University of the People Mentorship Program

Mentor’s Guide

Introduction

Dear Mentor, Welcome to the UoPeople Mentorship Program! University of the People is committed to providing our students with mentors who can support them in achieving their personal, academic and career goals. Through our program students will have the opportunity to enter into a collaborative relationship with a mentor who is focused on their success. Mentors will offer support, encouragement, motivation and share skills that enable success. Done right, mentoring is one of the most powerful and efficient tools to help people grow and advance. But to make it work, we need your full support and commitment. We have prepared this “Mentor’s Guide” to help you guide your mentee through their journey. We truly appreciate that you have chosen to share your knowledge, skills and experience to support our students through mentorship. We hope the relationship between you and your UoPeople student partner will be a close and supportive one, inspiring you to give your best and motivating you to make a difference in your mentee’s future. Best regards, UoPeople Mentorship Program Office

For general guidelines and program

information, please contact: Mentorship@UoPeople.edu

Section 1

University of the People

Section 2

What is Mentoring?

The role of the mentor 2

The role of the mentee 3

Benefits 3

Section 3

Getting Started

Requirements and Recommendations 4

The first three meetings 5

Setting goals 6

Section 3

Moving in the Right Direction

Relationship Tips for Mentors 7

Measure Success 8

Mentoring Close 9

Appendix Partnership Agreement Confidentiality Agreement Contact Information at UoPeople

University of the People

Section One University of the People

Page 1

University of the People (UoPeople) is the first non-profit, tuition-free, accredited online university dedicated to the global advancement and democratization of higher education. Founded in 2009 by educational entrepreneur Shai Reshef, UoPeople is affiliated with the United Nations GAID, the Clinton Global Initiative, and Yale Law School ISP. To date, more than 2000 students from 150 countries have been admitted. UoPeople believes that access to higher education is a key ingredient in the promotion of world peace and global economic development. It views higher education as a basic right, and believes that it can both transform the lives of individuals and be an important force for societal change. UoPeople believes that education plays a fundamental role in strengthening respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and in promoting understanding and tolerance.

The Role of the Mentor

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” – John Crosby

Mentoring is a powerful personal development tool. It is a collaborative learning partnership between two people (mentor and mentee), where both participants share their interests and work and discuss real-time issues and questions. It is a helpful relationship based upon mutual trust and respect. It requires active sharing and listening from both sides. Everyone benefits and everyone learns. It is most successful when it is focused on specific goals.

Development

A collaborative learning environment

Team Work

Shared Interest Apply Focus Set Goals Clear Communication

Trust & Respect Active Listening Be Pro-Active

Utilize Values Take Responsibility

It is the process of working together to discover and develop the mentee’s abilities. It is about helping the mentee

become more self aware, taking responsibility for their life and steering it in the right direction. In this program, you will be the person to help your mentee in the examination and development of their own ideas, learning and personal growth. You will help your mentee develop their network, and think about next steps after graduating from the University. You will be there to provide counseling and encouragement but also to challenge your mentee to perform at their best.

The mentor is expected to: • Be a resource

• Provide feedback

• Allocate time and energy

• Help develop a learning plan

• Follow through on commitments

… and not expected to: • Drive the relationship

• Do most of the talking at meetings

• Help the mentee with academic assignments

• Be an expert in all areas of development

• Develop a friendship

Section Two What is mentoring?

Page 2

Benefits For the mentee • Access expert knowledge and advice: mentoring provides a place to discuss concerns and challenges

• Learn from experience: accelerated learning through working with a mentor and role model

• Broaden business knowledge, network and perspectives

• Increased confidence and motivation

• Opportunities to practice in an environment dedicated to their development

For the mentor • Volunteers choose mentoring because they get satisfaction from helping others

• Open conversations that build new ideas

• Productive use of own knowledge, skills and experience

• Active involvement in the development of students and their futures

• Advancement of coaching skills

Section Two - 3 - What is Mentoring?

