Alumni Mentor Program: FAQs
How and when do I apply and participate in the LEP Alumni Mentor Program?
Alumni: You can participate in the LEP Alumni Mentor Program by clicking the "REGISTER" button on the sidebar of this website. You will need to confirm your alumni status before you can create an account. Once you have been confirmed, you will complete your profile with background information and select personal mentoring preferences. During each mentoring round, students will have the chance to view your profile and request you as a mentor. After being selected, you can confirm a mentee, and you will be notified by email of the match.
Students: We have three mentoring sessions each year held at the beginning of the fall, winter, and spring quarters. At that time, you will need to fill out a short application to participate in a mentoring session, and attend a short orientation. Afterwards, we will give you access to create an account on the website, and you can search for and request mentors. Once a mentor accepts you as a mentee, you will be notified by e-mail of the match
How are the mentoring pairs made?
After students enter their mentor preferences (industry, personal interests, location, etc.), the software's matching engine presents students with a list of alumni sorted according to how closely the alumnus/a matches the students' criteria. Students can then request a potential mentor from this list, who then has the opportunity to confirm the match
What kind of activities should I expect to do while participating in the LEP Alumni Mentoring Program?
Activities are determined by mutual agreement between the alumni mentor and the student mentee. They can include anything from helping to look over a resume to providing insights on how to maintain a good work-life balance. The program is designed as a resource for helping similar-minded students and alumni to find each other. The actual nature of the mentoring relationship, however, will be up to students and alumni to determine and develop individually.
How much time will be involved in the mentoring relationship?
Time commitment is very flexible and can range from a few hours per month to several hours per week, depending on the preferences of both the mentee and the mentor. It is up to the student and the mentor to decide together what works best for them
How long should I expect to remain in this mentoring relationship?
The mentoring relationship officially lasts for six months, after which the formal pairing will be released in our online system. This allows alumni to work with new mentees. This, however, does not mean that the mentoring relationship has to end. The program's goal is to develop long-term relationships between mentors and mentees, so we encourage mentors and mentees to continue their relationship on an informal basis
For MENTORS: Why haven't I been requested yet?
After you register for SAM, it could take some time before you are matched with a student since alumni registration continues throughout the year while student registration is limited to twice a year, once in the Fall and then again in the Spring
For STUDENTS: Why was I declined?
There are a variety of reasons why your requested alumnus might have declined you, most of which probably have nothing to do with you personally. It may be an especially busy time for the alum, or the alum may already have other mentees and may not wish to take on more. Do not get discouraged. Just go back into the system and search for and request other mentors
Why is my occupation not listed? Why is the occupation that I want to search for not listed?
We have deliberately kept the occupation list short and minimal because too many choices can hamper the matching process. For instance, if the occupation list were more extensive, then fewer alumni on average will match the selected occupation and show up on the "results" list of students. Please select the occupation that is the closest match to your career field or the career field you wish to search for.
What if there is a problem with my mentoring relationship?
Any relationship takes time and effort to develop. We strongly encourage a mentor and mentee to make a consistent and sincere effort to get to know each other. However, we also understand that a particular pairing may not be the best fit and that students may develop new academic and career interests that require them to seek a different mentor. If you wish to end the mentoring pair before the end of the session, please notify the Alumni Staff Coordinator so that we can suggest possible solutions and, if necessary, discontinue the relationship. When the mentoring relationship is no longer officially active, mentors and mentees are welcome to seek a new match.
Contact Us
Questions? Please contact the LEP Alumni Program
Coordinator: Kristy Wolter-Warmerdam at: kwolterw@du.edu
