Document Type
Chapter
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Making Connections: A Handbook for Effective Formal Mentoring Programs in Academia
Editor
David Law & Nora Domínguez
Publisher
Utah State University
Publication Date
5-15-2023
First Page
427
Last Page
435
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Abstract
In higher education, staff sometimes feel like the third wheel, the step-child, the forgotten ones sitting on the sidelines as students and faculty bask in the warm glow of academia. Administrators in university settings owe duties to (a) faculty and student needs; and (b) staff development, morale, needs, pay, and benefits. The University of New Mexico’s Staff Council was created so that volunteer university staff elected to serve as councilors can advocate for staff by offering recommendations to the university regarding staff development, morale, needs, pay, and benefits. Each can bring constituent concerns to the full Staff Council and its committees. Staff Council can make recommendations on everything from benefits and parking to award programs. A successful councilor could make the difference between getting a parental leave policy or doing without such a policy, and each bear great responsibility to their constituents and to the university to voice the concerns and will of the staff. The Staff Council Mentoring Program matches councilors with members more experienced to help guide ideas, projects, and initiatives. This chapter outlines the UNM Staff Council department’s structure and details the Staff Council’s focused mentorship program. Then it describes how the program aims to give each team the support it needs to realize its individualized goals. This chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications this program has on outcomes, limitations, and growth prospects.
Recommended Citation
Hawkins, Amy, "Chapter 25- Mentoring Programs for Staff of Educational Institutions: UNM Staff Council Mentorship Program" (2023). Making Connections. Paper 27.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/makingconnections/27