Mentor Orientation

Workbook
Science Mentorship Program 2023-24
 Science Mentorship Program (SMP) 2023-24
Mentor Orientation Workbook

Introduction
Welcome to the Science Mentorship Program (SMP)!

Thank you for participating as a Mentor. Your experiences as a senior undergraduate Science
student will be invaluable to your Mentee(s) as you support their UCalgary learning journey.
The program is intended to facilitate peer-to-peer relationships that support junior
undergraduate students through their first or second year of university, while providing an
experiential learning opportunity that engages your leadership skills.

In this workbook, we will be covering the Science Mentorship Program, expectations for you as
a Mentor, the SMP timeline, set SMART goals, and reflect on how you can make the most out of
your mentoring experience. We hope that your experience in SMP provides opportunity for you
to grow, learn, and reflect.

How to use this orientation workbook

The completion of this orientation workbook is a mandatory component of your participation
in the Science Mentorship Program. This workbook should take no longer than 45 minutes to
complete and can be used towards your SMP participation hours. To complete this workbook
requirement, follow the below steps:
1. Go through the workbook one section at a time, filling out all mandatory sections
2. Save and submit the completed workbook via the D2L dropbox, “Orientation Workbook
Submission”
3. Once you have submitted the workbook and the Mentorship Contract, you will receive
$10 Uni Dollars on your Unicard for use at campus vendors!

The orientation workbook is due November 15, 2023.

Contact
The SMP team includes staff and students from the Undergraduate Science Centre. This
includes the Associate Dean, Teaching, Learning and Student Engagement, the Experiential
Learning Coordinator, and the Science Ambassadors (student volunteers).

Any questions can be directed to science.engagement@ucalgary.ca.

 Science Mentorship Program (SMP) 2023-24
Mentor Orientation Workbook

About the Science Mentorship Program

What is mentorship?
Mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship that enables mutually beneficial,
purposeful conversation between participants. It provides mentors and mentees with the
opportunity to reflect on past experiences, make informed decisions, and act on generated
ideas.

Mentorship benefits

Benefits for Mentors Benefits for Mentees

• Professional and personal
rejuvenation
• Improved interpersonal and
leadership skills
• Opportunity to have a positive, lasting
impact on the campus community
• Personal satisfaction and fulfillment
• Opportunity to reflect on personal
growth and increase self-awareness
• Growth through risk taking in a safe,
constructive environment
• Improved relationship and
networking skills
• Increased self-awareness and goal
setting
• Opportunity to discover new interests
or develop existing ones
• Academic and career success as a
result of learning from a more
experienced individual

Expectations for Mentors

The SMP is based on voluntary, equal status, peer-to-peer pairing. We do not expect you to
treat your relationship with your Mentee like a business relationship, but rather as an
opportunity to grow and learn together. Expectations for Mentors include:
• Meet a minimum of once a month over the academic year with your Mentee
• Complete and submit the Mentorship Contract and Mentor Orientation Workbook
• Maintain regular contact with your Mentee
• Be punctual and honor commitments made to your Mentee
• Maintain confidentiality; do not share personal and private information
• Remain nonjudgmental, attentive, and respectful. Be a safe space for your Mentee to
voice questions and concerns.

The expectations for Mentees reflect the same values as the ones for Mentors. As a Mentor,
you can model these behaviors for your Mentee to establish expectations in your mentorship
relationship.

2023-24 Timeline
Please note event and session dates may change. D2L dropbox deadlines are confirmed.
Science Mentorship Program (SMP) 2023-24
Mentor Orientation Workbook
 Science Mentorship Program (SMP) 2023-24
Mentor Orientation Workbook

Best practices for Mentors

As you engage with your Mentee and support them throughout their journey, follow these best
practices to make the most of your own and your Mentee’s experience.
1. Reflect on yourself. Mentorship isn’t just about supporting your mentee; it’s about
acknowledging your own growth and learning, too. In this workbook, you will take some
time to reflect on your personal, academic, and professional goals.

2. Establish expectations. Collaboratively set clear expectations and guidelines for yourself
and your Mentee. You and your Mentee will review these expectations in The
Mentorship Contract. These expectations may include:
i. Meeting frequency
ii. How you will meet
iii. Response time expectations

3. Active listening. When you are engaging with your Mentee, practice active listening
skills by:
i. Maintaining eye contact
ii. Giving your Mentee focused attention
iii. Asking intentional, thoughtful questions

4. Guide, don’t instruct. Support your Mentee by offering guidance and direction without
judgment. Your role does not include instructing your Mentee on what to do, but
offering solutions and supporting their growth and decision-making process.

5. Be accessible and supportive. Your Mentee should be able to reliably get in touch with
you if they need to, and know that they are being met with a positive and open
environment. Mentors should respond to their Mentees in a timely manner and respond
to their Mentee with openness and empathy.
 Science Mentorship Program (SMP) 2023-24
Mentor Orientation Workbook

Mentor Reflection
As mentioned in the previous section, this experience is as much about supporting your Mentee
as it is about your own growth as a student leader. As part of your SMP requirements, please fill
out the below fillable PDF sections to reflect on why you are a Mentor and what you hope to
gain.

1. Assess your mentorship motivation. What motivates you to engage in mentorship?

Please check all that apply.

