Mentor Guidelines - Frostburg State University

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Employee Relations > Mentors > Mentor Guidelines

A mentor is any full-time staff member with a sincere desire to help new and current employees acclimate to the University environment and grow professionally. Mentors function as advisors, positive role models and advocates. Typically, mentors are individuals who are considered role models in their position or department, are able to encourage and motivate others, are respectful of others in the University community, are committed to maintaining a positive attitude, and are willing to share knowledge and experiences. To be a mentor, an individual must:

have significant time to devote to the program/mentee;
have two years of service with FSU;
have supervisory approval to participate in the program;
attend a brief training program provided by Human Resources;
be an employee in good standing with no disciplinary actions in the last two years;
adhere to confidentiality. No mentor should discuss with others the specifics of any information or guidance exchanged with the mentee;
be willing to assume and visibly demonstrate leadership;
demonstrate people-oriented behavior;
have a working knowledge of University policies and procedures, how to locate them on the FSU website and be willing to put the mentee in contact with the appropriate department as necessary;
read Managers as Mentors, Building Partnerships for Learning, written by Chip R. Bell. Copies are available in the Office of Human Resources as well as through the elibrary at FSU's Ort Library.

Once HR has matched the mentor with a mentee, the mentor must make contact with the mentee within 5 business days to schedule the initial meeting. During this initial meeting, the mentor should put the mentee at ease. It is also important to note that the mentee should come prepared to discuss their goals for the mentoring relationship and what they hope to accomplish.

The minimum time commitment to volunteer as a mentor is one fiscal year. After the completion of this first year, the mentor and mentee must mutually decide whether or not to continue the relationship on an informal basis. It is also important to note that the mentor must be able to commit time to the mentoring process. It is critical that mentoring be a priority in order for the process to successful and beneficial to the mentee.

Mentor Responsibilities:

Encourage growth and success of the mentee;
Help the mentee develop confidence and motivation;
Inform the mentee about training and development opportunities;
Support and actively listen to the mentee, providing guidance and referrals to campus resources when requested;
Be available to the mentee for consultation about problems or challenges;
Maintain consistent contact with the mentee to help the relationship develop, listen with empathy, be open-minded to the mentee's needs and opinions, and provide encouragement;
Make the mentee aware of social, career and recreational opportunities on the Frostburg State University campus;
Help with work/life balance issues.

Mentor Benefits:

Participation in a service activity at Frostburg State University;
To provide a forum for new ideas;
To improve the University's sense of community;
To serve as a resource and sounding board for new and existing staff;
The satisfaction of helping others;
A new and reinvigorating outlook on one's own job;
" To provide an outlet for new ideas and feedback about the mentor's current projects;
Meeting new colleagues and expanding networks.

Other

Once the mentorship is complete, the mentor may decide to:

Continue on in the mentoring program by making themselves available to another mentee;
Continue the mentoring relationship with the mentee outside the formal mentoring program; or
The mentor may decide not to continue in the mentoring program.

For more information regarding FSU's Staff Mentoring Program, visit or email trafferty@frostburg.edu.