For Mentors
How It Works
As a mentor, you will be matched with an undergraduate or graduate student, based on your mutual interests. You will meet with your protégé at least once a month, at times that are convenient for both.
You will discuss some areas of interest with your protégé when you develop your Mentoring Agreement, and can set your own agenda for your meetings based on that. Some pairs have met for coffee or a walk; others have hosted each other for dinner at home.
This short video provides an overview of the experience and expectations. Note that the Fall Kickoff and Closing Luncheon will not be part of the 2024-25 program.
{{youtube:medium|h_Za0v7YPt8, WM2 Introduction}}
Complete the Mentor Interest Form
The 2024-25 Mentor Interest form will close October 13.
About Time Commitments
Many faculty and staff at W&M are busy and may find it challenging to consider adding a responsibility to their calendars. As a program centered on women’s flourishing, it’s important to acknowledge that women are disproportionately asked to and perform volunteer work across industries:
- The Great Gender Divide in Faculty Service
- Why Women Volunteer for Tasks that Don’t Lead to Promotion
- Gender Differences in Accepting and Receiving Requests for Tasks with Low Promotability
- Faculty Service Loads and Gender: Are Women Taking Care of the Academic Family?
The WM2 program was purposefully built to ask for only four hours per semester with the potential for more time at the mentor and protégé’s discretion. We believe that those four hours in which mentor pairs can learn from each other about personal and professional development is invaluable. Strong mentoring relationships expose participants to ideas and opportunities they otherwise may not have known or considered, and they provide support for addressing the challenges women face on campus and beyond.
While the commitment required is relatively low, at about four hours per semester, we do ask that you plan your mentorship time purposefully, based on how you both would like to grow through the program.
