Docket #: S11-064
Student-Alumni Mentoring Web Application
A researcher in Stanford's Career Development Center has developed a simple, web-based user interface that enables the easy administration of large scale mentoring programs by facilitating the database population, mentor matching, and program administration. This automated system matches students with alumni based on shared background, interest, and objectives (weighted according to the importance placed on each by participating individuals). Stanford has been using the system for over two years and has matched approximately 750 students with alumni. Administrator tools are also built into the software to enable easy e-mail outreach to participants, management of pairings, and usage/demographic statistics.
Applications
- Educational Setting: scalable mentoring programs that provide an additional form of education to students seeking career or life advice and to increase the engagement of alumni by fostering connections with students.
- Corporate Setting: easy to manage, broad mentoring programs to build ties among employees, boosting satisfaction/morale.
Advantages
- Allows large scale mentor matching while still incorporating individual choice into the pairing.
- Simple to use, web-based user interface for participants to complete the signup and matching process.
- Powerful administrative tools enable management of large mentoring programs.