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Welcome to the Tennessee MBA Mentor Program

The mentor program was designed to provide an opportunity for students to communicate and develop relationships with experienced business practitioners in order to gain insight and perspective on industry or functional issues, demands, trends, career options. The mentor program facilitates collaborative relationships amongst alumni, students, and the business community.

In an increasingly competitive environment, business schools must combine experiences inside and outside the classroom to provide students with both the education and real world knowledge necessary to succeed in business. Tennessee’s MBA Mentor Program helps bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and the realities of the business world by providing students the opportunity to learn about the way business is practiced today, under the guidance of experienced professionals.

The mentor program pairs students and mentors who share a similar background, geographic location preference, or career field. This association will foster a stronger relationship and will result in more beneficial discussions and guidance. The goal of the program is to have someone with professional experience provide support, encouragement, and guidance to an MBA student.

Program Goals

• Create a link between current MBA students and Tennessee MBA alumni that provides valuable guidance to the student and a rewarding relationship for the mentor.
• Provide alumni an opportunity to shape and influence the next generation of business leaders.
• Demonstrate to students how academic students relate to the business world.
• Maintain positive relationships between business leaders and the Tennessee MBA Program.

Program Format

The format is designed to be flexible in order to meet the needs and adapt for varying schedules of the participants. What this means is that each mentor and student should work together to define the scope of the relationship. For instance, some participants may determine that it is best to talk on a regular basis, while others may decide that more informal contact is better based upon need. The main goal being that the relationship is mutually beneficial and does not become too demanding for the mentor or too limiting for the student. Some items to consider addressing in the first discussion might include:

• Frequency of meetings
• Means of communication
• Mentoring activities
• Appropriate/inappropriate boundaries (times not to call, etc.)
• Student’s goals for the relationship

Student Information

Alumni Information

If you have any questions about the mentor program, please contact Peter Fox.