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B-MEntor FAQs

B-MEntor is a cross-institutional mentoring scheme for Black, Asian, Mixed and minority ethnic staff in Academic and Professional Services roles.

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B-MEntor FAQs

How and when did B-MEntor start?

The initiative was originally the idea of Professor Andrew Miller and Bertie Ross who drew up the proposal of the B-MEntor Academic programme in 2012 with a staff member from King's College London. It has now been running successfully for many years and has expanded to include Professional Services staff. The scheme is supported by the B-MEntor partner institution contacts in each participating university, and senior staff are supportive of the scheme.

What will be the time commitment?

We would recommend a minimum of six one-to-one mentoring sessions over the 12-month mentoring period. However, this is open to negotiation. Mentoring pairs can correspond by phone/email/Teams or Zoom as well as through face-to-face meetings.

What is the procedure for matching a mentee with a mentor?

The matching is carried out by the B-MEntor team based on the information in participants’ MentorNet applications. A more detailed profile will increase your chances of a suitable match.

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B-MEntor Mentee FAQs

What kinds of goals can be met through the project?

These should be negotiated between the mentee and mentor, matching the mentor's experience to the mentee's expectations. Some examples of goals include (but are not limited to) those relating to professional development, confidence building and personal development.

Will there be any other events or workshops linked to the programme during the year apart from the launch event and mentee induction?

We will run optional termly online check-ins for mentees. There may be other development events, based on feedback from participants. The project group will keep participants informed of any events over the year.

How are mentors selected? What is their motivation for participating? What will mentors be gaining from the relationship?

Mentors have been recruited based on their area of expertise. There are various motivations, but the principal one seems to be genuine concern about the lack of senior Black, Asian, Mixed and minority ethnic background academics and Professional Services (PS) staff progressing to senior roles in Higher Education, and wanting to give something back by passing on what they know. In some cases, it may also help with their own promotion prospects.

What does my institution know about the scheme? What have, or will, line managers be told about the project?

The B-MEntor team will not inform your line manager about your participation on the scheme. However, we think that it can be helpful for you to involve your line managers in supporting the aims of the scheme because their support may be required to enable you to attend workshops, for example. The B-MEntor programme is part of career development and should be treated as such by the line managers of mentees in all participating universities.

Will my mentor talk to my line manager?

This is not something we foresee, though there may be individual circumstances that make this desirable. In any event, your mentor will not contact your line manager without your agreement.

How will it be different to having an internal mentor at my own university?

You will have the opportunity to get out of the usual working environment, perhaps be more candid and maybe understand the working culture of other universities/departments. Occasionally we may need to make internal matches, but these will not be within the same faculty or institute.

Can we discuss minority issues with our mentors?

Absolutely, although different mentors will have different levels of expertise: in intercultural issues, for example. However, as the mentor group is self-selecting it is likely that they would feel comfortable, and perhaps even expect, to address these issues. We hope that one of the institutional benefits of the scheme will be a greater understanding of diversity among senior staff in the participating institutions. Training on Race Allyship will also be offered to mentors by the UCL EDI Training Manager, giving them the space and skills to harness their power to advance race equity through practical approaches to allyship.

Will my mentor be able to help me if I decide on a career change by moving into industry or, at least, outside of academia?

A good mentor should be able to get the balance right between providing advice and guidance and offering a space for the mentee to explore ideas. This will also depend on whether they have worked outside academia themselves. If you express this as an objective we will aim to find you a suitable mentor, however, the overall goal of the scheme is to have more senior staff from Black, Asian, Mixed and minority ethnic backgrounds within participating institutions.

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B-MEntor Mentor FAQs

What are the advantages of a cross-institutional approach as opposed to B-MEntor schemes within our own institutions?

The reality is that there are comparatively few Black, Asian, Mixed and minority ethnic background staff in academia and PS, especially in more senior positions, so it makes sense on a practical level to pool mentees and mentors. The added advantages are that it promotes collaborative work across the institutions, provides opportunities for networking and enables the mentees to speak more frankly to someone outside their institution for a more impartial view of their situation.  However, it may be necessary to match within an institution, if this is the best match or if no other match is available.

We have coaching schemes in place, and I am coaching staff already: how will the mentoring be different?

There are different definitions for both coaching and mentoring, but if mentors have coaching expertise they can decide when best to deploy these techniques. The role of mentor and differences between coaching and mentoring are addressed in the mentor induction workshops. Broadly speaking, we expect mentors to exhibit active listening skills and give more direct advice when prompted e.g. on how to write grant applications. It is up to individual mentors to decide upon a style of mentoring they are comfortable with and that meets the needs of the mentees. Further advice on this can be sought from the B-MEntor team on a case-by-case basis.

How will a potential mismatch of expectations be avoided?

During the matching exercise, the B-MEntor team pay particular attention to the specifications of mentees and mentors and the information given by both parties in their MentorNet applications. It is also recommended that expectations are discussed openly during the first meeting.

What happens if we just don't get along?

This isn't a problem. Speak to the B-MEntor contact from your institution about the issues you are having to see if they can be informally resolved. If not, then the 'no fault' withdrawal option can be invoked.

Can I participate even though I live outside London and making regular face to face meetings may be more difficult?

Mentees would not be expected to travel outside London, particularly as travel expenses are not covered by the programme. Although we recommend at least one face-to-face meeting (preferably soon after matching), mentees and mentors can meet online using Teams or Zoom, according to their preference.

What is the motivation of mentees volunteering for this scheme?

The most cited goals for participating in the scheme are to learn leadership and line management skills, achieve promotion and integrate better into higher education in the UK. Academic mentees might be keen to improve their research skills and output, while PS mentees might wish to explore career progression in their area where the path to promotion may be unclear.

What are the main barriers that mentees face?

Some of the main barriers mentees might experience include (but are not limited to): limited professional networks; lack of familiarity with higher education in the UK; lack of confidence, and lack of transparency in recruitment in academia and Professional Services. Academic mentees may also face difficulties common to early career academics, such as securing funding.

I can help with careers advice/direction but am less comfortable about discussing diversity issues? Does that matter?

It depends on what the mentee is looking for, as some mentees rank this as more important than others.  Training on Race Allyship will also be offered to mentors by the UCL EDI Training Manager. This was developed for B-MEntor mentors following feedback from participants who were looking for training on how to approach discussions on race equity with their mentee, and how they can harness their power to advance race equity through allyship.

Can we get in touch with their line manager, if we think it appropriate?

You should only do this with express permission of the mentee. If there are complex issues involved, then first discuss this, in confidence, with the B-MEntor contact from your institution.

Where should we meet?

The onus is upon mentees to travel to meet mentors at an appropriate location. This could be the mentor's office or a nearby café. It would not be appropriate in most situations to travel to the mentor's home.

Will there be any supervision of mentoring pairs?

There will be no formal supervision, but if any problems need troubleshooting you should contact the B-MEntor contact for your institution.

I am fairly new to mentoring - will there be some practical resources on activities to undertake with my mentee?

You will be provided with a handbook and some resources devised especially for the programme which will help you support your mentee in setting objectives for the mentoring period and beyond.

What other support will there be for mentors?

Mentors can contact the UCL B-Mentor team or their B-MEntor partner institution contact at any time in the coming year if there are particular issues that need resolving.

Will we be expected to act as a referee?

This is unlikely as it will be difficult to vouch for the quality of the mentees' work. Mentors should only give references for skills and knowledge they can personally vouch for e.g. interpersonal skills.

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