Mentee by Design: Building Mentorships That Work

Friday, October 02, 2026 | 9:15AM–10:00AM MT
Session Type: Breakout Session
Delivery Format: Panel Session
Most mentorship advice focuses on developing better mentors. This session flips that perspective. Mentee by Design equips early-career higher education professionals with a practical, repeatable framework for building mentorships that actually work. Attendees will learn how to identify the right mentor for their current goals, initiate low-pressure, high-impact conversations, and sustain relationships that grow over time. Rather than relying on informal or chance connections, this session introduces a structured approach grounded in three phases: Find, Initiate, and Sustain. What sets this session apart is its built-in mentorship incubator. Participants won’t just learn strategies—they’ll apply them in real time through guided activities, peer practice, and short, structured conversations with experienced EDUCAUSE community members. This creates an immediate bridge from theory to action and helps reduce the intimidation often associated with mentorship. Attendees will leave with a clear plan, practical tools, and new connections they can continue developing beyond the session.

Presenters

  • Calvin Groves

    Director, Customer Support & Outreach, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  • Jay James

    Cybersecurity Operations Manager, Auburn University

  • Joseph Layton-Santos

    Assistant Director, Instructional Technology, University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco

  • Zach Lonsinger

    Interim Innovation and Experiences Manager, The Pennsylvania State University