Mentor Program
The NDSU Agriculture Mentor Program is a formal mentor program designed to enhance career development, networking opportunities, and employee recruitment and retention. New staff members will have the opportunity to be mentored.
The mentor program is open to a broad range of Extension, research, and faculty professionals, including both tenure-track and non-tenure-track positions.
Eligible mentors (and mentees) include:
- Extension agents
- Extension specialists, both on and off campus and at RECs
- Research scientists, both on and off campus and at RECs
- Faculty at the assistant, associate, and full professor levels, whether tenure-track or non-tenure-track
- Lecturers
- Professors of practice at the assistant, associate, and full levels
- Research professors at the assistant, associate, and full levels
The purpose of this program is to address the NDSU Agriculture Strategic Plan goal: Increase the investment in Ag team members to maximize job satisfaction and quality of research, teaching and Extension programming provided to students and stakeholders.
If you are interested in becoming an NDSU Agriculture mentor, please fill out the application at https://forms.gle/EKMkcSy51pex7b2o7. Part of the application process is to complete a personality assessment (https://www.outofservice.com/bigfive) and provide your results. These results will be used to match mentors/mentees.
Qualifications and expectations of an NDSU Agriculture mentor are:
- Minimum of three years of service in current position
- Complete of the face-to-face mentor training on the main campus in Fargo, September 22 (noon-5 p.m. CST) and September 23 (8:30 a.m.-noon CST)
- Commit to mentoring a new NDSU Agriculture staff member for 12 months
- Complete three-month, six-month and 12-month evaluations
- Approval from supervisor
Benefits of becoming an Agriculture mentor are:
- Formal mentorship training
- Opportunity to grow professionally and personally
- A $1,500 stipend for completing the 12-month mentor relationship
For questions about the NDSU Agriculture Mentor Program, contact Shana Forster, 701-857-6779, shana.forster@ndsu.edu.
Agriculture Mentor applications are due September 10, 2026.