The mentee is expected to • Initiate and drive the relationship

• Identify initial learning goals

• Seek feedback

• Take an active role in their own learning

• Initiate meetings and discussions

• Allocate time and energy

• Follow through on commitments

… and not expected to

• Know all the questions you should ask

• Get things right the first time

• Be submissive in the relationship

• Develop a friendship

Section Two What is mentoring?

Page 3

Section Three - 4 - Getting Started

Requirements and Recommendations

Initiation of your mentoring is a critical component of its success. The first meetings with your mentee should

aim at building trust and achieving clarity of commitment and expectations.

Set up a Partnership Agreement: mentor/mentee agree on the goals, expectations, how they will work together

and how they will achieve their success. While the mentee is responsible for completing this agreement the

mentor should be prepared to help as needed and make sure the goals are attainable (are they SMART?)

• Agreement should be in place by the end of the third meeting of the mentor/mentee relationship

• Relationship can be stopped at any time if the student requests this but only after discussion with the

UoPeople Mentorship Program Office

• Relationship can be stopped at any time if the mentor discontinues their relationship with UoPeople due to

unforeseen circumstances

Confidentiality

• Mentee and mentor should discuss their perspective on confidentiality at the first meeting and complete a

Confidentiality Agreement

Suggested frequency, duration and location

• 1 hour meeting monthly, as a minimum

• Discuss schedule and tool for communicating between monthly meetings

• Duration of partnership - minimum of 1 year, may last for duration of studies

• Virtual meetings via Skype or equivalent

With a long-distance relationship, you lose a number of the cues we take for granted in face-to-face

communication. That doesn’t mean a distance-based relationship can not work, but it does require more up-front

investment. Interacting remotely, via Skype or Google + is as close to face2face interaction as you can get.

One more way to set the stage for mentoring success is attending to logistics: if your energies are low late in the

day, aim for morning sessions. These details may seem small, but they affect the quality of the exchange. Make

sure the time and arrangement is comfortable for both of you - you are more likely to give mentoring the time

and attention if deserves when time and set up is convenient for both of you.

The First Three Meetings

Section Three Getting Started

Page 4

Section Three - 5 - Getting Started

Here is a sample agenda for your first three meetings to get you going: First Meeting: Establish relationship, define general direction of relationship Get to know each other – the first meeting is key to a successful relationship. Spend time getting to know each

other first. Break the ice with questions like: • What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work/studying? • Tell me about your personal/educational/professional background? • Apart from your parents, who has had a significant/positive impact…? Set Expectations • Mentee shares general goals/objectives. Discuss the Partnership Agreement • Agree on boundaries and confidentiality (see confidentiality agreement) • Commit to holding each other accountable • Scheduling: how often/when/rescheduling process Set general agenda for next meeting Second Meeting: Continue building trust, clarify learning objectives/goals Relationship check-in • What happened since the last meeting that was energizing for the mentee, for you? • Did anything happen that lowered your energy? Explain why. • What can we learn from these events? Use key questions to establish goals in the Partnership Agreement. For each written goal… • How does mentoring fit into your larger goals, personal development? • Explore what possible objectives you can specify as part of mentoring and their attainability • Explore measurability/time issues • When do we set first progress checkpoint/what is evaluation criteria? Set general agenda for next meeting Third Meeting: Continue building trust, clarify learning objectives/goals Relationship check-in • What was the most productive discussion or dialogue you had last week (mentee)? • What was the least productive? Explain why. Continue to discuss goals, finalize Partnership Agreement Set general agenda for next meeting

Get to Know Each Other

Establish Guidelines

When and where will we meet?

How will we schedule meetings?

How will we communicate between meetings?

Will there be any fixed agenda items to be discussed at every meeting?

How will we exchange feedback?

How will we measure success?