I
 Opportunity to share your expertise
 Opportunity to learn from others
 Desire to improve your peers’ learning
 Opportunity to acquire fresh perspectives
 Opportunity to network with other Science students
 Acknowledging mentorship as a rewarding activity
 Previous benefits from being mentored yourself
 Desire to identify and develop yourself

E
 Desire to help new Science students
 Interest in developing own leadership, learning, and mentoring skills
 Opportunity to put mentorship on your resume
 Other (please write):

2. Consider what kind of Mentor you want to be for your Mentee. You can use the
following prompt to guide your answer (max. 100 words)

At the end of our mentoring relationship, I want to be remembered as a

mentor who…
At the end of my mentorship with Arneet, I hope to be remembered as the following:

Supportive: Being there for your Arneet in both her academic and professional development.
O er guidance, encouragement, and a listening ear when needed.

Empowering: Helping Arneet build her self-con dence and self-reliance. Encourage her to take
ownership of their goals and decisions.

Inspiring: Motivate and inspire Arneet to reach her full potential. Share success stories and help
them envision her own paths to success.
 Science Mentorship Program (SMP) 2023-24
Mentor Orientation Workbook

Mentor Goal Setting

Setting goals is an important part of making the most out of your experience. Consider your
answers to the Mentor Reflection section when going through your goals. Using the SMART
goal framework is a helpful way to start preparing effective and detailed goals.

Specific: The goal should be concrete, action oriented, and clear on what needs to be
accomplished.

Measurable: There should be a way to know if/when the goal has been achieved. Measures of
success can be quantifiable or personal.

Achievable: The goal should be reasonable and realistic considering your timeline and
resources.

Relevant: The goal should be relevant to you.

Timely: The goal should have a deadline by which it is completed.

1. Write one goal that meets the SMART framework. It does not need to relate directly
to your Mentorship experience.
By the end of the year, I will increase my website's monthly tra c from 1,000 to
2,000 visitors by consistently publishing one high-quality blog post every week that
targets relevant keywords and promotes it through social media. This will help me
generate more leads for my online business.

2. Describe how you think your SMP experience could help you work towards or learn
more about your goal. (max. 100 words)
Becoming a mentor is a mutually bene cial relationship that can help me grow
personally and professionally. It can reinforce my knowledge, skills, and values;
while also contributing to the growth and development of others. Teaching and
mentoring often require you to revisit fundamental concepts and principles. This
reinforcement can deepen my understanding and mastery in the eld which I hope
to work in the future. Ultimately, mentoring can be a valuable part of my own
journey toward achieving the goals which I have set for myself and living a ful lling
life knowing that a part of my life was dedicating to making a positive change in
someone else's life.
 Science Mentorship Program (SMP) 2023-24
Mentor Orientation Workbook

FAQ
1. What if my Mentee isn’t responding or engaging at all with the program?
If your Mentee isn’t responding to your messages, please contact the Science
Mentorship Program directly at science.engagement@ucalgary.ca

2. What if my Mentee isn’t meeting expectations?

It’s important to recognize expectations look different for everyone. Refer back to the
Mentorship Contract you signed with your Mentee and review whether the
expectations outlined are not being met by the Mentee. We encourage Mentors to
exercise their mentoring skills and connect with their Mentee, clarify expectations, and
develop a mutual plan together – all with understanding, empathy, and
acknowledgement that expectations might not be met due to several circumstances.

If your Mentee is still not meeting expectations after several conversations, please
contact the Science Mentorship Program directly.

3. What should I do if my Mentee shares that they’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed,

and/or anxious?
Provide support and empathy for your Mentee if they are experiencing these feelings,
but Mentors are not expected to take on the role of a counsellor or a mental health
professional. Connect your Mentee with Wellness Services if they need professional
support or contact the Science Mentorship Program directly.

4. Am I supposed to help my Mentee with their assignments/schoolwork?

No. Mentors are not expected to help their Mentees with their schoolwork. Mentors
may choose to help their Mentee with some studying sessions and are encouraged to
join the SMP group study sessions for an opportunity to connect and learn together, but
this is not an expectation or a requirement in the program. If your Mentee expects you
to help them with their schoolwork, be clear with them that this is not a part of the
program.

5. Is attending the SMP Socials, group study sessions, and other events mandatory?
No. The only parts of the SMP that are mandatory are the completion of this workbook,
completion of the Mentorship Contract, meeting regularly with your Mentee, and
submitting your hours.
 Science Mentorship Program (SMP) 2023-24
Mentor Orientation Workbook

Congratulations!
You’ve completed the Mentor Orientation Workbook!

A list of resources is provided on the following pages, which you can

refer to for support.

Submit your completed workbook through the D2L dropbox.

 Science Mentorship Program (SMP) 2023-24
Mentor Orientation Workbook

Additional Resources
1. What interests me about being a mentor?
2. Am I willing to provide constructive
feedback? How do I go about doing that?
3. What are my goals, and what do I hope to
Additional mentorship worksheet questions
learn from this experience?
for self-reflection
4. What is something unique I can bring to
my mentorship pairing?
5. How will I support my Mentee
throughout the SMP?

Active listening skills article

UCalgary mental health services

Undergraduate Science Centre

Program advising

References
Barrette-Ng, N., Nowell, L., Anderson, S.J., Arcellana-Panlilio, M., Brown, B., Chalhoub, S.,
Clancy, T.L., Desjardine, P., Dorland, A.M., Dyjur, P., Mueller, K., Reid, L., Squance, R., Towers, J.,
& Wilcox, G. (2019). The Mentorship Guide for Teaching and Learning. Calgary, AB: Taylor
Institute for Teaching and Learning Guide Series.