General
Accessibility
Contacts / Connections
Communities / Discussions
CG Library / Resources
Mentoring General Information
Information for Mentors
Information for Mentees
Volunteering General Information
General | Top
Q: What is EDUCAUSE Connect?
A: EDUCAUSE Connect is a community platform for higher education technology professionals to connect and collaborate on shared topics and interests.
EDUCAUSE Connect is the home of EDUCAUSE Community Groups (CGs), working groups, mentoring, and volunteering opportunities.
To access all of the features of the platform, you will need to log in to EDUCAUSE Connect via your EDUCAUSE Profile. You can learn more about logging in below. After you’ve logged in, please take a few minutes to complete the following to get the most out of your experience.
Q: Who can use EDUCAUSE Connect?
A: EDUCAUSE Connect is available to EDUCAUSE members and nonmembers from educational institutions, associations, state agencies, and other non-profit organizations.
For those who are with a corporation, your company must be an EDUCAUSE member for access to services on Connect. For more information about corporate membership, visit our membership page or contact our membership team at membership@educause.edu
If your for-profit organization does not fit the traditional mold of an EDUCAUSE Corporate Member and/or if you are with a news media organization and would like to request access to EDUCAUSE Connect, please contact our corporate team at corp@educause.edu. We will review your request and will follow up with details and next steps.
Q: How do I log in to EDUCAUSE Connect?
A: Log in to EDUCAUSE Connect by selecting the “Sign In” button at the top of the platform. You will need an EDUCAUSE Profile to log in and use the platform’s features. Anyone can create an EDUCAUSE Profile, regardless of membership status with EDUCAUSE, but some of the services and features may be available to EDUCAUSE members only. Your login credentials for EDUCAUSE Connect are the same username and password as your EDUCAUSE Profile. If you forgot your login credentials, you can reset them here. If you need assistance, please contact us.
Don’t have an EDUCAUSE Profile? Create a profile today. Please allow up to two business days for your profile to be activated.
Q: Can I log in using EDUCAUSE single sign-on (SSO)?
A: Yes, you can log in using EDUCAUSE or InCommon Federation login. Please visit
EDUCAUSE SSO Login Help for more information.
Q: How do I update my contact information?
A: On your
EDUCAUSE Connect profile page, please select the pencil icon next to "Edit My Profile.” You will be sent to the EDUCAUSE Account Management System (AMS) that allows you to update your contact, social links, and job information. Please note: it may take up to 30 minutes for the changes to go into effect.
Q: How do I control what information is visible from my profile?
A: Please navigate to your
EDUCAUSE Connect profile, then select the "My Account" tab and choose "Privacy Settings" from the drop-down menu. This will let you control what information is visible to whom. After you’ve made your selections, click the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page.
Q: How do I add the EDUCAUSE Connect email domain to my safe senders list?
A:
To help make sure emails from EDUCAUSE Connect reach your inbox, please add @ConnectedCommunity.org to your safe senders list or address book. Written directions for Outlook and Gmail are available here. For a video overview, view our how-to video.
Q: Is there a mobile app for EDUCAUSE Connect?
A: The EDUCAUSE Connect website runs on the Bootstrap framework and is mobile responsive. A mobile application that is separate from the website is not supported at this time.
Accessibility | Top
Q: I have accessibility needs. What should I know?
A: Similar to our previous email list system, you can communicate and collaborate with other community group subscribers via email without having to log in to the EDUCAUSE Connect platform. You will need an EDUCAUSE Profile and to be subscribed to the community group you’re interested in to send and receive communications via email.
There are known improvements related to the accessibility of EDUCAUSE Connect, and we are committed to making the platform more accessible. To do so, we are working closely with Higher Logic, the EDUCAUSE IT Accessibility Community Group, and other partners.
Also, in advance of our launch, EDUCAUSE has engaged an IT accessibility consultant to conduct an audit of critical user pathways for us to work with Higher Logic to prioritize remediation steps.
We know we won't be able to fix all issues overnight, but we are committed to this work and will keep at it. To report any potential issues or to request an accommodation to access this service and other EDUCAUSE resources, please contact us at accessibility@educause.edu or call (303) 449-4430.