First Meeting Checklist

Section Three Getting Started

Page 5

Section Three - 6 - Getting Started

Setting Goals

A very important part of maintaining fruitful and efficient mentoring is to work on a specific development

plan. That means setting up some goals for the mentee and development activities to achieve these goals.

Encourage your mentee to spend some time on self-evaluation: think of their strengths, development needs, career and life goals and objectives.

You need specific short and long-term objectives for the relationship. Goals are the road map for the relationship and targets for achievement. Make sure both you and your mentee have the same understanding of them. Goals must be written down, have time frames, and be measurable.

As a guideline, try to stick to three goals for the relationship. You cannot expect that you will be able to help your mentee in all areas where they may need support. So stick to those areas where you feel you can make a difference.

Goals need to be measured to track completion. Be aware that for some of the goals there may not be many metrics, instead you may need to refer to comments to evaluate success rates.

You will be key for your mentee’s successful goal setting. Have your mentee draft their initial goals and agree to them with you. Please remind your mentee to use the Partnership Agreement template that you both received in your welcome package to document their goals.

Section Three Getting Started

Page 6

Goals need to be

SMART

Specific Measurable

Attainable Results-oriented

Time-bound

Section Four - 7 - Moving in the Right Direction

Relationship Tips for Mentors

Your first task is to determine what primary challenges your mentee wants to focus on in their work with you

and if you agree that this should be the focus of your work together.

Your mentee should be able to articulate at the outset what they expect from this relationship. If not, then you can work with them to establish this.

• Spend some time to get to know each other first (e.g. education, personal interests, communication style

etc.). “Clicking” with someone personally sometimes matters even more than what you can share

through expertise.

• We have suggested to your mentee that doing some self-evaluation work up front will improve the

chances of success in their distance-based mentoring relationship. Self-evaluation means thinking of

their strengths, development needs, career and life goals and objectives. You may want to advise your

mentee to complete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or some comparable personality assessment. The

results can give you a quick insight into their strengths and preferred styles of work, collaboration, and

leadership. Visit this website for more information. Your mentee has also been provided with this link.

• Be respectful, but direct & thorough in your feedback.

• Push back. Be assertive in your advice if you feel strongly about it.

• Be sensitive to your role: our mentee looks to you for advice and guidance, as a role model. Your advice

may be taken more literally than you intend.

• Establish clear expectations and commitments: express your expectations and commitments to your

mentee and ask for the same.

• Keep the scope of topics you discuss broad. Ask your mentee for their general interests and plans for

the future so that you can keep them on your radar. This creates more opportunities to share relevant

ideas.

• Respect confidentiality on both sides. If you have concerns about any aspects of the communication, air

them at the start. Signing a Confidentiality Agreement at the beginning of mentoring guarantees mutual

discretion.

• Accept and provide constructive/direct feedback.

• Be sincere. Productive mentoring demands candor – don't withhold constructive criticism for fear of

being misunderstood.

Section Four Moving in the Right Direction

Page 7

Measure Success

Once you have established your expectations for the mentoring relationship and set some goals, you will be

ready to make progress - and measure it.

Work with your mentee to create milestones - they will give their plans direction and help you both measure

progress. The milestones you agree on will keep you honest and help you get value from your mentoring over

time.

Celebrate Success Celebrating your achievements is about recognizing and rewarding your and your mentee’s efforts, getting closure on experiences, and marking progress. Showcase your mentee’s accomplishments. Tell others about your mentoring experience. Spread the news about what your mentee has achieved. Have a celebration meeting/call with your mentee. Dedicate a meeting especially to discussing what you both learned from each other, express gratitude, and have some fun! Feel the pride. Enjoy your wins and celebrate how it feels to achieve goals – when you have a positive effect on your mentee, express several positive feelings of pride, satisfaction, happiness, contentment. You'll leave the world better than you found it. Taking the time to reach out to others, share your life's wisdom, and convey your respect for them is probably the least expensive and most powerful way to change the world, one life at a time.

