The SPPG Alumni Network Mentorship Initiative

The Alumni Network of the School of Public Policy and Governance (SPPG) is offering a mentorship initiative with two elements: an online Alumni Library for easy one-time connections, and a formal Mentorship Program that matches alumni and current students over an eight-month period. The Alumni Network represents all of the SPPGs graduating classes, providing a variety of professional, academic and social opportunities for alumni to connect among themselves and with current students, professionals and academics in the larger policy community. All SPPG graduates are welcome to join the leadership group, attend and participate at events, and participate in the community as they choose. A Mentorship Initiative designed to support current SPPG students aligns closely with the Networks two central objectives: 1. To maintain the connections and associations with the School and with each other in order to contribute to improve the policy discussion in Ontario and Canada, and 2. To leverage the skills, knowledge and resources of the alumni collective to offer support to the School of Public Policy, students, staff and faculty.

A Two-Pronged Mentorship Initiative

Mentoring is in essence a developmental partnership through which there is a sharing of knowledge, skills, information, and perspective to support the personal and professional growth of one or both of the partners. It can come in different forms, from casual and informal to more structured and focused on specific learning objectives. The Alumni Network will be offering a formal Mentorship Program for alumni and students for the 2012-13 academic year. The pilot program will match alumni with students over a period of eight months. Participants will be paired through an application and matching process, with supports and guidance provided to facilitate the growth, structure and maintenance of the mentoring relationships. The launch of a formal mentorship program follows the unveiling of the Alumni Library in January 2012. The Library is an easy, low-commitment online resource for students, providing them with a searchable roster of SPPG alumni they can connect with to seek insights and advice to support their professional development. What are the objectives of the SPPG Alumni Networks Mentorship Initiative? I. II. III. IV. To invite peer guidance from young policy professionals to currently enrolled students as they plan their careers and set professional goals. To capitalize on the professional capital of the growing alumni network in a flexible and productive manner. To build meaningful, relevant, and productive relationships between graduates and students. To offer an opportunity for alumni to remain connected with students and the broader SPPG community.

What are the benefits of a Mentorship Program? Mentorship is a win-win-win for students, alumni and the SPPG. For Students, it provides the opportunity to: Learn from a person with expertise in their field of academic or professional interest; Receive first-hand insights into workplace challenges and expectations; Receive support in accessing professional networks or making other connections; Share experiences and lessons on a range of topics to support personal and professional development objectives; Build meaningful and profound relationships with engaged, accomplished alumni; and Enhance your sense of self-awareness, values and professional or personal goals. For Alumni, mentorship offers: A satisfying opportunity to help current students in their learning and preparation for their career challenges; A simple and important way to give back to and maintain ties with the SPPG; A means to build connections, share experiences and learn from policy peers; An opportunity to continue building professional skills and remain connected with their academic discipline; and The opportunity for graduates to be reflective early in their policy careers, and plan for their own professional growth. For the SPPG, there are also many benefits: An enticing offering for prospective students; Another avenue through which to improve the educational experience; A compliment to SPPGs professional development programming; and A way to maintain strong ties with its alumni community.

The Alumni Library: explained

The Alumni Library is modeled on the Toronto Public Library's "Human Library", which allows patrons to check out members of their community to talk to them and learn from their lived experiences. Soft-launched in January 2012, the Library provides current MPP students with easy access to a pool of SPPG graduates with current listings of over 50 SPPG alumni, representing a broad mix of skills, industries and professional and academic experiences. What is the Library for? The Library allows for quick and easy professional connections. Whereas the formal mentorship program is about building a relationship over a period of time, the Library provides a one-off opportunity for students to seek information (e.g. tell me about your industry), request connections (e.g. do you know anyone in this field?) or ask for advice (e.g. how should I prepare for an interview?). How do MPP students use the Library? Simple. Browse the alumni profiles in the Library and email the Alumni Network to check out an alumni. Once connected, you can arrange to meet for a coffee or lunch, connect by phone or Skype, or simply put questions in an email. How can Alumni add themselves? Just email the Alumni Network (sppg.alumni@gmail.com) and request to be added. We will work with you to develop a profile, and contact you when a student is requesting to check you out of the Library.