Contacts / Connections | Top
Q: How do I find other members?
Click the "Directory” link found in the main navigation bar. The Directory lets you search for other users based on:
- First and/or last name
- Company/institution name
- Community type
- Community name
- Email address
- City
- State
- Country
Q: How do I add contacts to my contact list?
A: If you are an EDUCAUSE member, you can use EDUCAUSE Connect to add other users who have granted you the permission to add them to your “My Contact” list. There are several ways to add contacts to your contact list. When you perform a search in the EDUCAUSE Connect Directory—if the user’s privacy settings allows—you will see an “Add as Contact” button to the right of each person listed in your search results. Just click this button to send a contact request. If you click through and view an individual’s profile, you can click the "Add as Contact" button to the right of his or her profile picture.
Q: Why should I add contacts to my contact list?
A: Creating this virtual address book makes it easy to send your contacts messages through the community site to stay in touch, ask questions, or even build a referral network. Additionally, when you view another member’s profile, you’ll be able to see any contacts you have in common. You can also choose to let your contacts view certain demographics in your profile that others can't.
Q: How can I manage my contact request email preferences?
A: Navigate to your
EDUCAUSE Connect profile and click on the “My Account” tab. From there, select “Email Preferences.” Toggle the Yes/No button within the “Participation Emails” section to control your email preferences for one-to-one interactions like contact requests.
Communities / Discussions | Top
Q: What are EDUCAUSE Community Groups (CGs)?
A: EDUCAUSE Community Groups (CGs) are online communities where higher education technology professionals learn from and network with each other around shared topics and interests. Groups interact throughout the year via online discussion forums found on the EDUCAUSE Connect platform and virtual meetings, and many meet in-person at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference. Many groups provide additional communication, networking, and learning opportunities. Subscribers can get engaged by:
- Posting CG topic-related news, issues, policies, practices, questions, and solutions in a CG’s dedicated discussion forum
- Attending CG topic-related webinars
- Meeting in person at our annual events and/or during virtual meetups
- Publishing resources and white papers on the topic area
Over 75 CGs are available and open to EDUCAUSE institutional and non-profit members and nonmembers, and corporate members, to encourage wide involvement of interested professionals.
CGs are driven by participant interest and energy, facilitated by volunteer CG leaders, and governed in partnership between EDUCAUSE staff and the CG Leader Committee.
To learn about guidelines for participation, please review the
Terms and Conditions of EDUCAUSE Connect.
Q: How do I join/subscribe to a community and the affiliated discussion group?
A: To join a community, you will need to log in to EDUCAUSE Connect via your EDUCAUSE Profile. Don’t have a profile? Create an account and navigate back to your community of interest once your profile has been confirmed. Please allow up to two business days for your profile to be activated.
Once you’ve logged into EDUCAUSE Connect, select “Community Groups” in the main navigation, then click “Explore Communities.” Filter by “Communities I Can Join” to view a list of available groups. Click on the community that you wish to join and choose the "Join" option, then choose how you would like to receive messages from the group (Real Time, Daily Digest, or No Email).
Q: How can I find the communities I belong to?
A: There are several ways you can find the communities you belong to. One option is to:
- Log in to the platform
- Select “Community Groups” in the main navigation bar
- Click “My Communities”
From there, you’ll find a curated list of all of the community groups you are a member of.
Q: I’m not finding a group that meets my needs. Can I form a new CG?
A: As the higher education technology environment continually evolves, participants in the EDUCAUSE community may identify areas of interest and relevance that aren’t yet addressed by an existing CG. If you do not see a group that meets your needs, please Contact Us to let us know what topic you are interested in. We can help you connect with an existing community, or if applicable, we will guide you through the process of forming a new CG.
Q: What is a CG Leader?
A: A CG leader is a volunteer from the EDUCAUSE community who manages and facilitates a community group. CG Leaders are listed on each CG's community homepage within EDUCAUSE Connect. For more information about the role of a CG Leader, visit the CG Leader Role Overview.
Q: How can I control the frequency and format of emails I receive?
A: Navigate to your EDUCAUSE Connect profile and click on the "My Account" tab. Choose "Community Notifications" from the drop-down menu. On that page, you can view and control your subscription options.
