What is expected of me as a peer mentor?

To make peer mentoring relationships successful, it is useful to have clear expectations about what mentors and mentees will be expected to do. Below are some common things that effective mentors do for their mentees. Consider drafting a Peer Mentoring Contract for your department to ensure that mentors and mentees are clear about what is expected to of them and dedicated to fulfilling their role. For a sample Peer Mentoring Contract, see p. 3 of the Peer Mentoring Handbook.

• Meet with your mentee at least once a month.
• Be available via email with a 24 hour response window except on weekends.
• Attend an event sponsored by your department with your mentee.
• Share your experience about the program, courses, etc (e.g., what to expect in the semesters/years ahead).
• Direct your mentee to the Director of Graduate Studies for answers to questions you can’t answer.
• Adapt your support to the needs of your mentee, which may depend on academic, social, national and other backgrounds and prior experience.
• Support your mentee with developing community connections (introduce them to community channels such as student groups, clubs, churches, etc).
• Work collaboratively on a project such as a presentation, a workshop, or a publication.
• Share ideas and resources about professional development.
• Check in on your mentee’s morale and academic progress/goals.