PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) Mentoring Program at the Okanagan Campus of The University of British Columbia connects industry mentors with female students in the Faculties of Engineering and the Irving K Barber School of Arts and Sciences. These links help students build satisfying and successful careers. They also enable mentors to promote their industries, network with other mentors, develop new skills, and maintain a connection with the UBC community.
The mentoring structure includes an industry mentor, a senior undergraduate student, and a junior undergraduate student. This structure means that the senior student will gain experience mentoring a junior student.
Industry Mentor
Industry mentors support the career development of a student. Mentors generally commit to the program for one academic year (eight months), from September to April. Mentors assist students in three key areas:
Build a supportive and encouraging relationship
– Encourage their mentees to ask questions, voice opinions, and be clear about their program goals and expectations
– Share professional anecdotes and wisdom gained from experience
Provide a career focus
– Provide guidance on workplace expectations, professional relationships, and career paths
– Model professional behaviour
– Attend industry events and other networking opportunities; provide referrals to other professionals when appropriate
Actively participate in the WiSE Mentoring Program
– Attend program events
– Meet with their students and communicate via phone and email as agreed upon at the beginning of the program
– Communicate any problems or issues to the WiSE Committee so they may be resolved quickly
– Complete the online pre-survey and post-survey and Zoom/phone interview to share feedback to contribute to the ongoing development of the WiSE Mentoring Program
Senior Undergraduate Student Mentee
Senior students are both mentors and mentees.
- As mentors, their role is to help junior student mentees obtain the most out of their experience at UBC.
- As mentees, they initiate activities and discussions with their industry mentor to prepare for their entrance into the professional world. Senior student mentees may ask their mentor for advice and guidance on how to be a mentor. They may also learn professional behaviour and mentoring techniques by modeling their mentor’s techniques.
Junior Undergraduate Student Mentee
Junior students are mentored by the industry professional and the senior mentee. They will talk with their senior student mentor about academics and campus life.
An important goal of the WiSE Mentoring Program is to build community at UBC by having junior students continue in the program as senior students, and, eventually, as industry mentors.
The WiSE Mentoring Program has the capacity to accept:
- 30 undergraduate and graduate female science students from the I.K. Barber Faculty of Science
- 30 undergraduate and graduate female students from the School of Engineering
Students who are returning to the WiSE Mentoring Program or who have participated in the WiSE Workshops (run annually in March or April) program will be given priority.
MATCHING PROCESS
A mentoring trio consists of an industry or faculty mentor, senior student and junior student.
We considered multiple factors when matching up trios, including field interest areas, program and year of study, courses completed, previous tri-mentoring experience, relative ages of mentor, senior and junior student, and career interest areas.
While we strive to match mentoring triads based on similar field interests and majors, matching is dependent on the participants each year and there may be instances where the match isn’t perfectly aligned. Nevertheless, participants can still gain significant benefits from the program, such as professional development, career navigation support, and valuable networking opportunities.
TIME COMMITMENT
- The program runs for a duration of 8 months in total
- Each mentor and mentee should aim to meet once per month, for approximately 1 hour minimum (in-person or through Zoom)
- Mentors and mentees must participate in four 2 hour events at the university in October, November, January and March (total 8 hours)
- Mentees will spend 1 hour completing a focus group and two online surveys (total 1.5 hours)
- Mentors will spend 15-20 minutes completing one Zoom/phone interview and two online surveys (total 1 hour)
HOW TO APPLY
BECOME A MENTEE
Discover how the WiSE Mentoring Program can connect you with experienced mentors, enhance your career prospects, and provide support.
BECOME A MENTOR
Join the WiSE Mentoring Program to inspire and guide the next generation of STEM professionals while enhancing your own leadership skills.
BENEFITS OF MENTORING
Students find the WiSE Mentoring Program invaluable, but industry leaders also experience rich and sometimes unexpected benefits.
FAQ
Who can participate?
Women in science or engineering programs, as well as women industry professionals and graduate students interested in mentoring. Students must have completed their first year of undergraduate studies and in Good Academic Standing to qualify.
How long is the program?
The program lasts for 8 months between September-April.
How are mentoring triads formed?
We match participants based on similar field interests, majors, and other relevant factors. While exact matches are not guaranteed, mentees will still gain significant benefits from the program, such as professional development, career navigation support, and valuable networking opportunities.
Is participation in the research project mandatory?
Yes, participation in the longitudinal research study is required for all mentors and mentees. All mentors and mentees must attend all in-person events, complete surveys, and participate focus groups or individual interviews. This ensures that we can gather comprehensive data to continuously improve and validate the impact of the WiSE Mentoring Program. Failure to meet any of these requirements may result in removal from the program.
What if I have classes during the mandatory events?
Students’ schedules will be checked to ensure they are available during in-person events. Please check your course schedule against these scheduled events. If there is conflict with the schedule, please consider applying to the program next year.