Section #2: Program Format

Expectations for Participants

It will be the student’s responsibility to initiate contact with their mentor. Once a mutually agreeable appointment time has been secured, there should also be some preliminary discussion or informal agenda for the appointment, so that both the student and mentor may adequately prepare.

A note on appropriate meeting places: we encourage mentors and students to select a venue that is accessible to both parties during regular business hours; this can be at a coffee shop, on campus, at the mentor’s office, etc. We advise against scheduling meetings at either person’s home, or during the evening hours. If schedules or other concerns do not allow in person meetings, virtual mentoring using video-conferencing software is an option

The goal of these contacts is to provide students with some insights about the “real world” especially as it pertains to seeking employment upon graduation. No doubt they will have many questions about everything from interview skills to corporate culture and even about your own university experience.

You will likely find that the topics raised by students will range from the very broad to more practical; a sample list of some of the most common questions can be found near the end of this handbook for your reference.

We hope that this will be a meaningful experience for both you and your student, where you can feel that you have helped them, and they can feel optimistic and excited about their future beyond U of T.

Technical/Housekeeping Rules

Confidentiality

All mentors and student mentees are responsible for identifying and observing areas of confidentiality, including personal, contact, employment and/or academic information.

Professionalism

One of the core objectives of this program is to get students into the habit of initiating professional, efficient and timely business-style correspondence. They will look to you to set the tone for acceptable levels of professionalism – please feel free to exercise your judgement, and by all means go ahead and respond in the manner with which you are most comfortable, but do bear in mind that for the students, learning the conventions of acceptable professional interaction is crucial. This applies to electronic, written, telephone and face-to-face communication.

Withdrawal from Program

If either you or your student feels that the mentor/student relationship is not benefiting either party, please contact the Physics Mentorship Office.

Evaluation

In the spring, you will be asked to complete a short program evaluation to provide feedback and suggestions. Results will be used to improve the program for subsequent years.