Program Resources


Faculty who are interested in starting a mentoring program may use the following section as a worksheet to start mapping the details needed to launch a program.  There are typically 3 types of resources needed to launch a program: People (expertise), funds (budget), and time.

Identify Types of Needed Resources

  • What type of staffing will you need for the program? 
  • Who will schedule meetings and find facilities?
  • Will you need to arrange group meetings?  
  • Will the mentor and mentee schedule their own meetings?
  • Will there be food at any meetings?
  • How will you provide communications for your program?  
  • Will you develop a website?  
  • Do you have internal resources who can create the website or will you require an external consultant?
  • Will you bring in internal or external speakers?  
  • Will internal speakers from other Departments/Schools require compensation? 
  • Will you provide any compensation in the form of protected time for faculty leaders? Faculty mentors?
  • Will there be any expenses in developing the curriculum? 
  • Will you use Educational Technology resources to create videos or other learning materials?

Developing a Program Budget

Budget line items should include:

Short Description

Details

Amount

Staff time if needed? What is the FTE? 

   

Will you seek protected time for faculty leaders and possible for faculty mentors

Salary equivalent 

Stipends?


 

Speakers. 


For example, invited lectures on mentoring or professional development topics for mentees or mentors? 

 

Food and Beverages for group events

What is your budget for food/beverage for individual mentor/mentee meetings?

 

Website creation and maintenance

   

Budget for curriculum materials

   

Funds to support other program activities: for example-- mentor award? Stipend for mentors?

   
Other...    

Request the Financial Resources

The financial resources for the program will be expected to come primarily from the unit/division/department.  

Make the case for financial and other resources alongside a compelling vision for the program, a clear structure and a plan for measuring success.  Tie your program goals with the strategic priorities for your unit and leverage data (anecdotal, or otherwise) to illustrate the importance of mentoring for the overall success of the program.  Make your resource requests comprehensive, ambitious and negotiable.  Allow for discussions with your unit leadership to justify the use of resources.  Where appropriate, have an understanding regarding unused resources: if they rollover to the next fiscal year or are they returned.  Identify the financial assistant who will support the program’s expensing, reimbursements and financial monitoring.

Non-Financial Resources

Faculty time: Discuss within the program’s core leadership and your unit leadership if faculty mentor’s time will be acknowledged and offset.  Gauge your mentor’s expectations and relay them to the leadership in order to enhance morale and support for the mentor’s efforts.  

Knowledge:  School expertise from sources such as Teaching and Mentoring AcademyOffice of Academic AffairsEducational Technology and other Departmental Mentorship Programs: Connect with members of these units in order to learn about their experiences, services and programs that they may be leveraged for your planned program activities.

High Impact/ Low Investment Ideas for Program Activities

  1. Social cohesion and creating the program’s presence:
    1. Arrange with department leadership a program-kick off presentation at the first faculty meeting of the academic year. Make it an annual tradition. Recognize the names of mentors and mentees with names and pictures on a slide.
    2. Highlight program events on department website and in departmental internal communications (newsletters, announcements)
  2. Distribute regular educational content about mentoring to program participants or department-wide (e.g., a short blurb) about a new research paper on mentoring, an article, an event, or new evidence related to aspects of mentoring.
  3. Create a Mentoring Excellence Award for the unit.
  4. Invite OAA Associate Dean(s) to your unit to present on promotion criteria.
  5. Develop a peer mentoring program.