Professional Staff Organization

Mentorship

BIPOC Staff Mentorship Program

2024 Application Cycle is Complete

Please check back in the Fall for Program Updates and Networking Opportunities.

Thank you to those that applied to join the inaugural cohort of the BIPOC Staff Mentorship Pilot Program funded by the Diversity Seed Grant. We received significant interest during this competitive application cycle and have identified our final applicants at this time.

As we noticed an emphasis on establishing community and the importance of uplifting others through knowledge sharing from many of our applicants, we are currently working on creating another opportunity for those individuals interested in networking with other BIPOC Staff on our campuses. This opportunity will be open to all applicants that expressed interest in joining us this year. Please check back to this website periodically for updates and keep an eye out on the PSO Newsletter for this unique event.

Goals:

  • M – Make new connections and meet other colleagues
  • E – Empower professional staff
  • N – Network, network, network!
  • T – Teach others about your career & life experiences
  • O – Open yourself to new perspectives; Offer new perspectives (advancement & change)
  • R – Reinvent and Revitalize your career
  • S – Share knowledge and learn from other colleagues’ experiences

The BIPOC Mentorship Program Objectives:

  • Develop strategies to achieve effective allyship
  • Demonstrate the importance of representation in professional spaces
  • Build community and create a sense of belonging for BIPOC staff as well as opportunities to be vulnerable, share challenges, and offer a direct roadmap to improve professional trajectories
  • A resource for BIPOC to receive guidance and vetted advice from mentors
  • Scale to incorporate UW staff of all levels and potentially reach out to BIPOC professionals and faculty from other universities in the future to widen reach

Program Overview:

The BIPOC Staff Mentorship Program is a pilot project that has been introduced by the Professional Staff Organization DEI Committee and will be funded by the Diversity Seed Grant for the 2023-2024 academic year with a goal to increase representation and create career opportunities.

This program will provide BIPOC Staff with the structural support necessary to develop professional skills to advance their careers and build community over several months through individualized mentorship from University of Washington BIPOC leaders. Mentees will be matched with mentors according to their career goals and interests while engaging with course curriculum to hone their leadership abilities and network with colleagues across the University of Washington Tri-Campus community.

Identity preferences will be considered throughout the mentee/mentor matching process but are not guaranteed. This pilot program is intended to scale beyond the Professional Staff community to serve students, faculty, and classified staff in the future with the goal of expanding to other higher education institutions.  

Participants will be paired in cohorts of 2:1 mentor and have the option of connecting virtually or in-person. 

Burnout for Leaders: Supporting Staff and Yourself  with WA Assistance Program

The PSO Mentorship Team is excited to announce our second virtual workshop for the BIPOC Staff Program next Thursday, 3/28 from 11am-12:30 pm with the WA Employee Assistance program.

We will discuss “Burnout for Leaders: Supporting Staff & Yourself” facilitated by Carlee Osburn. While the session is geared towards leaders, the content of this is valuable to those seeking to establish stronger work-life balance and boundary setting with tactical strategies.

This session will be interactive. You’ll engage in various leadership building and mindfulness exercises with your cohort.

Workshop Overview: 

• What burnout is and how it affects staff

• Burnout cycles and what they mean

• About leadership burnout

 • Strategies to support staff and themselves in preventing or lessening burnout

(Past Event) Program Launched on March 21 from 10-11am with a Workshop:

Leadership Identity Development with Leilani Lewis – Director of DEI at UW Advancement 

In this engaging, remote workshop, participants will have the opportunity to explore their leadership identity with the guidance and expertise of Leilani Lewis, Director of DEI at UW Advancement. Participants will discuss the preconceptions and misconceptions of navigating leadership roles, strategies on building community and sustaining these valuable networks particularly for BIPOC individuals, and learn how to effectively utilize your sphere of influence to create a tangible impact in the workplace. Throughout the session, participants will connect in small groups and begin to establish connections with their program cohort and mentors.