The formal Mentorship Program: explained1

The program is open to students in both the first and second year of the MPP program, and to all Alumni. The application process begins in early fall 2012, with the mentoring relationships spanning an eight month period from October 2012 through to May 2013. The application process requires both students and alumni to fill in a form that provides personal information, their objectives in applying to the program, areas of expertise and industries of interest, and some logistical considerations. It also requires that both groups of applicants to agree to a series of expectations and responsibilities regarding their participation in the program. The objective in requiring completion of this application is two-fold: first, to inform the matching process and ensure that participants are paired effectively; and second, to confirm a level of commitment and an understanding of obligations that come with participation. While the application and matching process is somewhat structured to ensure that pairings are based on mutual interests and learning needs, the relationships can be flexible. It is up to each student and alumni partnership to decide how they would like to pursue their relationship. There is no required number of meetings over the eight-month duration of the formal relationship, though we would recommend a minimum of two. The methods and frequency of communications (e.g. in person, by phone or email) is also at the discretion of the participants. To support the mentoring relationships, a number of tools and supports are available. A welcome and orientation session will be held. An Alumni-Student Mentorship Agreement template is provided, which can be used to outline objectives, expectations and boundaries in a transparent manner, ensuring that both alumni and students have a full understanding of their commitments. A Process Guide provides information on how to plan and structure the relationship over the eight-month period, and Tip Sheets provide useful suggestions about how to get the most out of the mentoring relationship. The PAs will also periodically check in with participants, and can be contacted if there are questions or issues. Mentorship partnerships officially end in May 2013. Setting an official end date helps to focus the relationships, as it requires that the goals and objectives established at the outset are completed by a certain point in time. It then provides participants with an opportunity to assess their success of their mentoring relationships over the eight-month period, and to provide feedback to the PAs on how to improve the program. It also allows for a natural dissolution of the formal relationships, when students and alumni could be eager to turn their attention to other personal or professional endeavours. Nothing, however, precludes the continuation of the relationships on an informal basis.

The program structure and parameters have been developed by the Alumni Network, in conjunction with the School of Public Policy and Governance and the SPPG Student Union executive.

The formal Mentorship Program: some disclaimers

We cannot guarantee a match It is important to note we cannot guarantee that every applicant to the program will receive a match. Our ability to match alumni and students is limited by the number of applications we receive from each group, and by our assessment of whether the skills, experiences and interests of the alumni and student applicants align sufficiently to provide the potential for a successful match. Our learning from this pilot will inform us on how we can make things better. Expectations and Responsibilities are established at the outset Mentorship can be very valuable, but it requires significant effort and time, and sincere intellectual and emotional commitment, in order for it to be successful and useful. To ensure that both student and alumni participants are prepared to make these commitments, the application process requires that they agree to a list of Expectations and Responsibilities (see Appendix for the student and alumni lists). Mentorship is not a job placement service Alumni mentors will provide advice and assistance in career exploration, academic goals, and personal development. The program is a vehicle by which students can gain valuable insights into specific industries and areas of expertise. Moreover, the program will allow students to expand their networks and develop communication and networking skills. Our mentorship activities are NOT a job placement service. Finding post-SPPG employment is the responsibility of the student, with the formal support of SPPG career management services. Mentors will provide advice, guidance and support; but it is up to the student to find a job. Students need clear expectations about what SPPG Alumni mentors have to offer As the SPPG MPP program is only five years old, its alumni cohort is relatively young and new to the workforce. On the one hand, alumni generally do not have extensive work experience, nor do they (yet) occupy senior roles in their organizations or have extensive networks with senior leaders. What they do offer is a better understanding of the circumstances and perspectives of current MPP students notably the academic requirements as part of the MPP program, and the job search and labour market challenges policy graduates are facing in transitioning from policy school to professional practice. Sometimes mentoring partnerships just dont work Clearly outlining learning objectives, expectations and responsibilities is important to ensure that a mentoring partnership starts on the right foot. But there may be cases where the match just doesnt work. A students situation can change. An alumnis workload can get too heavy to allow time to meet. Or sometimes the chemistry or personal connection just isnt there. In these cases, we encourage participants to contact the program administrators to seek the amicable dissolution of the relationship. If alumni or students are interested in being re-matched, we will make every effort to do so.

The formal Mentorship Program: timelines

Late August 2012 - an application process will be opened for interested alumni and students. Applicants will be asked to provide information to help inform the matching process, including: Objectives in joining the program (e.g. to learn about a profession, networking, etc.); The industry of work or interest (e.g. non-profit, private or public); Areas of policy practice (e.g. health care, education, finance, etc.); and Logistical considerations (e.g. the city you live in, willingness to connect by phone).

Late Aug 2012 - Application Process

Early Sept 2012 - Matching Process

Early September 2012 - the matching process will be undertaken by the Program Administrators (PAs). Alumni and student applications will be assessed to identify matches based on the above criteria. Once matches are made, we will contact you with introductions and administrative details. Late September 2012 - An orientation and welcome event will provide an opportunity for alumni-student matches to meet, learn guidance on how to get the most out of their relationships, and some tools to help establish and structure your mentoring partnership (e.g. an Alumni-Student Agreement of Understanding, Tip Sheets with sample questions, etc.). There will also be an opportunity for some networking among all of the participants.

Late Sept 2012 - Orientation and Welcome Event

Oct-April 2013 - Mentorship Partnerships in Progress

May 2013 - Formal Partnerships End

Summer 2013 - Annual Review

Winter 2012/2013 - Following the orientation event, the Mentoring Partnership between students and alumni will begin with a first meeting, and will progress through to April 2013. PAs will check in with mentors and students periodically to ensure that things are going smoothly, and are available to offer guidance and support where needed. May 2013 - At the end of the term, well conduct an annual review to assess how successful the relationships were and how the program can be improved for future years. Formal relationships will conclude, but students and alumni free to continue meeting informally if they so choose.

Have any questions? Want more information?

For more information, or for access to other Mentorship Program resources and materials, please visit the SPPG Alumni Network website at: http://policyforward.wordpress.com/mentorship/ Questions? E-mail sppg.alumni@gmail.com.