Professional Mentoring Program

Your career development is important. That’s why Flinders University is once again offering you the opportunity to participate in the Professional Mentoring Program.

Mentoring programs are a widely established part of professional development in the higher education sector. The Professional Mentoring Program at Flinders is an opportunity for you to broaden your networks, increase your engagement in the workplace and strengthen your professional practice.

Nominations for the 2026 mentoring program are now closed.

What is mentoring?

Mentoring is a formal relationship between an experienced professional (mentor) and a less experienced professional (mentee). A mentor supports the professional growth of the mentee by sharing knowledge gained through their experiences. Mentors provide an independent sounding board, an alternative perspective and a trusted connection to the broader University landscape.

How does the program work?

Mentors and mentees will be matched using a structured process which reflects:

each partner's skills, knowledge, goals and expectations for the program,
the mentor and mentee will be from different areas of the University, and
the classification levels of each partner.

Quick links

Required attendance dates

Frequently asked questions

Need help?

MENTEE nomination form

MENTOR nomination form

What’s in it for me?

It’s no accident that mentoring relationships have been around for centuries; they can have enormous benefits for everyone involved.

Benefits for mentees

increased internal networks and understanding of different functions
increased job satisfaction and effectiveness
improved career development and promotional opportunities.

Benefits for mentors

enhanced personal satisfaction through development of others
expanded professional networks and visibility
improved interpersonal and leadership skills.

Required attendance dates

All participants in the Professional Mentoring Program are required to attend one induction workshop and invited to attend the formal program launch.

If you have previously been a mentor in the Professional Mentoring Program at Flinders, you are encouraged to attend the induction to share your experiences with other mentors and/or refresh your knowledge, however, you may opt out of the workshop.

Please reserve the following session times in your calendar to ensure your availability to participate:

Induction workshop

Mentees

Option 1: Tuesday, 3 February 2026, 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Option 2: Thursday, 5 February 2026, 1:30pm - 3:30pm

Mentors

Option 1: Tuesday, 3 February 2026, 9:30am - 11:00am
Option 2: Thursday, 5 February 2026, 9:30am - 11:00am

Formal program launch

Tuesday, 17 February 2026, 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Frequently asked questions

Who is eligible to participate?

Participation in the Professional Mentoring Program is open to professional staff.

Mentees will be drawn from the HEO4 to HEO8* levels
Mentors will be drawn from the HEO5 to senior professional levels

* Please note that inclusion of HEO8 mentees in the program will be dependent on suitable mentors being identified.

What if I don’t get accepted in the program?

It is likely there will be more nominations than places available. If you are not offered a place, you will be able to nominate for any future programs.

How do I nominate?

Discuss your participation with your supervisor and then complete the online nomination form when nominations open.

Prospective mentees are encouraged to be specific when outlining their reasons for wanting to participate in the program. Having clear goals for the mentoring partnership will support an effective matching process.

What happens once I nominate?

Once we have received nominations we will undertake a structured matching process. Consideration will be given to skills, knowledge, goals and expectations to obtain an appropriate match between mentee and mentor. Generally we find that more detailed nominations enable a more suitable match.

Your professional mentoring partner will be from a different part of the university to enhance your internal network and organisational understanding.

Once confirmed in the program, you are required to attend an introductory workshop and invited to the formal program launch. See the required attendance dates for more information.

From there, you will enter into a mentoring agreement, and will work with your mentoring partner to determine how your sessions progress.

How long does the program last?

The Mentoring Program will be offered for a 12 month period, from program launch to program close. Actual mentoring sessions will take place during 10 months of that period, allowing for administrative processes at either end of the year.

How much time will it take?

Regular mentoring conversations are up to an hour long, with some form of communication recommended at least every 4 weeks. Different pairs will have different expectations about preparatory and follow up tasks, and will negotiate this at the beginning of the relationship.

Will there be any training?

Both mentors and mentees are required to participate in an information workshop prior to entering into a mentoring relationship. See the required attendance dates for more information

The workshop will provide an opportunity to meet your peers, discuss your role and responsibilities, and ask lots of questions.