For each community discussion, you have the following delivery options:
- Real Time: sends an email every time a new message is posted.
- Daily Digest: sends one email to you each day, consolidating all of the posts from the previous day.
- No Email: allows you to be part of the group without having emails sent to you. You can still post and read others’ messages by logging into the community site.
Be sure to add @ConnectedCommunity.org to your safe senders list, so email communications from the platform reach your inbox.
Q: I’ve changed my community email notifications to daily digest. Why am I still receiving real time notifications?
A: If your Participation Emails are turned on, you will still receive real time email notifications of replies any time you start a thread or reply to a discussion. You can turn these types of email notifications off by toggling the Yes/No option related to Participation Emails under your EDUCAUSE Connect Email Preferences or by “unfollowing” the thread. To unfollow a thread:
- Visit the “Following Content” page in your EDUCAUSE Connect Profile
- Turn following off for the desired thread
Q: How do I leave a community or unsubscribe from a discussion?
A: Navigate to the community you would like to leave or no longer receive community discussion notifications from. Click the "Settings" button next to the community title in the header image, then:
- Under “Status,” click the "Leave Community" link to remove yourself from the community.
- Under “Email Notifications,” change your notification preference to “No Email” to no longer receive discussion notifications (from either “Real Time” or “Daily Digest”).
If you don’t see the option to leave a community, please
contact us.
Q: How do I respond to others’ posts on the platform?
A: To respond to a discussion post through the online platform, navigate to the discussion post and click “Reply" to send your message to the entire community. To send a message to the author of the post only, select “Reply Privately” (located in the "Reply" drop-down). We recommend replying privately for simple comments like “me, too” that add little value to the overall discussion; and replying to the entire community when you are sharing knowledge, experience, or resources that others could benefit from.
Q: How do I start a new discussion thread on the platform?
A: From the community group’s landing page, click on the “Discussion” tab, and then use the red “Post to this Discussion” button to start a new thread. Alternatively, you can go to "Discussions," click the red "Add" button, then select the community for which you would like to post. Each community also has a unique email address. Save it to your address book and easily start a new post like you would via regular email.
Q: Are discussion posts visible to the public?
A: Visitors must be logged in to EDUCAUSE Connect in order to view full discussion posts within open Community Groups. Some CGs are configured with additional privacy settings (i.e. closed CGs or committees) that require visitors to be logged in to Connect and subscribed to the CG of interest in order to view the discussion.
For engagement purposes, a brief snippet (a maximum of three lines) of the five most recent open CG discussions will display on the homepage of the Connect platform for the public to view (login not required). Brief snippets of recent discussions are also visible to the public on the landing page of open CGs.
If you have questions about the visibility settings of a group to which you belong, please contact the CG Leader of your community.
Q: Can I search for posts across all the communities?
A: As long as you have the permission to view, then yes. Enter a keyword in the search bar located in the EDUCAUSE Connect main navigation. To refine your search results, select one or more facets from the menu on the left side.
Q: How do I see a listing of all of the posts to a specific community?
A: Locate the community you are interested in viewing from the appropriate communities page. Click through the community's landing page, then click on the “Discussions” tab. If you see a post you’re interested in, click the subject line which will take you to the entire thread.
Q: How can I have an email notification sent to a different email address from the one tied to my EDUCAUSE Profile?
A: Navigate to your
EDUCAUSE Connect profile and click on the “My Account” tab. Choose “Community Notifications” from the drop-down menu. On that page, click on “add override addresses.” Here you can add an override email address and select which community discussions you want to assign to that email address. You can participate in community discussions from your primary email address OR from an override email address.
Q: How can I filter emails received from EDUCAUSE Connect in Outlook?
To more easily organize and find the emails you receive from the EDUCAUSE Connect platform, you can use either the “Reply-To” or “List-ID” email header to create a mail rule. For a step-by-step guide for creating a mail rule based on the “Reply-To” email header (for both Windows and Mac),
Click here for a guide to creating a mail rule based on the "Reply-To" email header.
How to Create a Mail Rule
- Find an email in your inbox that came from a community group that you are subscribed to (e.g. CIO).
