, it is expected that you will honor partnerships in progress. If circumstances prohibit
you and your partner from participating in the program prior to the end of a term, each party
must agree to notify their mentoring partner and the Center for Career and Professional
Development.
Conflicts
If a conflict arises between a mentor and mentee, the pair may be split up and reassigned another
mentor or mentee. If a conflict or situation arises between a mentor and mentee, the mentor or
mentee should contact the Center for Career and Professional Development. All communications
about conflicts will be kept confidential. Please contact us at 814-393-2323 or via email at
cumentor@clarion.edu.
Evaluate
Throughout and at the end of each semester, both participants will be required to complete
evaluation forms.
Mentoring Skills
While your mentor may not be able to provide you all the answers or be expected to offer you an
internship or job, he or she will facilitate self-reflection and self-development practices so that
you are challenged to think critically about your career path.
In order to think, reflect, and take the necessary actions to realize your career goals, consider the
following:
Actively Listen
As an active listener be sure to pay attention to non-verbal cues that you may be sending or
receiving, such as facial expressions, body language, and eye contact. As this may set the tone
for the remaining conversation.
The following are tips for active listening:
Focus your attention on the speaker
Do not interrupt the speaker
Avoid distractions (i.e. cell phones, television, emails, etc.)
Go to a quiet place to speak
Take notes of the conversation to capture important points
5
Responding to Feedback
Constructive feedback can be very difficult to receive, even when it is delivered thoughtfully.
However, this type of feedback can be an extremely effective tool for personal and professional
development.
The following are tips for responding to feedback:
Take time to digest what is being said
Do not be tempted to respond immediately
Ask questions for clarification
Be proactive and ask for feedback on how you can improve
Take Ownership of Your Own Development
Do not expect your mentor to tell you what to do or how to do it. It is your responsibility to take
initiative and ownership of your own personal and professional development. This partnership
will flourish by accepting their guidance and taking control of your actions.
Reflect on Learning Moments
This program is designed to be engaging and thought provoking, in order to help you reflect on
your personal and professional development. Take the time to write down your thoughts and
reflect upon them.
Commitment Form
If you wish to participate as a mentee in the CUmentor program, please visit
www.clarion.edu/cumentor to access the mentee application and commitment form. If you have
any questions, please contact the Center for Career and Professional Development at 814-3932323 or via email at cumentor@clarion.edu.
6
Recommended Sources
International Mentoring Association. http://mentoring-association.org/
Mentor. http://www.mentoring.org/
Mentoring. Educause. http://www.educause.edu/careers/special-topic-programs/mentoring
Mentoring Works. http://mentoring-works.com/
References
Adapted from the following sources:
"Amherst College." Pathways Mentoring Program.
https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/careers/mentoring
"The University of Tulsa." College of Law - Mentoring Program.
http://law.utulsa.edu/student-services/professional-development/mentoring-program/
"Xavier University." Career Development Office - Mentor Program.
http://www.xavier.edu/career/mentor/index.cfm
7