Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to questions you may have about being a mentee in the Academic Promotion Mentoring program.

How can I access the mentoring guide? 

The Boost for Academic Promotion mentoring guide is available here.

How do I find a mentor?

You will have until the end of application process to register as a mentee. If your mentee registration is approved, you will receive suggested mentors based on your profile. You will also be able to search through the available mentors to find one who you think will suit your needs for academic promotion. Read the profile carefully before making a request, as you will only be able to request one mentor at a time. Choose a mentor at the level to which you are applying or a higher level. All mentors have been successful in academic promotion at RMIT. You may want to consider choosing a mentor who is not within your discipline, who, like a panel member, will be able to provide a view that is not necessarily familiar with the jargon of your discipline.
 
Once you have made your request, the mentor will have 5 days to consider and respond to your request. If you have not received a response within this timeframe, the request will expire ad you will be able to make a request of another mentor.
 
If you do not nominate a preferred monitor by the end of application process, the system will automatically match you with a recommended mentor based on your profiles.

What can I expect of a mentor?

You and your mentor will negotiate the goals, roles and timeframe of the partnership. The mentor’s role is to provide you with assistance and support in the academic promotion process. You can expect a mentor to assist you to set goals in relation to academic promotion, review your readiness for promotion, provide advice on the collection of evidence to support your claim and provide guidance in the writing of the narrative in the application form. It is not the role of a mentor to proofread your application.

What am I expected to do in the mentoring partnership?

The mentee is expected to drive the partnership. You need to be clear about your goals and needs and negotiate mutual expectations with your mentor. This is about your application for academic promotion, and you need to take ownership of this commitment.

Can I have more than one mentor?

You can have only one mentor in the BOOST or Academic Promotion program, but applicants for academic promotion often combine formal mentoring with informally seeking advice and support from their networks, their Manager, or their Dean.

How long does the mentoring program last?

The amount of time involved will vary with each mentoring partnership and is negotiated in the first mentoring meeting. The duration of the partnership and the number of meetings will depend on what stage in the academic promotion process you are at, your individual needs and the time commitments of both you and mentor. We suggest to estimate up to 12 hours at an average. BOOST for Academic Promotion will close a month prior to application end date. Some partnerships may choose to continue after this date, but outside the BOOST platform.

How many mentoring meetings are there?

The duration of the partnership and the number of meetings will depend on what stage in the academic promotion process the mentee is in, the mentee’s individual needs and the time commitments of both mentor and mentee.

Where will the meetings take place and do they all have to be face to face?

Each mentoring partnership will negotiate the methods of communication. Options include Teams or other online method, phone or face-to-face.

What other support will I receive for academic promotion?

The following support is available:

• Detailed instructions on the academic promotion process and the relevant forms at https://www.rmit.edu.au/staff/service-connect/careers-management/career-development/academic-promotion. 
• Development workshops and forums will run throughout the Intent to Apply and application open periods – see the Academic Promotion webpage for details
• Email academic process queries to academic.promotion@rmit.edu.au or contact your College Administrator

I already have a successful mentoring partnership with a mentor at RMIT. Do I have to register this with BOOST?

If you are already part of an ongoing mentoring partnership, you and your mentor do not have to register with BOOST for Academic Promotion to continue the partnership. However, you are welcome to enjoy the program to find out if there are other mentors that may suit your needs specifically relating to the academic promotion application process.

What if I cannot find a suitable mentor?

If you have not found a mentor and know of someone who you would like as a potential mentor, you can always contact them and invite them to register on the platform. Alternatively, if you don’t feel comfortable doing this, you can always contact us at academic.promotion@rmit.edu.au and we will send an invitation.

What if I am concerned about the mentoring partnership?

We encourage you to discuss any concerns with your mentor in the first instance and if you feel you are unable to resolve the issue you can seek advice and guidance from the academic promotion team at academic.promotion@rmit.edu.au. A principle of mentoring is that either party can withdraw from the partnership at any time.

What if I have questions about the academic promotion process?

Please send any queries relating to the academic promotion process to academic.promotion@rmit.edu.au

What if I decide not to apply for academic promotion after all?

If you decide not to apply for academic promotion this year you can continue with BOOST for Academic Promotion keeping in mind that the time frame for application has shifted to a longer-term goal.

Is the mentoring confidential?

Yes, the mentoring is confidential. On registration the mentors agree to confidentiality. You should confirm confidentiality at your first meeting with your mentor.

Will other people be able to see that I am participating in BOOST for Academic Promotion?

Mentees can see mentors in the program, but cannot see other mentees. If you post in the Mentee forum, it will come up as anonymous. Mentors can only see mentees they are in a partnership with, but can see other mentors in the program. Administrators can see all participants in the BOOST for Academic Promotion program.