Three members of the program chatting on the lawn while walking.
Hero image of members of the mentor program

About the Mentoring Program

What is the Program?

Since its inception in 2002, the UCLA Housing & Hospitality (H&H) Mentoring Program has provided 19 cohorts of H&H team members with opportunities for skill and career development within the division. Those selected for the Program are paired with H&H and campus managers who serve as mentors. In addition, participants attend monthly professional development workshops and meet one-on-one with their mentors throughout the duration of the program.

What are the Benefits?

  • Three-day Off-site Retreat — The program starts with individual development planning and self-awareness workshops at UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge
  • Individual Personal Assessments — Confidential feedback on skill development and competencies from managers, peers, subordinates, self and other colleagues
  • Monthly Seminars — Monthly workshops that focus on career development topics
  • One-on-one Mentoring — Pairing of current year participants with leaders across our organization for professional relationship development and other networking opportunities
  • Career Planning — Creation of a personalized professional development plan, identifying your career goals and the steps necessary to achieve them
  • Public Speaking & Presentation Skills — Each mentee will prepare and deliver a customized presentation highlighting their respective department
  • Career Coaching — Sessions with the program director to strategize individual career plans

What are the Eligibility Requirements?

  • Be a non-probationary, career H&H staff member working at least 75% time.
  • At least one year of service at UCLA Housing & Hospitality as of September 1, 2024, is
    required. At least one year of service in the current role is preferred.
  • Departmental support for participation (direct manager and department
    head). Please communicate your interest with your department first and have
    the Department head’s email address ready when submitting your
    application.
  • Selected participants must be able to travel to and attend workshops and
    other events on campus and in person. The workshops are held in mid-day
    between 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., and the retreat is an all-day event from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Program Timeline

  • Recruitment begins on May 25, 2024. The selection committee reviews
    applications and recommends selected staff for in-person interviews. A final
    cohort of approximately 15 team members is selected and notified in
    October.
  • Program workshops and events are attended monthly throughout the year,
    and a final culmination celebration is held in June 2025.
  • Please refer to 2024 – 2025 Mentoring Program dates for detailed
    information.

What is the Time Commitment?

The Mentoring Program is a ten month program that lasts from October through May, with a graduation ceremony and reception in early June; it requires a minimum time commitment of about 56 hours of paid release time.

This includes one hour per month to meet with your mentor and an additional 50 hours for the duration of the program to attend the orientation, retreat, monthly workshops and program graduation.

Who are the Mentors?

Program mentors are experienced H&H campus managers and directors or past mentees who can assist you in evaluating opportunities for career development and potential advancement within H&H.

There are generally mentors in each of the following areas:

  • Accounting & Finance
  • Human Resources
  • Building Operations & Maintenance
  • Business Office Operations
  • Sales
  • Dining, Catering & Advanced Culinary Skills
  • Guest Relations & Customer Service
  • Hospitality Management
  • Organizational Effectiveness and Development
  • Housing and Safety Operations