The UCOP Mentorship Program pairs established leaders from across all departments with developing leaders who seek to develop themselves professionally, providing a formal one-on-one mentoring structure that fosters a culture of development and learning. Its aims are to promote a shared responsibility for a culture of coaching and development throughout UCOP, enhance the visibility of diversity in leadership, and support employee engagement and connection to the UC vision and mission.
“Our Mentorship Program Advisory Team includes past and present mentors, mentees and a post coordinator of the program. This team provides recommendations using data, input from all stakeholders and their experience. They are the driving force in steering the program towards achieving its vision and goals,” explained UCOP Talent and Organization Development Manager Annie Prozan.
“The mentorship program was a great way for me to learn more about UCOP and career opportunities in the organization,” reported one mentee. “I met a range of people that I would not have met otherwise, and my one-on-one work with my mentor helped me end up in a new job at UCOP.”
“The Mentorship Program is great for those who would like help identifying and thinking through achievable goals, and those who want to be held accountable for making progress towards those goals,” reported another mentee. “For someone who has had a hard time figuring out how to find a mentor, having the opportunity facilitated by OP was invaluable.”
The UCOP program grows in popularity each year — the 2018-2019 program saw a 200 percent jump in applications. In 2020, the program’s schedule will be adjusted to align with the academic year, launching in July 2020 and continuing through June 2021.
Read the 2020 UCOP Mentorship Program Goals.