Mentorship

OACUHO Professional Mentorship Program

Launched in 2007 at the OACUHO Annual Spring Conference at the University of Toronto Mississauga, the OACUHO Mentorship Program was established as a way for experienced and new professionals to connect and share experiences, resources, and contribute to each other’s personal and professional development. The 2010-2011 OACUHO Board of Directors decided an application process should be implemented to assist in matching professionals based on areas of interest, to improve the experience of participants and promote accountability. This change in the structure of the Mentorship Program was formally introduced at the 2011 Annual Spring Conference at York University.

Purpose

The OACUHO Mentorship Program aims to foster meaningful professional relationships by matching an experienced housing professional (“Mentor”) with newer professional (“Mentee”) looking to advance their knowledge and/or skills in a specific functional area in Housing.

The OACUHO Mentorship Program aims to:

Cultivate relationships among members of the Association by promoting life-long learning through personal and professional development
Facilitate opportunities to network within the Association
Engage with professionals in various functional areas in Housing, and from various institutions within the Association
Increase retention of Housing professionals through support from experienced peers in the field

Application and Selection Process

In order to be considered for the OACUHO Mentorship Program, you must:

Be a member in good standing within the Association
Review the Expectations of Mentors/Mentees and ensure you feel you can fully participate in the program
Complete the Mentorship Program Application Form and submit to the OACUHO Mentorship Program Sub-Committee Chair(s) by the application deadline.

Expectations for Mentors

Be an OACUHO member in good standing with at least 3 years of professional experience in their functional area of Housing.
Regularly connect with your mentee (approximately 1 hr/month minimum) by email, phone/skype, in person, etc. for the period of the program, which concludes in April of each year
Develop and maintain a rapport with your mentee and support them to work on specific professional and personal goals
Complete an evaluation and provide feedback about your mentorship experience (approximately once per term)

Expectations for Mentees

Be an OACUHO member in good standing - your direct supervisor will be contacted to confirm your ability to participate in the program
Regularly connect with your mentor (approximately 1 hr/month minimum) by email, phone/skype, in person, etc. for the period of the program, which concludes in April of each year
Set clear goals for the mentorship experience and communicate them with your mentor (these can be developed in collaboration with your mentor)
Prepare for each meeting with questions or relevant topics for discussion
Complete and evaluation and provide feedback about your mentorship experience (approximately once per term)

The Mentorship Program Coordinator(s) will do their best to pair accepted applicants with a focus on matching quality mentor-mentee pairings. Should there be a lack of available mentors/mentees or appropriate fit for matching, it may not be possible to pair accepted applicants right away.

Mentors and mentees will be matched based on identified areas of interest and experience. The proximity of the mentor and mentee will also be considered where possible. Though it may not be possible for all pairings, each mentor/mentee pair is encouraged to try to meet in person at least once during the course of the program. This may be in conjunction with an OACUHO Professional Development opportunity (e.g. the Annual Spring Conference, Fall Business Meeting, Residence Life Conference, drive-in conferences/workshops, etc.) or coordinated separately.