UW–⁠Madison Information Technology
Connecting & supporting our digital campus

IT Mentoring

Peer mentoring relationships that elevate success

The IT Mentoring program connects UW–‍Madison employees with fellow colleagues in peer relationships that enhance skills, knowledge and experience. We carefully match mentees with experienced mentors to guide them in their career goals, technical interests and personal development objectives.

Applications open each November to join as a mentor or mentee. Join our email list to hear about program opportunities.

What we do

Mentorship pairing to match mentees’ interests with mentors’ experience

Networking events with the wider IT community

Enhance professional and interpersonal skills with interactive workshops

Share a collection of curated learning resources

  1. Applications open each November
  2. We create matchups and kick off the program in January
  3. Mentors and mentees meet at least once per month from January through August
  4. The full cohort meets 4 times per year, including a closing celebration at the end of summer

Mentoring is a relationship that benefits both the mentor and the mentee. If you want support navigating career challenges, setting and reaching goals and growing your professional network, the IT Mentoring program is a great choice for you.

Mentoring works well when:

  • The mentor and mentee agree on goals and make a plan that works for both of them
  • The mentor has the experience that’s relevant to what the mentee wants to achieve
  • The mentee feels free to ask questions, seek advice and receive professional introductions from their mentor

Mentorship Canvas Course

Enroll in a self-paced online course that addresses ways to create meaningful mentoring relationships. More specifically, you will identify roles and models for mentoring relationships, establish best practices and challenges for mentoring, practice skills related to mentoring competencies, access tools and resources for mentoring opportunities at UW–‍Madison, and create a plan for developing a mentoring relationship.

EDUCAUSE Mentoring Program & Resources

EDUCAUSE is committed to providing opportunities for our members to engage, connect, and create community. The EDUCAUSE Mentoring Program is just one way we can help you do so.

Academic Staff Mentor Match Program

The Academic Staff Mentoring Committee (ASMC) coordinates the Mentor Match Program, a nine-month program designed to connect new academic staff members to the wider UW–‍Madison community.

Join our email list to hear about IT mentoring opportunities.

Join our email list

News & events

News

IT Mentoring events

Mission, values and history

IT Mentoring is more than just a program—it’s a catalyst for transformation. We foster a culture of continuous learning, mutual support and professional development, contributing to the vibrancy of the UW IT community. Our mission is to bridge the gap between experienced IT professionals and those at the beginning or middle of their career paths. We create a purposeful environment where professionals share knowledge, skills and experiences to propel each other’s personal and professional development. We aim to foster connections that lead to improved collaboration across different units in service of the university mission.

The IT Mentoring program was founded around 2015 by the UW IT Onboarding Team and was one of the first programs under the IT Connects umbrella.

Who we are

Co-leads

Portrait of Conor Klecker

Conor Klecker

Position title: IT Manager, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Portrait of Ella Tschopik

Ella Tschopik

Position title: MERIT IT Help Desk Manager, School of Education

Steering committee

If you’re passionate about mentoring, want to develop your leadership skills, or simply desire to help strengthen UW–‍Madison’s IT community, this is a perfect opportunity to make a big difference for your colleagues.

Apply to join the IT Mentoring steering committee

UW-IT Connects

IT Mentoring is part of IT Connects, a coalition of volunteer IT professionals from across the university dedicated to breaking down silos by providing resources and opportunities for UW’s IT community to learn and grow together.

Explore IT Connects initiatives

UW–‍Madison IT Connects events