- Click the “Reply” button in your email client (not the “Reply to Group” button/link embedded in the email itself).
- In the reply email, copy the “To:” field.
- Mac clients—to create a new mail rule:
- From the “Home” tab of Outlook (or “Message,” if using New Outlook), click “Rules” >> “Create Rule.”
- Clear out any existing criteria, then choose “Header,” and add the email address that you copied from step three above.
- From here, you can choose whatever action you wish to take (moving to a folder, forwarding, etc.) Click “OK” to save the rule to the server.
- Windows clients—to create a new mail rule:
- Click “File” >> “Manage Rules & Alerts.”
- Click “New Rule” at the top left of the “Rules and Alerts” window.
- In the “Conditions” step, click the checkbox for “with specific words in the message header”.
- In the next step, click the link “specific words.”
- In the textbox, add the email address you copied from step three above (EDUCAUSE-cio@ConnectedCommunity.org in this example) then click “Add” >> “OK.”
- Click “Next,” then choose what action you want to take for the rule. In this example, we chose to move to a specified folder and selected the "CIO" folder at the bottom. Click “Next.”
- In the final step, you can give the rule a name. Ensure the checkbox for “Turn on this rule” is enabled, then click “Finish.”
- Once complete, the rule will show at the top of all other rules in your list. Click “Apply” >> “OK” to finish.
CG Libraries / Resources | Top
Q: How do I find resources that may have been uploaded by other members?
A: If you know which library the resource is located in, find the affiliated community group via the "My Communities" page. Click through the community's landing page, then click on the “Library” tab. If you don't know where the resource is located, enter search terms in the search bar at the top of the platform the same way you might enter search terms into a search engine.
Q: How do the libraries get populated?
A: Community libraries are populated in two ways:
- When you include an attachment in a discussion post, the system automatically places it in the affiliated library.
- Direct uploads using the "Create Entry" button on any community's library page. Library resources are not required to be associated with a discussion thread.
Q: How do I upload a file?
A: From your community group's landing page, select the “Library” tab, then "Create Entry." Please note that uploading a document is accomplished by completing a few steps and each step must be completed before you can move on to the next:
- Choose a title for your document and include a description (optional). Select the library and folder to which you’d like to upload (optional). Then, choose an “Entry Type” (most will be Standard Files, but be cognizant of any copyright licensed material). Once you have completed these steps, click “Next.”
- Upload your file.
- Select “Next” if you want to further describe your files. Otherwise, click “Finish” to post your library entry.
Q: What kind of files can I upload?
A: The system supports dozens of file types including hyperlinks, standard files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), webinars, images, and YouTube videos.
Q: What are “hashtags” for?
A: Hashtags are a great way to organize and categorize content on your site. Tagged items are prioritized in the search results. All EDUCAUSE Connect users can define and tag their content. Hashtags can be applied to blogs, library entries, events, and glossary terms.
Q: How do I add hashtags to my post?
- In the body of content (e.g., blog article, discussion post, library entry, etc.), initiate the tagging process by typing "#" and then start typing the desired keyword(s). As you type, a list of existing, suggested hashtags will appear (if any exist). These can be formal hashtags your organization has defined or previously created user hashtags.
- Select a suggested hashtag or continue typing to create your own.
- After selecting or creating your own hashtag, it will become a hyperlink users can click to view all content associated with it. As more and more content is tagged with the same hashtag(s), it will become easier and easier to find, with more and more associated content.
Mentoring Information | Top
Q: What is EDUCAUSE Mentoring?
A: EDUCAUSE Mentoring is a member-only program that helps mentees and mentors find and connect with other higher education professionals who are seeking guidance, support, and growth in a safe environment. We offer one-to-one virtual mentoring designed to help you develop and achieve your personal and professional goals.
EDUCAUSE Mentoring, hosted on the EDUCAUSE Connect platform, utilizes an online tool–including a searchable database–that facilitates the establishment of mentoring relationships. It is user-driven, allowing registered mentees to search among registered mentors using specified criteria to find individuals whose experience and expertise match areas in which they wish to be mentored. Likewise, registered mentors can search for and identify potential mentees.
