In order better serve the diverse needs of our membership the Latin@/x Network has developed a new professional development plan for graduate students and new professional. After careful consideration and much discussion, we have designed a “tool box” template in the hope of creating a more substantive experience for both mentees and mentors. The objective of this initiative was to focus on the development of the mentee with concrete action steps with the added emphasis on accountability on both ends of the relationship.

This plan has a three-fold approach:

1. Self-Assessment (take inventory)
2. Research (next steps and what they look like)
3. Development of a Plan “Portfolio” (resume building)

Through this three pronged approach, our intended outcomes for professionals are:

• To develop personal, academic, and career goals through strategic and consistent interactions
• To provide personal and professional guidance and advice on specific opportunities and experiences for advancement
• To empower, challenge, and encourage colleagues to help increase the number of Latin@/x practitioners and decision makers within higher education

We believe it’s never too early to think about your future. In order to achieve your desired professional goals you must craft a plan and adopt a vision that will guide you through this process. To aid you in this endeavor, the Latin@/x Network has developed the “Map”. As you start to think about your next position, the type of institution you want to work at and the geographic location, it is imperative that you start to research important factors that will figure into your plan of action. While we have provided you with a “template” it is incumbent upon you and your mentor to “fill in the blanks” as you best see fit. The bottom line is to explore different areas and share your findings. This will help you to establish a dialogue and come up with some recommendations on how to achieve your desired outcomes and look at both short and long term timelines. Even if you do not settle on defining a specific goal(s), this exercise will, at a minimum, help you and your mentor to engage in a friendship and establish a creative dialog on areas of interest.

Our mentorship program is quite simple:

• Your Mentor/Mentee – Brief information about each of you (field of study/work, contact info, etc.) is included at the end of this email. Take a look to see who you’ve been matched with!
• Schedule Considerations – Because of individual time zone and schedule constraints, we are not setting a firm date for you to connect with your Mentor/Mentee. However, we highly encourage you to select a mutually agreeable date and time; within the next couple of weeks is strongly encouraged. Feel free to text, call, Skype, or Morse code, whichever works best for you and your communication styles.
• Setting a Date – Mentees are responsible for contacting their Mentor to set a date within two weeks of receiving this matching email.

Useful Resources

• Mentoring Considerations
• Sample Mentoring Contract

For information on how to become involved in our Latin@/x Mentoring Program, please contact our Mentoring Chair: Anthony Vargas, ajvargas@buffalo.edu.