Section Four - 8 - Moving in the Right Direction

Evaluation: Mid-year, Yearly, and End

• Every six months of the mentoring relationship: mid-year/yearly, evaluate the progress against goals and

plans. Re-assess and refocus efforts as necessary

• At the end of the mentoring relationship, do a thorough reflection and evaluation against goals (both

mentor and mentee)

• Inform Program Manager about results

Section Four Moving in the Right Direction

Page 8

Mentoring Close

Reference Material: HBR Guide to Getting the Mentoring You Need, Harvard Business Review, 2012

UCSF Mentoring Toolkit, Adapted from the Faculty Mentoring Facilitator Toolkit July 2007 What is Mentoring? Mentor SET: http://www.mentorset.org.uk/pages/mentoring.htm

HP Internal Recourses and Mentoring Guides

It is expected that you meet with your mentee at least once per month until the natural conclusion of your

mentoring relationship. If during that period either you or your mentee have a justified reason to step out of the program, that is an option. If you need to stop participation, you need to inform the UoPeople Mentorship Program Office. At the end of your mentoring relationship, you will receive a notification and program evaluation survey from the UoPeople Mentorship Program Office. You can also continue informal mentorship after official closing of the program or agree with your mentee you will remain available for guidance and questions.

Section Four - 9 - Moving in the Right Direction

Thank YOU!

Section Four Moving in the Right Direction

Page 9

Partnership Agreement

Appendix

Partnership Agreement

Appendix

Partnership Agreement

Appendix

Confidentiality Agreement

Appendix

Contact Information at UoPeople

Appendix

Contact Information at UoPeople: Learning More about UoPeople with the Goal of Helping your Mentee Find the Right UoPeople Office (Please refer to the current University Catalog available on our website, under “University Services and University Offices”, for up to date Contact information) Mentorship Program Students who have questions about the mentorship program that cannot be directed to their mentor or another department may contact Lori Chozick, Director of Volunteers and Mentorship Program Lead at Lori.Chozick@UoPeople.edu Course Instructors Students are encouraged to directly approach their Course Instructors about difficulties that they may have in their courses, grading, or peer assessment. The best way for a student to reach a Course Instructor is by sending a message to the Course Instructor inside UoPeople’s Virtual Learning Environment, Moodle. Office of Academic Affairs The Office of Academic Affairs oversees all aspects of the curriculum with a primary commitment to creating a dynamic atmosphere for student learning and success. In assisting students with advice pertaining to their academic studies and information regarding academic policies and procedures including incomplete grades, late withdrawals, administrative course withdrawals, and change of major or degree requests, the Office of Academic Affairs provides guidance and leadership to assist students in solving academic-related problems within their courses, peer assessment issues, communication with Course Instructors, and other general course-related issues. UoPeople Course Instructors are available to students via email throughout the academic year and students who have academic-related questions should contact their Course Instructor first. However, the Office of Academic Affairs is always available to provide support to all UoPeople students at

.academic.affairs@uopeople.edu Academic Advising The Office of Academic Advising is designed to be a partnership between UoPeople Academic Advisors

. Students may reach out to advising@uopeople.eduand students; Academic Advisors can be reached at the academic advising team as often as needed and are advised to be in touch with an academic advisor at least once a year to monitor degree progress. Academic Advisors work with students at the University of the People to answer questions and respond to concerns about academic progress, goals in attaining their degrees from the University, and challenges and decisions that need to be made throughout their academic studies.

