The University of Sheffield
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The Impact Programme

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Impact Mentoring


Impact is an HR-led University-wide scheme for female academics. It is a six-month mentoring programme which runs each year commencing in January. The programme is aimed at helping women Lecturers develop their careers. Male mentors are very welcome to participate.


Programme

The programme includes:

Introductory workshops – to help both mentors and mentees decide if this is the best approach for them and for us to outline the commitment involved. These workshops will also have a training element to them.

Formal matching process – mentees will be matched from a pool of mentors (Professors from within the University) using information supplied via an application process.

Mentoring meetings – those on the programme will be expected to meet a minimum of three times over a six-month period (exclusive of an introductory session). It will be the role of the mentee to organise these meetings.

Mentor and mentee exchanges – opportunities will be provided twice during the programme for mentors and mentees respectively to get together and discuss how they are finding the programme.

Programme evaluation – an evaluation will be carried out at the end of the programme and participants will be expected to participate in this so that lessons can be learned in the design and delivery of future programmes.

The 2011/12 schedule is as follows:

Introductory Workshops

Mentors:
TBC November 2011
or TBC November 2011
Prospective mentors should attend one of these workshops

Mentees:
TBC November 2011
or TBC November 2011
Prospective mentees should attend one of these workshops

Mentoring Exchanges

Mentors:
TBC March 2012
and TBC May 2012

Mentees:
TBC March 2012
and TBC May 2012

All introductory workshops and mentoring exchanges will be in the Arts Tower, unless otherwise notified.

In addition mentors and mentees will independently arrange at least three meetings together over the six-month period (January to June).


How to Apply

If you would like to apply to participate in this scheme as either a mentor or a mentee then please complete a mentor or a mentee expression of interest form and return it to impactmentoring@sheffield.ac.uk.

Please note that expressions of interest for mentees received after 15 September 2011 will not be considered for this year´s programme.


Feedback on the Impact Programme

Feedback from those involved on previous Impact schemes:

Mentors

"Dialogue like this usually benefits both partners. I have enjoyed meeting this young academic. I have felt privileged that she wished to share some personal issues with me. For me the main benefit has been a reflective one where I considered my role within my department and the University more broadly."

"It provided more insight into the personal challenges being addressed by female colleagues at different stages of their careers and highlighted the need for and the importance of role models."

"I would recommend it because it is a way of giving something back, but it also helps with your own development."

"A mentoring scheme is an effective way of having individuals reflect not only on their career aspirations, but more importantly on what they need to address in order to achieve those aspirations and be in a position to self-assess and evaluate progress made. Mentoring makes the process of career progression more explicit, tangible and achievable."

"It is an opportunity to give something back in a fulfilling way. Part of my motivation in mentoring is to enable people to fully exploit their individual potential so that I can be in an institution full of valued and successful people."

"It is a positive experience which uses skills and personal resources to give back to the more junior academic community and implore personal soft skills which are important when managing staff."

Mentees

"My mentor has convinced me that my application for promotion to senior lecturer is timely. It has been useful to have an objective perspective from an academic with no obvious personal agenda. Her encouragement was terrific."

"It has been a very useful and productive experience. I gained immensely from this. Just for reworking my CV alone this has been a worthwhile pilot. My mentor has always been goal directed and a positive influence in our meetings."

"I have enjoyed having the chance to meet and talk informally with a professor working in the University. And also to focus my career progression with someone who was happy to provide support. Usually meetings that I have with professors in my working environment are about work-related matters only."

"It´s very helpful to meet the other mentees and speak to my mentor about problems, to know that we are not alone and have support."

"My mentor´s knowledge and experience of going through the promotions process was invaluable".


Could you be an Impact Mentor?

The main responsibility of the mentor is to support the integration and professional development of their mentee. The knowledge the mentor has about the University/academia together with their commitment, enthusiasm and values will play a central role in the achievement of this goal.

Mentors can have multiple roles:

Some of the skills required of a mentor:


Expectations of Mentees

Within a mentoring relationship the motivation and responsibility for learning and development rests fully on the mentee. Mentees need to be prepared to do most of the work and put in most of the effort; the role of the mentor is to support the mentee in becoming more self-aware, reflective and confident in their decision making.

Mentoring offers the mentee the potential to develop a set of skills and qualities in a supportive environment that will help them meet the challenges they face both in the present and the future.


Contact Details

If you would like to discuss anything regarding the Impact Mentoring Programme please email impactmentoring@sheffield.ac.uk or contact Helen Challis on ext. 21630.