Mentoring at Loughborough
Would you like to work with or become a mentor?
Working with a Mentor
If you would like to express your interest in working with a mentor please explore your School/Professional Service based mentoring scheme in the first instance to see if it meets your mentoring needs.
If your School/Professional Service does not have an existing scheme that you can engage with – please apply to work with a mentor via the button below.
Requests to work with a coach or mentor are reviewed by a panel at the end of each month, after which you will receive an email to suggest a potential coach or mentor.
Becoming a Mentor
Acting as a mentor for another colleague can be an immensely rewarding experience and is a development opportunity open to everyone, regardless of the seniority of their role.
For mentors, involvement in mentoring at Loughborough presents an opportunity to:
- Gain the opportunity to reflect on your own development
- Develop key skills such as listening, questioning, facilitation, empathy and rapport building
- Extend your own people development experience
- Increase your organisational knowledge and internal network
- Demonstrate your collegiality by sharing your experience and giving something back to the University community
The anticipated time commitment for our mentors is a maximum of 12 hours over 12 months, which is designed to allow an average of one meeting per month. The precise timing and frequency of meetings, and their format, can be determined by the mentor and mentee.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please explore your School/Professional Service based mentoring scheme in the first instance to see if it meets your mentoring needs.
If your School/Professional Service does not have an existing scheme that you can engage with, please complete the application form below.
Mentoring requests will be reviewed by a panel at the end of each month, after which you will receive an email to suggest a potential mentee.
Mentoring FAQ's
I’ve signed up to work with a mentor/mentee but haven’t been assigned one yet. Why is this?
Applications to be a mentor or work with a mentor are reviewed towards the end of each month, during which a panel will match mentors and mentees based on the preferences stated on the application form.
Once you have been matched with someone you will receive an email to confirm if you are happy with the match.
I’m currently a mentor/mentee, but I’m leaving the university; how do I withdraw from my mentoring relationship?
Please email od@lboro.ac.uk.
What happens at the end of the mentoring relationship?
If your mentoring relationship comes to a natural conclusion before the suggested 12 months are up, the mentor and mentee should complete this form to officially end the relationship. Upon completion, the mentor and mentee will receive evaluation forms for completion. The mentor will go back into the pool of available mentors.
Start dates for all mentoring relationships are recorded; at the end of the suggested 12 months mentoring relationship evaluation forms will automatically be sent to the mentor and mentee. Once the evaluation is completed, the mentor will go back into the pool of available mentors and can be matched with another mentee, unless they wish to withdraw or take a break from mentoring.
If both parties agree, mentees may continue meeting with their mentor after the 12 months, but this will be in an informal capacity.
If the mentee would like a new mentor, they can sign up again via our application form here.
What do I do if my mentee/mentor leaves the university?
If your mentor is leaving the University please complete the withdrawal form here. If you wish to continue working with a mentor, a new one can be assigned from the pool of available mentors.
My mentor and I have completed the 12-month mentoring relationship, but both wish to continue working together. How does this work?
A maximum of 12 hours mentoring over a period of 12 months is recommended.
After 12 months, the mentor and mentee will be sent an evaluation form to provide feedback. However, if both parties mutually agree to continue the mentoring relationship, this can be done informally.
My mentor and I have both agreed that the mentoring relationship isn’t proving to be beneficial and therefore wish to end it early, before the recommended 12 months. How do we do this?
Please complete our ‘ending the mentoring relationship form’ here. This will officially end the mentoring relationship. Please note, ending the relationship must be discussed and mutually agreed prior to completing this form.
I’ve completed 12 months with my mentor. Can I now begin working with a new mentor?
If you require another mentor, please complete the application form again here. Please note, colleagues who haven’t previously worked with a mentor will take priority with matching.
The 12-month relationship with my mentee is almost up. Whilst I’ve enjoyed being a mentor, I no longer have the time to dedicate to it. How do I withdraw from the framework?
At the end of the 12-month mentoring relationship you will receive an evaluation form, on which you can specify whether or not you would like to continue as a mentor on the programme. Mentors also have the option to go on a ‘holiday’ for a period of time, should they wish.
Can I work with a coach and mentor at the same time?
Coaches and mentors are very different roles, with a completely different focus; coaching is beneficial for working through short-term goals and/or issues, whereas mentoring is longer term and often focused on career development.
Whilst it is possible to work with both a coach and a mentor at the same time, it’s important to carefully consider the time commitments required for both of these relationships to work effectively.
If you are unsure whether it’s a coach or mentor which would be best suited to your needs, please contact od@lboro.ac.uk to discuss in more detail.