Supporting Women in MDHS

One on one support through individual mentee/mentor relationships

• Your mentor will be someone who has successfully applied for academic promotion to Level C, D or E who has recently mentored others in a promotion application
• They will be an active listener, ask you questions about your career and provide constructive feedback in order to prepare an application that best showcases your attributes in line with the promotions criteria
• You will receive one-on-one support and guidance from your mentor to tell your story and refine your promotion application
• Communication between you and your mentor should be targeted towards preparing a strong promotion application. The relationship, communication style and medium should be mutually decided on early to ensure you meet each others expectations
• We recommend at least 4 mentor/mentee meetings throughout the promotion process (please see below for more details about the key program dates) but this is entirely up to the two of you to work out.

Opportunities for networking and peer support

• You will be invited to practical workshops with other mentees focused on preparing and refining promotion applications. At the workshops we invite previous SWiM mentees who have been recently promoted to talk about their experience, share insights and tips on writing your promotion application.
• You will be set up with a members access online via MS Teams to share resources, stories, and progress
• Peer groups where you are matched with other women in the faculty at a similar career stage will be initially set up on MS Teams
• You will be supported with updates and check-ins from the SWiM team with respect to program dates and expectations of progress.

The SWiM program is aligned with the University’s promotions process, timelines and briefings to ensure that workshops are timely and relevant.

Registrations to be a 2026 mentor are now closed.

A cross section of mentors at Level C, D and E are matched with mentees.

Criteria for mentors include:

• Level C, D or E male, female and non-binary academics
• Participation in the MDHS promotion process either as an applicant or assessor (must be familiar with current promotions process)
• Past experience of mentoring
• Demonstration of the Faculty values
• Passion for supporting the career development of others
• Available to meet with mentees in first half of the year

Mentors are not expected to edit promotion applications and are not responsible for promotion outcomes. The role of the mentor is to provide high level advice and support with respect to the narrative of the promotion application, time management, consideration of performance relative to opportunity and asking questions to draw out the strengths of the mentee as they relate to promotions criteria.

Registrations for 2026 mentees are now closed.

Women and non-binary academics at Level B, C and D who intend to apply for academic promotion each year are invited to join the program.

Eligibility criteria for mentees:

• Readiness and commitment to apply for academic promotion *
• Availability to attend program events and meet with mentor from February to June
• Member of MDHS faculty staff (ie. honorary staff are ineligible for this program)

*(if unsure, refer to the Academic Performance Framework for career benchmarks and indicators)

We value diversity and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. If you require any adjustments or tailored support during the application process or at any other stage, please contact our team via email: swim-mentoring@unimelb.edu.au

• The matching process will be undertaken using the data gained through the registration survey.
• When completing the registration keep an open mind when completing your preferences in your application profile – we will try our best to accommodate your preferences, but it is not possible to guarantee a 100% match.
• Mentoring participants often report gaining a lot from mentors they would not necessarily of picked themselves in the beginning. Intuition is important, and should be relied on but mentees often experience great outcomes by keeping an open mind and maintaining a professional relationship. You may also have other mentors in your Department, try to use this paired mentor to help convey your case beyond your discipline or workforce category.
• An agreement should be reached about the style, duration and regularity of meetings possible between you and your mentor early on – with expectations discussed early.
• Remember that mentoring can be more than the traditional expert-novice relationship. We have many committed mentors who are willing to share their expertise and support you through the promotions process.

This program is underpinned by our Faculty values:

• Teamwork & collaboration – sharing knowledge and expertise to help achieve goals
• Respect – for the diversity of histories and lived experiences to create a safe space to share knowledge and experiences
• Integrity – honesty and trust underpin our mentoring relationships, where mentoring conversations are kept confidential
• Compassion - communicate and clarify expectations of each other (active listening is critical)
• Accountability – we are accountable for the actions we commit to, including being on time to scheduled meetings, advising of any changes in plans as soon as possible and being prepared for meetings.

This document provides guidance on how the SWiM Mentoring for Promotion program is designed. It provides advice to help you engage for mentors and mentees and the peer support network to ensure you get the full benefit of the program.

Download the Program Guidelines

Registrations for both mentees and mentors in the 2026 program are now open.

We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. If you require any adjustments or support during the application process or at any other stage during the program, please contact: swim-mentoring@unimelb.edu.au

Additional resources regarding university briefings and ACBI can be accessed on the Academic Careers website

Inspiring Stories is a seminar series featuring women in leadership in conversation with Professor Natalie Hannan, Associate Dean, Diversity and Inclusion.

There is an audience Q&A and each conversation is recorded and available on the website

All faculty members are welcome to these monthly events. Register for the Inspiring Stories mailing list.