Mentoring
The role of mentor and the practice of mentoring is named for the man in Greek mythology who was put in charge of the training of Telemachus, son of Odysseus. While the name is borrowed from this mythological tutor-student relationship, the present concept of mentoring bears only partial resemblance to the historical model. The specific practices of mentoring and the expectations of a mentor and mentee vary. They depend on setting, purpose, members of a mentoring relationships, cultural norms,and many other factors.

Vision
The Mentoring Institute will create a mentoring culture and forster mentoring certification programs of international prominence, in collaboration with local, national and international private and public institutions in the industry, academic, and governmental sectors. The mentoring culture and training, through the establishment of collaboration agreements and partnerships, will enhance the economic development of Albuquerque and New Mexico by facilitating the development of intellectual capital.

Mission
The mission of the Mentoring Institute is to faciliate the development of quality mentoring programs at UNM, in the Albuquerque community, and in New Mexico, by:

• Establishing a network of mentoring partnerships
• Pursuing interdisciplinary research into mentoring best practices, in collaboration with public and private organizations in industry, academic and governmental sectors
• Developing, implementing and evaluating training, certificationand evaluation programs for mentors

Context
The Mentoring Institute by no means stands alone in fulfilling its vision and mission.The Institute is a component of the UNM Division of Student Affairs. It is also advised by a Mentoring Council, made up of UNM staff and faculty and representatives of community organizations with strong mentoring programs. The position of the Mentoring Institute within UNM and its relationship to its advisory mentoring council can be seen in this partial organizational chart.