Contact Information at UoPeople

Appendix

Academic Advising Virtual Office The Academic Advising Virtual Office (AAVO) is a resource center for students at the University, providing access to University academic advisors and academic mentors in Moodle, and allowing students to collectively support, assist, guide, and advise one another at the University through discussion forums. Designed as a gathering space to socialize and plan around their shared educational goals within an academic setting, students benefit from the support and academic guidance of both academic advisors and their fellow peers. The AAVO is accessed via the Moodle homepage and is listed as a course; participation, however, is optional at all times. Students who do not wish to have access to the AAVO may send this request to the Office of

.student.affairs@uopeople.eduStudent Affairs at Peer Assessment Office Located in Moodle, the PAO is available to students who want to strategize with other students and a UoPeople Academic Mentor to better practice and understand the peer assessment learning tool. The purpose of the PAO is to train and encourage students in peer assessment which is a central component of the learning process at UoPeople. Office of Student Affairs Students needing assistance and clarification about their academic standing, and additional support throughout their studies may contact the Office of Student Affairs at student.affairs@uopeople.edu. The Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Ariella Zeller, is in contact with students at this address. Office of Student Services The Office of Student Services forms part of a comprehensive network of services at the University designed to support and help students throughout their studies. Student Services provides students with both administrative and academic services in consultation with other bodies of the University and is also responsible for implementing university policies and procedures, keeping the student body updated accordingly. Student Services provides a range of support, information, and special services to enhance student experiences at UoPeople. All student records are permanently and confidentially maintained by the Office of Student Services. Information regarding enrollment data and the date of degrees conferred will be of public record. Students are welcome to email the Office of Student Services at student.services@uopeople.edu regarding course registration, proctor information, updates to student records, leave of absence questions, changing degree program or requesting to change your major, requesting official transcripts, graduate deadlines and logistics etc. Technical Support

for students support@uopeople.eduTechnical Support is available to registered students through email at who are experiencing problems within the Virtual Learning Environment, Moodle. If a student, for example, had a power outage during a quiz, they should contact the Support Office immediately.

Contact Information at UoPeople

Appendix

Scholarship Office The Scholarship Office receives and processes scholarship requests from admitted applicants and current students who are unable to pay part or all of the Examination Processing Fees. Additionally, the Scholarship Office provides scholarship information to prospective students and is available to answer any questions or

.scholarships@uopeople.educoncerns. The Scholarship Office can be reached at Payments Office The Payment Office oversees the processing of payments for both Application and Examination Processing Fees at UoPeople, and is responsible for the handling and disbursement of grants for Application Processing Fees. Also working in conjunction with the Scholarship Office, the Payments Office processes and reconciles scholarship payments for students unable to pay Examination Processing Fees. Students who have questions regarding payments including payment methods, amounts payable, and payment deadlines may

.payments@uopeople.educontact the Payments Office at Library Resources and Services In support of our students and their academic pursuits, University of the People has joined the Library and Information Resource Network (LIRN). LIRN enhances UoPeople’s academic programs with a rich and powerful collection of resources including over 60 million journal articles, books, encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, and audio and video clips. All University of the People instructional personnel and enrolled students may use these resources free of charge. Additionally, students are provided with other open education resources including textbooks and course materials. Questions or suggestions regarding the University of the People Library and Resource Center, including LIRN or open educational resources

.library@uopeople.eduDirector of Library Services at UoPeople’smay be directed to Internship Opportunities University of the People helps students make connections with companies providing internship opportunities to top qualified UoPeople students. Internships are announced by email to UoPeople students, and include a description of the internship, internship qualifications, and a description of the

for additional internships@uopeople.eduapplication process and timeline. Students may contact information. Note that internship announcements are made when new opportunities become available and the application process begins. Career Services Center The University of the People Career Service Center (CSC) strategy builds on current trends and best practices at institutions of higher learning and takes into consideration the unique characteristics and challenges of University of the People and our student body. Serving as the hub for students and graduates to develop essential skills in preparing for life after the degree, the CSC will offer short courses, workshops, recommended resources and career counseling among other services. Focus will be in areas such as career planning, resume writing, interview and job searching skills. An introductory not-for-credit course is planned for roll-out during the 2014-2015 academic year and the university is committed to further developing the center throughout the year.