The ACCCA Mentor Program

**Registration is now closed. For more information, please contact the ACCCA office at (916) 443-3559 or Shirley Short.**

The 2008-09 ACCCA Mentor Program

The Association of California Community Colleges (ACCCA) Mentor Program is a statewide activity whose purpose is to provide a personal and professional development experience for selected individuals who have demonstrated a potential for expanded leadership roles in their current, or future, responsibilities with the California Community College system. Participants develop competencies through participation in ACCCA Mentee leadership events held during the one-year program.

Activities
The ACCCA Mentee Retreat and other Mentor Program activities are heavily participation-oriented with an emphasis on skill building and collaborative learning. Each Mentee completes a learning contract, which has a strong leadership component, encouraging participants to immediately apply knowledge, principles, and skills acquired or enhanced through the ACCCA Mentor Program. Mentees are responsible for arranging face-to-face meetings at least once a month with their Mentor.

Being a Mentor
The role of the Mentor is to serve as a guide, role model, colleague and expert to their Mentee. The Mentor guides the Mentee in the development and completion of their learning contract, exposes their Mentee to new and complex administrative tasks and processes, teaches their Mentee how to learn new administrative skills on their own campus, and introduces their Mentee to higher-level management systems and practices. Additionally, the Mentor frequently gives advice to their Mentee in the preparation of application materials and interviews for promotional community college administrative positions.

ACCCA Mentees and Mentors develop an excellent, caring network of highly competent professional colleagues in the State. Many of the relationships that developed when the program began in 1988 still flourish today.

Goals of the ACCCA Mentor Program

• To identify administrators, faculty and staff who have demonstrated a potential for expanded leadership roles in their current responsibilities with the California Community College system.
• To provide learning experiences to expand and enhance participant’s current leadership skills and abilities.
• To offer appropriate training for administrators.
• To provide participants with a network for career opportunities.
• To encourage Mentor Program participants to seek expanded leadership opportunities within their regions or the statewide system.
• To assure the availability of a diverse pool of skilled leaders for the future administrative needs of the California Community Colleges.
• To encourage the networking of participants inter-regionally in support of improved working relationships and communications across the state.

How Do I Apply to Become an ACCCA Mentee?

• Review the application and Mentor Program materials (www.ACCCA.com) with your supervisor and college president.

Download and complete the Mentor Application and the Mentor Program College Agreement Form and submit by November 30, 2007 to:

Shirley Short
ACCCA Mentor Program Chair
Sacramento City College
3835 Freeport Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95822-1386
• You must be a member of ACCCA to participate in the program. If you are not a member, join ACCCA today by going to www.accca.com and completing the online form.
• If accepted in the Mentor Program you will be contacted by ACCCA staff to arrange for payment of your program fee.

NOTE: The term of the Program is February 2008 through February 2009. The class size is limited. Mentees are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.