LeadForward Mentoring Program

Any staff or faculty member who is interested in advancing their careers in a future administrative leadership position is welcome to apply. The program will require a time commitment during the workday. Before submitting your application, please discuss your interest in the program with your supervisor to ensure you have their support and approval to fully participate.

No, there is no cost, except your time and participation. We ask that those who are interested in participating commit for a year.

We appreciate any suggestions for interest in the program. There are some great mentors out there that everyone might not know about! Sometimes individuals who would benefit from being mentored may not always seek out the opportunity. Please see the recommendation form link on this page to send us their information. A recommendation does not guarantee their selection, but we will reach out and invite them to apply for the program.

In the LeadForward pilot, we hope to create a meaningful experience for both mentors and mentees. LeadForward is a developmental opportunity that will require regular engagement beyond your day-to-day responsibilities. The program is designed to support your development, but we also need you to be willing to make a good-faith effort to participate in all aspects of the program. The general expectations for participants are:

• Meet at least twice per month as a mentee/mentor pair
• Attend lunch and learn cohort events (approximately 4-6 annually)
• Encouraged to attend Shared Governance and other campus events
• Engage in Clifton Strengths individual coaching sessions
• Regularly engage on LeadForward Teams cohort page
• Participate in conversations surrounding monthly themes and shared readings during mentee/mentor meetings, Teams discussion, and program events
• Engage in regular communication with the program, your mentee/mentor, and cohort participants
• Share your experiences as mentors/mentees and be open to learning and individual growth

LeadForward applications will launch in November 2026, with a deadline of Wednesday, December 16th by 5:00 PM. A committee will review applications, with mentor/mentee pairings being made in early January. The cohort kickoff will take place on January 22nd. Additional programs and dates will be shared with participants in January. 

Mentors and Mentees will be paired together for the 2027 calendar year.

You can get started by completing the mentor or mentee application, which is linked on this page. These applications include several components and may take some time to complete, but your thoughtful responses will help us better understand your goals and preferences. Applications will then be reviewed, and mentors and mentees will be matched based on their experiences and interests.

No, we hope people are open to new partnerships on campus. A committee will evaluate the mentor/mentee applications to pair individuals for the program based on experiences and interests. The application does allow you to share if there is any conflict of interest with an office or individuals, or for mentors to share if they have a preference for the career level of mentees they are assigned. 

• Increased self-advocacy and leadership readiness
• A stronger sense of inclusion and belonging
• Increased awareness of campus and community resources and partnerships
• Strengthen leadership skills and confidence
• Clarify personal and professional goals
• Greater confidence navigating the university environment
• Improved understanding of organizational leadership
• Expanded professional network across campus

• Renewed leadership purpose and engagement
• Appreciation of Shared expertise and institutional knowledge
• Strengthened coaching and communication skills
• Deeper understanding of emerging workforce expectations and needs
• Expanded professional network across campus
• Gain perspectives from the next generation of higher education professionals

• Greater visibility and participation of emerging and underrepresented leaders
• Enhanced internal pipeline for leadership roles and succession planning
• Increased employee engagement and retention
• More collaborative, connected organizational culture
• Stronger alignment to CMU Leadership Standards and strategic priorities
• Reduced costs associated with turnover, searches, and onboarding

Priority Two Alignment:

Engage Communities — Cultivate and enrich reciprocal partnerships with university stakeholders to ensure a lasting impact in the communities we serve. 

CMU LeadForward will strengthen CMU’s ability to engage communities by expanding networking opportunities to more staff and faculty, thereby strengthening campus and community relations. By learning directly from seasoned faculty/administrators/leaders, participants can further develop contextual knowledge needed to support community-engaged initiatives and community partners. 

Priority Three Alignment:

Enhance Organizational Culture — Raise our national profile as a vibrant and nurturing university community where all members feel valued, empowered to thrive, and experience a strong sense of belonging.

CMU LeadForward aligns directly with 2 of the objectives and, more importantly, with 3 specific smart goals in Priority 3. First, it will help participants feel valued and recognize the positive impact of working together to strengthen connections across the university. This campus-wide program is open to all faculty and staff who are interested in being a mentor or mentee. Second, it establishes a formal pathway program for faculty and staff, which helps them to feel a greater sense of support in their career and in enhancing leadership skills they can use to support CMU. Third, it is a new learning opportunity that utilizes many of our existing resources, including current campus leaders who possess valuable institutional and leadership knowledge. Structured mentoring will help participants develop new transferable skills that they can use to enhance the culture of our CMU community 

Priority Four Alignment: 

Ensure Institutional Sustainability — Embrace sustainable campus operations that ensure wise stewardship of our resources.

CMU LeadForward aligns with Priority 4 objectives to help support institutional sustainability while meeting the needs of our faculty and staff while using our existing resources. By creating a new opportunity as part of our professional development portfolio, we are investing not only in our students but in our employees, who are also learners, to make CMU more efficient in the use of internal talent. By strengthening retention and leadership readiness through mentoring, we can reduce turnover-related costs. These cost savings can allow us flexibility to utilize resources more effectively by investing in other professional development initiatives to strengthen the skills of our current employees.