New mentorship program supports racialized McMaster staff
Created by the Black, Indigenous & Racialized Staff employee resource group, MentorLink support will advance employees’ career growth, connections and sense of community.
A new mentorship program for racialized employees will offer group and one-to-one support aimed at advancing career growth, strengthening networks and fostering a greater sense of community.
The MentorLink program, created to enhance attraction, retention and career progression of racialized employees, was introduced at a recent Black, Indigenous & Racialized Staff employee resource group (BIRS-ERG) event and information session, where staff were introduced to the group’s new leaders and learned more about the group.
“I have worked at McMaster for 12 years, and when I started, there were only a handful of staff who look like me” said Andrea Thomas-Murphy, who works in the office of the associate dean of research and external relations in the Faculty of Science.
“Having a safe space like BIRS to network with people who have had the same lived experience as you and learning about their experiences leads to a greater sense of belonging.”
MentorLink will offer two kinds of programming:
- The Connections group mentoring program, where mentors will support three to five employees;
- The one-to-one Walk Together program, pairing individual staff members with a mentor.
For more information on MentorLink, please email Akuba Boakye.
“BIRS contributes to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion within McMaster by creating a network where people feel seen, heard and supported,” said Paul Ogunkoya, the new chair of the group, and a senior systems administrator in University Technology Services.
“McMaster has been intentional in being more inclusive and BIRS demonstrates the importance of community and mentorship in career development.”
The event also gave employees the opportunity to forge and strengthen connections with their colleagues, and to hear from a panel of racialized McMaster staff in senior roles.
The panel included Emmanuel Songsore, manager of Research Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Excellence in the Office of the Vice-President, Research; Chrissy Doolittle, director of Indigenous Student Services; and Yufei Zheng, the manager of International and Exchange Student Experience; who all shared experiences from their careers and their time at McMaster.
Supported by the STEER/R Program, BIRS was formed in 2021 to improve community-building at McMaster, to amplify the voices of racialized McMaster employees, and to support them in strengthening their relationships, developing skills and advancing career growth and leadership.
“This group started from a grassroots level with employees that requested a space where members could feel a sense of connectedness, belonging and empowerment within McMaster,” said Asha McClean, vice-chair of BIRS and a senior HR strategic partner in the Faculty of Health Sciences.
“We have work to do together – work that individually brings us to actualize our own potential and purpose and dreams, and collectively that lifts everyone to be the best they can be,” said Cheryl Louzado, director of Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Oppression in the Equity and Inclusion Office.
“We all have a pivotal role to play in creating an inclusive and welcoming McMaster, and employee groups like BIRS are an important part of that conversation, creating space for us to bring our authentic selves and foster community.”