EDUCAUSE members can serve in the mentor role, mentee role, or both. Members at any stage in their career can be mentees. As well, peer-to-peer mentoring is available, but due to the limitations of the platform, one person will have to be designated as the “mentor” and the other as “mentee”.
Q: Is there a fee associated with using mentoring?
A: Mentoring is a benefit of EDUCAUSE membership and is available only to members. There is no extra charge to use this resource.
Q: How are mentors and mentees matched?
A: You may review the matching process via the Getting Started Guide videos on the EDUCAUSE mentoring website or the following directions.
Members must first enroll as a mentor, mentee, or both. During the enrollment process, members will select preferences for various demographics (including Areas of Expertise and Interests, and Skills) to establish their personal criteria.
For mentors, skip down to Q: How do I find mentees?
For mentees, skip down to Q: How do I find a mentor?
Q: Can I use the EDUCAUSE Connect platform to communicate during my mentorship?
A: Yes, though the EDUCAUSE Connect mentoring module works best as a matching system. Once you’ve been matched, we encourage you to use any communication method that works best for both of you (e.g., Connect, external emails, phone, Zoom, etc.).
Q: How long does the mentoring relationship last?
A: While there is no set time limit for your mentorship, best practice is for it to last at least 6 months and continue until the mentorship’s goals are met, typically 6-12 months.
We recommend that you and your mentor agree on a schedule that works best for both of you. The most important thing is to discuss your mutual expectations about time and communication at the start of your relationship.
When the mentoring relationship is complete, either party may go to the My Mentoring Activity page and select the "End Relationship" button. You may then view the completed relationship by selecting "Completed Relationships" from the drop down options under the Mentoring Relationships section. This may take up to 15 minutes to display. You then can choose to have this relationship visible on your mentoring profile using the "Hide" or "Show" options.
Information for Mentors | Top
Q: How do I become a mentor?
Q: Who are the mentees?
A: Mentees are other EDUCAUSE members who are looking for advice and guidance.
Q: Can I have more than one mentee?
A: While there is no limit to the number of mentoring relationships you can establish, best practice recommends no more than 2 mentees at the same time. We recommend that you be judicious in selecting only mentees who are most suited to learn from your expertise and experience. You can limit the number of mentee requests you are willing to accept on the Become a Mentor page.
Q: How do I find mentees?
A: Once you have enrolled as a mentor, go to the Find a Mentee page on the mentoring platform and select the criteria you want to use for your mentee search. Select the mentees' names to view their profiles. Once you have found a good match, select the mentee request button (found below the mentee's profile image) to send the mentee an email request. Review the Getting Started for Mentors video (link starts at 4:49).
Q: How will I know if a mentee has selected me as their mentor?
A: You will receive an email from the mentee requesting you to be their mentor. You will be prompted to accept or reject the request. Add the email domain @connectedcommunity.org to your safe senders/allow list to ensure your mentoring emails do not get filtered into spam/junk/clutter. If you are logged into Connect, visit your My Mentoring Activity page for pending and accepted mentorships.
Q: Is it okay to reject a request?
A: Yes. We encourage you to at least have an initial conversation to explore whether the relationship would be mutually fulfilling. You may send a message by either:
- Viewing the mentee's profile, hovering over their picture, and selecting the "Send Message" button
- Selecting the three dots under their profile name (next to the "Add Contact" button) and selecting "Send Message"
- Emailing them outside of the platform if they have provided their email address (listed under their profile picture)
If you want to decline a request, go to the My Mentoring Activity page and select the "decline" button next to the specific request.
Q: Where can I meet with my mentee?
A: It is up to you and your mentee to decide how, when, and where you want to pursue your mentoring relationship. This is a virtual program, so it is likely that most of your communication will occur by phone, email, or video chat. The EDUCAUSE Annual Conference (and other EDUCAUSE events) offers a great opportunity to meet in person.
Q: What if I’m going to be on vacation or unavailable for a period of time?
A: Go to the Become a Mentor enrollment page, scroll down to the Mentor Status section, then select the check-box next to “Temporarily stop accepting mentees.” Doing this will indicate that you are not accepting any mentee requests at the moment, and your Mentoring Profile will no longer be included in a mentor search. It is your responsibility to communicate your availability to your existing mentees.
