History

The EITS Mentorship Program was formed in 2008, with the appointment of the first Mentorship Council. It was determined that mentorship pairs would consist of a mentor and a protege, to be paired together based on the desired goals and objectives of both individuals. The Mentorship Council was and still remains responsible for matching these mentors and proteges, through a process of reviewing online applications submitted by potential participants.

The 2008 pilot program lasted six months. During that time the individual mentor and protege pairs who participated met at least once a week and received detailed instructions and structural guidance from the Mentorship Council on how to successfully complete their mentorship cycle. Once best practices were recognized, the program was opened to all of EITS.

Since the pilot, the EITS Mentorship Program has seen tremendous success and participation continues to increase. Participants have reaped the benefits of allocating time towards this professional development opportunity. Working relationships have strengthened significantly and the program has given participants an outlet to improve their desired skill-sets.

In 2010, the program was expanded to include EITS student workers and IT staff external to EITS. The EITS Mentorship Program quickly proved to be an incredibly valuable asset to the UGA community, increasing the effectiveness of cross-departmental and University wide relationships.

The EITS Mentorship Program expanded once again in 2013 to encompass all University System of Georgia institutions. In honor of that expansion, the program was renamed the "Mentorship Program", although its roots will ever remain in EITS.