The COB Graduate Mentoring program pairs leaders in the business community to support professional and career
development of CSU College of Business Graduate students as they grow into future leaders.
Who can be a Graduate Mentor?
Graduate mentors require at least 7 years of professional experience AND 2 years in a leadership role (i.e. CEO, President, VP, etc.)
What am I expected to do?
- Respond to student-initiated request during
matching period - Be a resource - strategize with mentee
- Be open and honest - foster creativity
- Offer encouragement
- Above all, LISTEN.
What is the time commitment?
- One semester (with a fall semester launch in September and a spring semester launch in January)
- Meet with your mentee at least twice per semester
- Meetings can be on or off the platform, according to your schedule and preference
- Your commitment can be renewed each semester
Mentor DO's
- Set aside time for the mentoring process and honor
all appointments. - Invite the mentee to meetings or activities, as appropriate. Schedule meetings with planned topics.
- Be flexible on meeting times and places.
- Arrange frequent contacts through telephone, email, face-to-face, etc., as appropriate
- Respond to emails from your mentee within 2 days of receipt.
- Keep information that your mentee has shared with you confidential. If something concerning the mentee needs to be discussed with others, it should first be discussed within the mentoring relationship.
- Establish open and honest communication and a forum for idea exchange.
- Foster creativity and independence. Help build self-confidence and offer encouragement.
- Provide honest and timely feedback to your mentee.
- Provide opportunities for the mentee to talk about concerns and ask questions.
- Above all, LISTEN.
Mentor DON'Ts
- Try to give advice on everything.
- Encourage mentee to be totally dependent upon you.
- Provide your personal history, problems, animosities, successes, failures, etc unless they are constructive contributions.
- Be too busy when the mentee needs your friendship or your support. If you do not have time, give the mentee a heads up, so that they know when they can reach you.
- Criticize.
