Why a Mentor Network

Mentorship and networking have long been recognized as important aspects of the collegiate and fraternity experience. 

The Sigma Nu Mentor Network is the Fraternity's key effort to offer its collegiate brothers and young alumni access to the professional knowledge and career experience of its broader alumni membership.

Results from research conducted by Sigma Nu and 12 other leading fraternities indicates that collegiate fraternity members have strong beliefs in the value of fraternal networking and the benefit of a formal networking platform as part of their membership.

• 86% of Sigma Nu's collegiate respondents indicated a belief that their membership in Sigma Nu would be influential in making business contacts for the future.
• 82% believed their membership would have an influence in preparing them to start their career.
• 81% indicated that alumni support through mentoring and advising was important.

Alumni respondents agreed in their view of the importance of alumni acting as mentors and advisors to support the professional and career advancement of collegiate and young alumni.

• More than half of alumni respondents indicated a willingness to provide such assistance to collegiate members and young alumni.

The Sigma Nu Mentor Network is a direct result of our members' voices and is an outstanding opportunity for our collegiate brothers and young alumni to access the experience and knowledge of experienced alumni brothers.

A Hybrid Model of Mentoring

Mentoring is generally defined as "a process that enables an individual to learn and seek guidance from a more experienced person who can pass on relevant knowledge and experience." The Sigma Nu Mentor Network uses a hybrid mentoring model comprised of three specific components, each having a targeted purpose.

The "Careers In" webinar series will explore various industries and work sectors, as well as the professional roles involved. This component of the program is available to any initiated brother but is targeted at our youngest initiates (18-20 years old).

Navigators, the second mentoring component, involves small peer groups based on anticipated career field. Each small group will be led by one or two alumni mentors who currently work in, did work in, or have extensive knowledge of, the field of interest of their small group. Navigators is targeted to those brothers who have identified their career field of choice, as well as brothers aged 20-21.

Brothers Mentoring Brothers is intended to be a one-on-one mentoring relationship between a soon to be graduated brother of a chapter and a chapter, or local, alumnus to allow for more in-depth and job specific mentoring. This component of the program is to be managed locally by an alumni entity.

How It Works

This generation of the Sigma Nu Mentor Network is intended to establish a process to help collegiate brothers identify, learn about, and prepare for their professional life after college.

For the "Careers In" webinars, brothers wishing to participate will need to register for the webinar(s) they want to attend. Only those who are registered will be provided the access link to join a particular webinar. Each of these webinars is intended to include a breakout and/or Q&A segment, offering participants an opportunity to engage, directly, with session mentors.

For Navigators, brothers wishing to participate will need to register with the General Fraternity. Registered brothers will be grouped based on aniticipated career field, and their group matched to its mentor(s). Groups will participate in a virtual introductory session where they will have an opportunity to meet the other group members, the group's mentor(s), and work together to establish an ongoing meeting schedule for the remainder of the mentoring term.

Brothers Mentoring Brothers is to be managed locally, ideally through an alumni entity (e.g., Alumni Advisory Board, Alumni Chapter, House Corporation, etc.), which will determine its own registration and matching processes. The General Fraternity will request local Brothers Mentoring Brothers programs to register and provide a list of the participating alumni so that 1) an accurate record of local programs and participants is kept, and 2) to ensure the General Fraternity can provide support and promotion, as needed.