EBE ALUMNI MENTORING PROGRAMME
Mentoring, within the UCT Alumni Mentoring Programme, is understood as the development of a mutually satisfying, voluntary, one-on-one relationship between an undergraduate student and an alumnus, where the focus is on the student’s career and personal development.
The Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment has a well-established mentoring programme for first year students, where senior undergraduate students mentor first year students. An overview of the EBE mentoring programme can be found on the UCT youtube , as well as the initial part of the EBE mentor training.
Over the past few years, these EBE student peer mentors have expressed a need to be mentored. They voluntarily give of their time to the first-year students, but are not supported themselves in the latter years of their degree programme. The EBE Alumni Mentoring Programme is an attempt to facilitate the professional and personal development of engineering undergraduate students. The Programme offers students an opportunity to learn through the experience and expertise of the alumni on a one-to-one basis; to receive guidance, and networking opportunities; and to provide a supportive community for new engineers. It allows students to talk with engineers outside the University, who can provide an independent perspective on both engineering and UCT, including different career paths and professional opportunities. The Programme also seeks to offer alumni the opportunity to influence the career paths of students.
Mentoring can be a rewarding experiencing for the mentor. The Faculty is in the process of recruiting UCT alumni engineers who are keen to invest some of their time in the development of young students. By becoming a mentor you would be:
As a UCT alumnus mentor you should be:
If you answer yes, to several of the characteristics below, you are likely to be a good mentor. If you don’t, this may not be the time for you to be involved in mentoring, just yet.
Effective characteristics of good mentors:
If you have the following characteristics or traits, you may want to reconsider being a mentor:
The mentoring relationship begins during a mentees 2nd, 3rd or 4th year at university and extends for a 10 month period, starting in February and ending in November. Thereafter both mentor and mentee can decide to maintain their current relationship in a more informal way or continue to work formally with a new mentor the following year. Mentors are required to be in contact with their mentee at least twice a month, but contact can be more frequent if required, and depending on the preferences of the mentee and mentor.
On-line mentor evaluation and feedback 0.5 hours
The actual nature of the mentoring relationship will be determined by the students and alumni. Activities are determined by mutual agreement between the alumni mentor and the student mentee. They can include anything from helping to look over a C.V. to providing insights on how to maintain a good work-life balance.
You can apply to be a mentor by completing an application form which will be used to form an anonymous profile. Students will be provided with a list of the alumni engineers profiles and will choose their mentor based on who most closely matches their needs or interests. The student will make contact with the mentor
Mentor training can be arranged for those who reside in Cape Town and who feel that they would benefit from some training. The training aims to equip mentors with the necessary information and skills needed for a successful mentoring relationship; setting goals and expectations for the relationship; active listening; and useful UCT resources.
If you have any problems, or questions, about the programme or concerns about personal or academic aspects of the mentee, please contact the Mentoring Programme Co-ordinator - Nazeema Ahmed
If you are interested in applying to be an EBE Alumni Mentor please complete the application form and send it to Nazeema Ahmed.
Thank you.
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