Building a Structured Mentorship Program for Master of Public Administration Students at Cal Poly Pomona

Research demonstrates that mentoring generally relates to a number of positive outcomes for both mentors and mentees. Studies on mentoring also point to a number of challenges to constructing a successful structured mentoring program. The aim of this work is to conduct a needs assessment and to develop best practices for a mentoring program for Master of Public Administration (MPA) students at Cal Poly Pomona. Research design includes unstructured interviews, semi-structured interviews, and surveys. Unstructured interviews conducted with Cal Poly Pomona undergraduates and executive professionals currently participating in a mentoring program identify benefits and challenges for mentors and mentees. Interviews with MPA students and alumni examine the need for an MPA mentoring program and identify perceived gaps that can be filled by mentors. A survey distributed to local city managers and MPA alumni provides data on community interest in mentor participation. Recommendations from this study include best practices and guidelines for implementing a structured mentoring program, including mentor-mentee matching, orientation, and shared expectations.