Q: How do I end a mentoring relationship?
A: If the mentoring relationship is complete, either party may go to My Mentoring Activity and select the "End Relationship" button. You may then view the completed relationship by selecting "Completed Relationships" from the drop down options under the Mentoring Relationships section. This may take up to 15 minutes to display. You then can choose to have this relationship visible on your mentoring profile using the "Hide" or "Show" options.
If the mentoring relationship isn't working out, kindly discuss your decision to end the relationship with your mentee, then email mentoring@educause.edu for next steps.
Q: What are the expectations for participating mentors?
A: We expect that you will fulfill your commitment to develop at least one mentoring relationship. We expect you to respond to initial requests from mentees in a timely manner (usually 2–3 business days), and that you communicate with your mentees as agreed upon by both you and your mentees. More detailed information is located in the EDUCAUSE Mentorship Guide sent with your accepted request email and also on your My Mentoring Activity page.
Q: How much time will I need to invest as a mentor?
A: Best practice is to meet virtually once a month with additional points of contact (email, phone, text, etc.). We recommend that you and your mentees agree on a schedule that works best for both of you. The most important thing is to discuss your mutual expectations about time and communication at the start of your relationship. Keep in mind that mentoring doesn’t necessarily require large amounts of your time. Even brief phone calls or email exchanges with you can make a big difference to your mentees. While there is no set time limit for your mentorship, best practice is for it to last at least six months and go until the mentorship’s goals are met, usually 6-12 months.
Q: What benefits do I receive from the organization if I participate as a mentor in the program?
A: All mentors are EDUCAUSE volunteers. As an active program participant, you will receive a ribbon identifying you as a mentor, which will display on your EDUCAUSE Connect Profile.
Information for Mentees | Top
Q: How do I become a mentee?
Q: Who are the mentors?
A: Mentors are other EDUCAUSE members who have volunteered their time to offer career advice and guidance to other members.
Q: Can I have more than one mentor?
A: Due to our EDUCAUSE mentors’ limited time and engagement in other mentoring relationships, we recommend engaging in only one mentorship at a time. You may engage in a new mentorship once your previous one has ended.
Q: How do I find a mentor?
You may review the Getting Started Guide for Mentees video (link starts at 3:00) or the following instructions.
A: Once you have enrolled as a mentee, go to the Find a Mentor page on the mentoring platform and select the criteria you want to use for your mentor search. Select the mentors' names to view their profiles. Once you have found a good match, select the mentor request button (found below the mentor's profile image) to send the mentor a mentoring request. If you are unsure about fit, you may message the mentor candidate and have a conversation before you decide to select the mentor request button
You may send a message by either:
- Viewing the mentor's profile, hovering over their picture, and selecting the "Send Message" button
- Selecting the three dots under their profile name (next to the "Add Contact" button) and selecting "Send Message"
- Emailing them outside of the platform if they have provided their email address (listed under their profile picture)
If you want to decline a request, go to the My Mentoring Activity page and check the "decline" button next to the specific request.
Q: How will I know if a mentor has accepted my request?
A: You will receive an email notifying you if your mentor request has been accepted or declined. Add the email domain @connectedcommunity.org to your safe senders/allow list to ensure your mentoring emails do not get filtered into spam/junk/clutter. If you are logged into Connect, visit your My Mentoring Activity page to review pending and accepted requests.
Q: What should I do if I don’t hear from the mentor I requested?
A: If you don’t hear from the mentor within two weeks, feel free to contact them outside of the Connect platform using the contact information found on their EDUCAUSE Connect Profile page. If you’ve emailed and called them and still don’t hear from them, send a message to mentoring@educause.edu.
Q: What if the mentor isn’t the right “fit” for my needs?
A: Sometimes, regardless of the information provided, mentors and mentees don’t always "fit." If this happens, we suggest that you discuss your decision honestly and kindly with your mentor; thank them for their time then start a new mentor search. You may either select the “End Relationship” in your My Mentoring Activity or email mentoring@educause.edu so we can end the mentorship in Connect for you.
Q: Where can I meet with my mentor?
