1. Mentoring: Making Meaning at PUIs Kris Monahan, Providence College Pamela Napier, Agnes Scott College Sarah Ryan, St. Norbert College Sally Southwick, Keene State College

2. What is a mentor? Mentor: “Someone whose hindsight becomes your foresight.” A mentor is a trusted guide, a colleague and confidante. Someone who can help connect to resources and think about issues and problems from alternative perspectives. A mentor asks good questions, but doesn’t necessarily hold all the answers him/herself. It is useful to have a mentor within your institution to help navigate a new culture, but also helpful to have an outside person to help think about things from new and varied perspectives.

3. - Why is a mentor important? Why might you need one?

4. Where do you find a mentor? PUI Community facilitates a mentor program Outside of the PUI mentoring program, mentoring relationship can grow organically through connections made through networking and professional meetings, NCURA Collaborate, etc. Also regions with mentor programs of varying kinds Exchange business cards at networking events, sit by someone new at lunch and start a conversation, email someone who contributes to the PUI list

5. Signs of a good potential mentor: Individuals who listen to what you have to say before offering advice. Just because someone seems to know a lot of facts doesn’t mean they can help you problem solve within your institutional culture. Someone willing to think through hypothetical situations and who wants to learn and grow with you. Approaches mentoring relationships as reciprocal learning opportunities. Good mentors share experiences, listen and learn with their mentee/protégé. Be careful of all-knowers or one- size-fits-all approaches. (we try to screen those out of the PUI program, of course :)

6. Personal Experiences Sarah Pamela Others

7. Survey in June 2012 of first PUI cohort – some major themes and reflections important for people new to the field or new to PUIs, especially in single-person offices support, confirmation, affirmation exposure to new or different models, ways of working, broader perspectives confidentiality in asking questions and talking about difficult situations mutual learning personal connections with colleagues elsewhere

8. Why mentoring matters for NCURA members professional development strengthens and sustains the profession increased engagement in the organization leads to greater benefits/satisfaction from membership NCURA has relationships at its heart

9. Contact us! Kris Monahan, Providence College, kmonaha6@providence.edu kmonaha6@providence.edu Pamela Napier, Agnes Scott College, pnapier@agnesscott.edu pnapier@agnesscott.edu Sarah Ryan, Saint Norbert College, sarah.ryan@snc.edu sarah.ryan@snc.edu Sally Southwick, Keene State College, ssouthwick@keene.edu ssouthwick@keene.edu