Much of the Academic Staff Assembly’s work of shared governance is carried out by volunteers, like you, who participate in many ways on the Assembly’s standing committees. These committees span a variety of academic staff causes and interests, including communications, compensation, awards, diversity, student affairs, transportation, athletics, information technology and many more. Employee professional growth and development are just two ways the Mentoring Committee supports staff at the university.
Mentoring Committee
The Mentoring Committee promotes the professional and personal development among the academic staff at the university through their Mentor Match Program, a nine-month program that connects early-career academic staff to the wider UW-Madison community. The committee delivers campus presentations and workshops as well as partners with groups, like CASIs, to develop mentoring opportunities for professions and title series.
The Mentor Match Program
Participants in the Mentor Match Program are matched with a mentor or mentee(s). The nature of the mentor/mentee relationship is informal and not part of the organizational structure of an employee’s unit. In fact, the committee often tries to match people who are not employed by the same division and sometimes mentors and mentees are in very different fields.
The mentoring relationship is designed by the mentor and mentee based on their respective personal and professional goals. Some benefits of the Mentor Match Program include: meeting new people, learning about academic staff careers, career progression, strategies to manage work-life balance, and campus resources. The committee hopes that the relationships expose employees who are new to campus to opportunities and perspectives beyond their own jobs.
Mentors and mentees are matched in early fall of each year. While the initial call for mentors and mentees for 2023-2024 has closed, the committee can often still make matches throughout the year – please email them at mentoring_commitee@office365.wisc.edu if you are interested.
Annual Program Timeline
- August/September: All academic staff receive an email invitation to participate in the program as a mentor or mentee
- Early October: Mentor matches notified
- Late October: Kickoff event
- Winter and Spring: Seminars (optional, open to all Academic Staff)
- April/May: Wrap-up event
- May: Program evaluation
Matches coordinate meetings on their own with a time commitment of approximately 1-2 hours per month.
Become a Mentor
“The program was a great encouragement for me to step out of my shell and get to know others on campus and learn more about what they do and their path. It was also great to have a neutral space to discuss sensitive issues. Also, my mentee had a different cultural background, and it was a great opportunity to for me to explore my assumptions and to help reinforce that my perspective on issues and experiences is not universal among my peers. Overall, it was a great opportunity, and very flexible so we could make the relationship something that worked well for both of us.”
Mentors are always needed! Matches are made based on the mentor’s and mentee’s shared goals, experience, and interests. People who make good mentors have three or more years of experience at UW-Madison, spot the potential in others, are resourceful guides, display patience and tolerance, give encouragement, and see the big picture in situations.
Unsure if you are ready to serve as a mentor? Complete the Mentor Readiness Assessment.
Request a Mentor
UW-Madison academic staff members with one year of employment at UW-Madison are eligible to request a mentor. Successful mentoring relationships start with mentees who are goal oriented, seek challenges, take initiative, show eagerness to learn, and take personal responsibility. Mentees drive the relationship with their mentor; therefore, you should have a clear sense of what you hope to accomplish through the Mentor Match Program. Matches are made based on the mentor and mentees shared goals, experience, and interests.
Unsure if you are ready for a mentor? Complete the Mentee Readiness Assessment.
Interested in serving on this or another committee?
If you wish to be considered for current and future committee openings, please fill out the Committee Interest Survey. The survey provides a comprehensive list of all committees with links to more information, including committee charges and current committee membership. You may resubmit this survey at any time to update your committee interests. Indicating your interest via the survey is not binding.
Complete a Committee Interest Survey.