Mentorship Program
The University of Houston-Clear Lake Accounting mentorship program provides students with opportunities to interact with accounting professionals. The mentoring relationship is initially for one semester. The program is open to Accounting majors at the junior, senior, and graduate levels.
Goal
To help prepare University of Houston-Clear Lake Accounting students for their careers by connecting them with a mentor for professional and personal guidance.
Activities
Meetings between mentor and mentee over one semester, with frequency between once every week and once every four weeks. Meetings can take place in-person, virtually, or by telephone. We recommend that at least one meeting take place in-person. All in-person meetings must be at a public location.
Expected Outcomes
Access a trusted professional for one-on-one advice and interaction.
Improve verbal communication skills.
Improve self-confidence in a business environment.
Enhance career development.
Establish competitive advantage in the business world.
Increase preparation in the professional job market.
Receive guidance on pursuing certifications (e.g., CPA, CFE, CIA, CISA, CMA).
Participant Expectations
Mentor
I will follow through the mentoring process over the period of the mentoring relationship.
I will encourage my mentee to communicate openly.
I will respond to my mentee’s questions in a timely fashion as my schedule allows.
Mentee
I will be proactive in requesting assistance from my mentor.
I will make the best use of our meeting time by preparing thoughtful questions in advance.
I will share with my mentor my goals and objectives for my career. I will be ready to ask for advice on my goals.
I will respond promptly to my mentor’s communications.
I will be a good listener.
I will be on time with commitments or meetings.
I will be courteous to and respect my mentor.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When is the mentorship program offered?
During the Fall and Spring semesters.
How frequently should the mentor and mentee meet?
The mentor and mentee should meet at least three times in a semester. One of the characteristics in which a mentor and a mentee are matched is the frequency with which they would like to meet.
In which format (e.g., in-person, virtual, telephone) can the meetings take place?
The meetings can take place in-person, virtually (e.g., Zoom meeting), or by telephone. We recommend that at least one meeting take place in-person. Please note that all in-person meetings must take place in a public location.
What if the mentee and mentor do not ‘click’?
A mentoring relationship is about listening, learning, communicating, and relationship building. Sometimes it gets off to a ‘rocky’ start but improves over time. However, in some cases, the match may not be ideal. If you would like to discontinue the relationship before the end of the semester, please contact the mentorship coordinator at Lacina@uhcl.edu.
Can the mentor and mentee continue the mentoring relationship for more than one semester?
The mentor and mentee may be able to continue their relationship for more than one semester. This depends on the availability of mentors and the number of students who applied to the mentoring program. We want to give all students who apply to the mentoring program a chance for a mentoring relationship.
As a mentee, can I stay in the mentoring program beyond one semester but with a different mentor the next semester?
Yes, if there are enough mentors available for the students who applied to the mentoring program. We want to give all students who apply to the mentoring program a chance for a mentoring relationship.
How many mentees are assigned to a mentor?
Either one or two mentees is assigned to a mentor. We will only assign two mentees to a mentor if the number of mentees is greater than the number of mentors and the mentor agrees to take on a second mentee.