GradSWE & Mentoring
The GradSWE mentoring program serves as an avenue for graduate students in SWE to network with a formal mentor and/or for graduate students to act as a formal mentor to an undergraduate student.
How the Program Works
The mentoring program has two sessions each year during the spring (January to May) and fall semesters (August to December). The program starts during the enrollment period in which mentors, proteges (graduate students), and mentees (undergraduates) all submit interest forms. Undergraduate participation is limited due to large demand, so enrollment for undergraduate mentees closes once the maximum number of students is reached. After enrollment closes, all graduate proteges and undergraduate mentees who signed up will be given an anonymous list of potential mentors. Graduate proteges and undergraduates will then be required to fill out a preference form to indicate which of the mentors they would prefer to be matched with. Using the preference form and the questions answered during sign up, the mentoring team will match proteges and undergraduates with a mentor that most closely aligns with their interests and needs. Mentoring pairs will not be re-matched except in extenuating circumstances.
The protégés and mentees are then given their assigned mentor’s contact information and it is up to the protégé/mentee to contact their mentor.
Not all mentors will always be matched. We will do our best to keep all participants aware of the matching process and to let them know by the end of the session (spring or fall), at the latest, whether or not they were matched.
At the end of every session we send out a survey to all matched participants and appreciate any and all constructive feedback. Always feel free to contact us if you have any questions or are having trouble with your match (i.e. unresponsive mentor).
Roles and Expectations
Our program contains two components: mentoring between a professional mentor and a graduate student protégé and mentoring between a graduate student mentor and an undergraduate student mentee. Roles and expectations of the mentoring program are agreed upon between mentors and proteges/mentees. At minimum, it is expected that both parties will be respectful with each other's availability. The mentoring coordinators provide monthly topics of interest periodically to facilitate conversations between the mentor and protégé/mentee, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the protégé/mentee to start the conversations. There is no requirement from GradSWE with regard to extraordinary efforts or monetary investments to make the mentoring relationship successful.
Mentee Eligibility
Protégé Eligibility
Mentor Eligibility
Program Timeline
Below is an approximate timeline. Exact dates may vary. Remember that this program is of the graduate students by the graduate students and there may be delays due to changes in the mentor coordinators’ schedules.
How the Program Works
The mentoring program has two sessions each year during the spring (January to May) and fall semesters (August to December). The program starts during the enrollment period in which mentors, proteges (graduate students), and mentees (undergraduates) all submit interest forms. Undergraduate participation is limited due to large demand, so enrollment for undergraduate mentees closes once the maximum number of students is reached. After enrollment closes, all graduate proteges and undergraduate mentees who signed up will be given an anonymous list of potential mentors. Graduate proteges and undergraduates will then be required to fill out a preference form to indicate which of the mentors they would prefer to be matched with. Using the preference form and the questions answered during sign up, the mentoring team will match proteges and undergraduates with a mentor that most closely aligns with their interests and needs. Mentoring pairs will not be re-matched except in extenuating circumstances.
The protégés and mentees are then given their assigned mentor’s contact information and it is up to the protégé/mentee to contact their mentor.
Not all mentors will always be matched. We will do our best to keep all participants aware of the matching process and to let them know by the end of the session (spring or fall), at the latest, whether or not they were matched.
At the end of every session we send out a survey to all matched participants and appreciate any and all constructive feedback. Always feel free to contact us if you have any questions or are having trouble with your match (i.e. unresponsive mentor).
Roles and Expectations
Our program contains two components: mentoring between a professional mentor and a graduate student protégé and mentoring between a graduate student mentor and an undergraduate student mentee. Roles and expectations of the mentoring program are agreed upon between mentors and proteges/mentees. At minimum, it is expected that both parties will be respectful with each other's availability. The mentoring coordinators provide monthly topics of interest periodically to facilitate conversations between the mentor and protégé/mentee, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the protégé/mentee to start the conversations. There is no requirement from GradSWE with regard to extraordinary efforts or monetary investments to make the mentoring relationship successful.
Mentee Eligibility
- Mentees must be enrolled in an undergraduate institution in an engineering field (or interested in pursuing a graduate degree in an engineering field) when they apply to the program.
- Mentees must demonstrate drive for personal development.
- Mentees must be in good standing with SWE.
Protégé Eligibility
- Proteges must be enrolled in graduate school in an engineering field when they apply to the program.
- Proteges must demonstrate drive for personal development.
- Proteges must be in good standing with SWE.
Mentor Eligibility
- Mentors must demonstrate competency in a needed area of knowledge.
- Mentors can be male or female.
- Mentors can have any engineering background, but must have an engineering background.
- Mentors will preferably have a graduate degree; however, this is not a requirement.
- It is not necessary for a mentor to join SWE for the first year of participation in the program. After one year, if the individual wishes to not join SWE, existing relationships will remain but no new proteges will be assigned.
Program Timeline
Below is an approximate timeline. Exact dates may vary. Remember that this program is of the graduate students by the graduate students and there may be delays due to changes in the mentor coordinators’ schedules.
How to enroll
Mentors, proteges, and mentees can all enroll in the program by submitting interest forms during the enrollment period (typically the first 1-2 months of the spring and fall semesters). Enrollment is currently closed and re-open early in the fall semester.
General Mentoring Information (Blog Posts)
For questions or comments, please contact the mentoring coordinators at gradswementoring@gmail.com.
Mentors, proteges, and mentees can all enroll in the program by submitting interest forms during the enrollment period (typically the first 1-2 months of the spring and fall semesters). Enrollment is currently closed and re-open early in the fall semester.
General Mentoring Information (Blog Posts)
For questions or comments, please contact the mentoring coordinators at gradswementoring@gmail.com.
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