Frequently Asked Questions

MENTOR TOPICS

Who can be a mentor?

Any rising senior at Ross can apply to be a mentor for the next academic year.

What is the process to become a mentor?

Applications to become a mentor are emailed to current juniors in March and April and will also be posted on the M-NETS website. Applications are reviewed by the BBA Council Leadership & Ethics Chair and the Office of Student Life. Students are also asked to interview with the Leadership & Ethics Chair and Assistant Director, BBA Student Life. Selections will be made by the end of the academic year for the coming academic year.

What are you looking for in a mentor?

We are looking for mentors who have good communication and facilitation skills, who are outgoing and approachable, and who have achieved academic success and are involved in activities outside of the classroom. We are particularly interested in students who have a desire to learn more about ethics and introduce others to the topic.

MENTEE TOPICS

Who can participate in the program?

Any sophomore or junior at Ross can apply to participate.

What is the application process?

Rising sophomores and juniors will be emailed regarding the application process around the start of the school year. The application form can also be found on the M-NETS website in early September.  Applications are reviewed by the BBA Council Leadership & Ethics Chair and the Office of Student Life. Students may be asked to meet with the Leadership & Ethics Chair and the Assistant Director of BBA Student Life. This will help us learn more about why a particular student wants to participate in the program. Decisions will be made in mid- to late-September.

How are participants selected?

Participants are selected based on a few different criteria. First, participants are selected based on the thoroughness of their application. Complete answers give us a comprehensive picture and help us to match students with a mentor.  Students are also selected based on level of interest in learning about ethics in their lives, commitment to participating fully in the program, and motivation to be a successful Ross student and business person.

We do our best to provide mentoring opportunities for interested students, however, we realized that we have a limited number of mentors, which in turn limits the number of students we can include in the program.

What are my responsibilities for participating in this program?

Students are expected to be active participants in the M-NETS program for the entire academic year. Participants agree to meet with their mentorship group regularly, including monthly discussion sessions and monthly recreational and/or community service activities, as well as attend program-sponsored events. In addition, participants are expected to respond to program emails from their mentor and the Office of Student Life in a timely manner (48 hours).

How does the community service portion of the program work?

The Office of Student Life has worked with non-profit organizations in both the Ross and Ann Arbor community to schedule community service projects for the mentor groups.  Service events are typically held on Fridays.  Since the community service portion of the program is required, students interested in the M-NETS program should be available in either the morning or afternoon on most Fridays - specific dates will be available closer to the application date.

MENTORSHIP GROUP TOPICS

How many mentees and mentors are in a group?

Ideally, we will have one senior mentor work with a group of two juniors and three sophomores.  So, in total, each group will have six students.

What criteria do you use to group the mentors with the junior and sophomore students?

The Office of Student Life and the BBA Council Leadership & Ethics Chair assign mentees to mentorship groups based on similarities in career and academic interests. Students will be notified in late September (before the kick-off event) via email about their participation in M-NETS.

How will the mentor and participant experience be evaluated?

Great question! At the beginning of the year, we will survey all of the students in the program. Then throughout the year, we will hold monthly meetings with the mentors to gather feedback on the program and discuss potential changes and improvements. At the end of the year, we will ask all of the students to complete a post-program survey and evaluation of the program. We want to make this a valuable learning experience for all students involved, so we will strongly consider the feedback and survey results when making changes in the program.