Staff Mentorship Program calls for nominations, applications by May 25

Staff Mentorship Program calls for nominations, applications by May 25

The Staff Mentorship Program is looking for a few good men and women.

The Staff Mentorship Program is a formal, volunteer program that pairs experienced staff with less experienced staff in a mentoring relationship. In this program, staff can cultivate contacts, explore challenges and enhance effectiveness as they design their personal growth and career paths at St. Thomas. The program also provides the opportunity to gather information, develop peer support, learn more about management and better understand the university's institutional culture.

Mentors and mentees must attend a mentoring workshop and the training must be completed before nominees and applicants are paired. Mentors will not work with more than two mentees concurrently. Mentoring pairs set their own schedules and participate in formal and informal programming for up to one year, beginning July 2.

Mentor
Nominate an individual(s) to be a mentor. Potential mentors must be full-time staff members, usually with three or more years of service at St. Thomas, who want to help newer staff members acclimate to the campus community. Nominations can be made by members of the Academic and Administrative Leadership Group (see the list of members below) or another UST community member. The nominees will complete a skills inventory to help HR make the best matches.

If you know a person you think would be a good mentor and who would be willing to fulfill this yearlong commitment, download a Mentor Nomination Form and Skills Inventory (a link to this form also can be found on the Human Resources Mentorship Web page).

Mentee
A mentee is any regular full- or part-time staff member who is interested in developing a mentor-mentee relationship. This individual is interested in furthering her or his career development; receiving guidance, building a network of professional contacts with the university; and learning how to reach appropriate channels and new a new level of skills.

Mentees are provided information on potential mentors and are encouraged to arrange informational interviews with at least two potential mentors. After meeting, mentees and potential mentors submit their match preferences to the Staff Mentorship Program coordinator. The coordinator completes the matches.

If you would like to be a mentee, download a Mentee Nomination Form and Skills Inventory (a link to this form also can be found on the Human Resources Mentorship Web page.

Important dates:

  • May 25 – Deadline for mentor nominations and mentee applications
  • July 2 – Official program kickoff (mentoring year begins)
  • July 9 – Mentor-mentee training

All mentors and mentees are required to:

  • Respond to a monthly online feedback questionnaire provided by Human Resources.
  • Attend quarterly mentorship brown bag luncheons.

Other time commitments include conversations by phone and e-mail, as well as scheduled meetings to discuss issues, concerns and goals.

Here are the members of the 2006-07 Academic and Administrative Leadership Group:

  • Dr. Angie Barretta-Herman, associate vice president for academic affairs
  • Dr. Ron Bennett, dean of the school of engineering
  • Monsignor Aloysius Callaghan, rector and vice president, St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity
  • Jane Canney, vice president of student affairs
  • Edna Comedy, associate vice president for human resources
  • Dr. Mark Dienhart, executive vice president and chief administrative officer
  • Marla Friederichs, associate vice president for enrollment services
  • Linda Halverson, executive assistant to the executive vice president and chief administrative officer
  • Doug Hennes, vice president for university and government relations
  • Steve Hoeppner, executive director of development
  • Dr. Susan Huber, interim dean of the school of education
  • Dr. Marisa Kelly, dean of the college of arts and sciences
  • Dr. Joe Kreitzer, associate vice president for academic affairs
  • Dr. Rick Kunkel, ex-0fficio, chair of the faculty
  • Dr. Sam Levy, vice president for information resources and technologies
  • Tom Mengler, dean of the school of law
  • Dr. Lawrence Potter Jr., executive director of institutional diversity
  • Dr. Chris Puto, dean of the college of business
  • Dr. Rich Rexeisen, ex-officio, chair of the faculty affairs committee
  • Dr. Tom Rochon, executive vice president and chief academic officer
  • Dr. Gene Scapanski, vice president for mission
  • Dr. Barbara Shank, dean of the school of social work
  • Dr. Christopher Thompson, academic dean, St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity
  • Mark Vangsgard, vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer
  • Dr. David Welch, dean of the graduate school of professional Psychology
  • Rachel Wobschall, executive director of alumni and constituent relations
  • Dr. Susan Alexander, executive assistant to the president

The Staff Mentorship Program is offered by the Human Resources Department and the Office of Institutional Diversity.

For more information, visit the Staff Mentorship Program Web page, e-mail the program, or call Terry Snyder, (651) 962-6493, or Alyssa Begin, (651) 962-6512.