A: It is up to you and your mentor to decide how, when and where you want to pursue your mentoring relationship. This is a virtual program, so it is likely that most of your communication will occur by phone, email or video chat. The EDUCAUSE Annual Conference (and other EDUCAUSE events) offers a great opportunity to meet in person.
Q: What if my mentor is unresponsive?
A: If the mentoring relationship isn't working out due lack of response, email mentoring@educause.edu for next steps.
Q: What are the expectations for participating mentees?
A: We expect that you will fulfill your commitment to develop at least one mentoring relationship. We expect you to respond to mentoring communication in a timely manner (usually 2–3 business days), and that you communicate with EDUCAUSE if there are any issues or concerns. Once matched, mentees are expected to make the initial outreach to their mentor to schedule the first virtual meeting.
Q: How much time will I need to invest as a mentee?
A: Best practice is to meet virtually once a month with additional points of contact (email, phone, text, etc.). We recommend that you and your mentor agree on a schedule that works best for both of you. The most important thing is to discuss your mutual expectations about time and communication at the start of your relationship. Keep in mind that mentoring doesn’t necessarily require large amounts of your time. Even brief phone calls or email exchanges can make a big difference.
Q: What if I’m going to be on vacation or unavailable for a period of time?
A: If you'd like to take a break from the program, go to the Become a Mentee page and enter an end date for when you no longer want to be visible as a mentee candidate. It is your responsibility to communicate your availability to your existing mentors. When you are ready to re-engage in the program, remove your end date or email mentoring@educause.edu.
Q: Will I be recognized for being a mentee in the program?
A: As an active program participant, you will receive a ribbon identifying you as a mentee, which will display on your EDUCAUSE Connect Profile.
Volunteering General Information | Top
Q: What is EDUCAUSE Volunteering?
A: EDUCAUSE offers various opportunities to volunteer and contribute to the higher education technology community. EDUCAUSE Connect is the place to view and apply for EDUCAUSE volunteer opportunities.
Q: How do I become a volunteer?
Q: What is the volunteer pool?
A: The EDUCAUSE volunteer pool is your way of indicating that you’d like to hear about new EDUCAUSE volunteer opportunities. By opting in to the volunteer pool, you’ll be notified when opportunities that match your interests and expertise become available on EDUCAUSE Connect. You can opt out of the volunteer pool at any time by adjusting your settings in your volunteer profile.
Q: What is my volunteer profile?
A: The volunteer profile is your personal EDUCAUSE volunteering profile. This is where you can fill out your expertise and interests. You can opt in to receiving email alerts when new opportunities become available that match your interests. The volunteer profile is also where you’ll view the volunteer opportunities that you are currently participating in or have already completed through EDUCAUSE Connect.
Q: Who can view my volunteer profile?
A: Only you can view your volunteer profile. Your volunteer profile is not visible to the EDUCAUSE Connect community.
Q: How do I apply for an individual volunteering opportunity?
A: In order to apply for an individual volunteer opportunity, you’ll need to have an EDUCAUSE Connect profile. You can click into an individual volunteer opportunity from the Volunteer Opportunities page to review the requirements and fill out the application.
Q: How do I know if I have been accepted/denied for a volunteer opportunity?
A: You’ll receive an email from the EDUCAUSE Connect platform informing you of your application status. You can also check the status of your application on your volunteer profile. If you have questions about your application you can contact the volunteer opportunity contact or email volunteer@educause.edu.
Q: How do I opt in or out of volunteering email alerts?
A: Go to your volunteer profile and toggle the “Volunteer Pool Opt-In: receive email notifications when volunteer opportunities become available that match your expertise” to yes or no. Select “yes” to opt in and “no” to opt out of email alerts for new opportunities.
Q: How is the information in my volunteer profile used?
A: The information in your volunteer profile is used to help our system identify opportunities for which your experience is a good fit. You are not limited to applying to opportunities solely based on the information in your profile.
Q: How do I know to if I am eligible to apply for an EDUCAUSE volunteer opportunity?
A: If you are eligible to apply for a volunteer opportunity, you will see a black “Apply Today!” button when you click into the volunteer opportunity description. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact volunteer@educause.edu.