Mentor Selection & Mentor Responsibilities Policy

POC: Facility Advisory Board	Date: 2010-07-06
Code: ZLA-006	Version: 4.00

1. PURPOSE.

This Policy establishes criteria for Mentor Selection & Mentor Responsibilities in the Los Angeles ARTCC.

2. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

The Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR) for this Policy is the ZLA Facility Advisory Board. This Policy was originally drafted by Marc Sykes, ZLA Facility Chief, on December 12, 2003 , and approved by Ian Elchitz, VATUSA Western Regional Director. This policy was substantially updated by Shawn Goldsworthy, ZLA Air Traffic Manager, and Mike Cassel, ZLA Training Administrator, on October 15, 2008, and by Peter Grey, ZLA Training Administrator, on July 6, 2010. This Policy shall be maintained, revised, updated or cancelled by the ZLA Facility Advisory Board or any organization that supersedes, replaces or assumes the FAB responsibilities. Any suggestions for modification/amendment to this Policy should be sent to the FAB for review.

3. DISTRIBUTION.

This Policy governs the selection of individuals seeking entry into the Los Angeles ARTCC Mentor Program and the responsibilities of Mentors once appointed.

4. BACKGROUND.

Mentors are those controllers who express an interest in volunteering their time primarily to provide initial training and orientation to student Ground and Tower (S-1 and S-2) Controllers. Secondarily, they augment the Instructor Staff in providing supplemental training to Approach (S-3) and Center(C-1) grade controllers seeking promotion within the Los Angeles ARTCC.

5. REQUIREMENTS.

(a) The following rules shall apply to individuals requesting Mentor status:

1. The Training Administrator will be responsible for administration of the Mentor Program.
   
   
2. To apply for the position of Mentor, applicants should contact the Training Administrator. Provided the applicant meets the minimum standard for qualification provided in this document, the application will be presented to the FAB for discussion and comments, and where necessary a vote. Optionally, the applicant may submit a statement to the Training Administrator for presentation to the FAB.
   
   
3. At the request of the Training Administrator, the applicant may be required to undergo a Mentor Evaluation Session with the ZLA Air Traffic Manager, Deputy Air Traffic Manager, Training Administrator, or a Staff Instructor. These sessions will be requested when the FAB feels that it does not have enough information to decide the merits of the application without further examination.
   
   
4. The applicant must be in compliance with all Los Angeles ARTCC and VATSIM/VATUSA Policies and Procedures.
   
   
5. The applicant must hold the grade of Tower Controller(S-2) or above to be considered. Tower Controllers will not be considered unless they have passed the Class Bravo OTS Examination. Applications submitted prior to attainment of the grade of Approach Controller(S-3) are discouraged unless the applicant has no desire to continue to higher ranks and/or has extraordinary skills or qualifications that make the applicant especially suitable to mentoring.
   
   
6. The applicant must display a willingness to instruct others in the implementation of standard operating procedures, and utilization of all appropriate training material.
   
   
7. The applicant must display the necessary aptitude and ability to control at a level consistent with the position for which the Mentor is making application.
   
   
8. The applicant must display the temperament and maturity required to mentor properly.
   
   
9. The applicant must display a willingness to make himself/herself available for at least one mentoring session every three months.
   
   
10. Mentors who are removed from the ZLA roster shall lose their mentor status.
    
    
11. There is no limit to the number of active or inactive mentors.

(b) The following rules shall apply to all ZLA Mentors:

1. Each new Mentor shall submit to the Training Administrator the ASRC or VRC chat logs between themselves and their Student for the first five sessions after their appointment. New Mentors shall not use Teamspeak as a significant method to provide instruction for these first five sessions. Each Mentor submitting a chat log under this section must inform the student that the chat log will be sent to the Training Administrator. ZLA is committed to uniformity in its Training Program. We know how hard it is to make the transition from "learner" to "teacher" and with the chat logs we will be able to better assist the new Mentor with the transition.
   
   
2. Mentors are expected to conduct at least one training session every three months to be considered active. Mentors who have not met this requirement shall be placed on inactive status until such time as they are available to conduct sessions.
   Mentors who have not conducted a session in the preceeding six months may not conduct training sessions without contacting the training administrator. These mentors will be removed from the website listing for recordkeeping purposes.
   Mentors who have been removed from the website listing who wish to become active mentors again may be required to submit to a oral, written, or practical exam on SOP changes since the mentors last training session. This exam shall be given by the Training Administrator and mentors who pass this exam shall be reinistated as an active mentor.
   
   
3. Each Mentor shall log his/her sessions by submitting a Training Note using ZLAs automated system at the conclusion of each session.
   
   
4. The Mentor rating can be suspended or revoked at any time by the Air Traffic Manager, Deputy Air Traffic Manager, or Training Administrator.
   
   
5. Mentors may conduct training sessions for any position that the mentor is certified to work during peak hours, except that mentors may not conduct approach training sessions until the socal combined certification is recieved.
   
   
6. Mentors may not conduct peak certification examiniations with the exception of the peak time ground controller certification. Mentors may not decertify a member from a position. Mentors are authorized to conduct recertification tests only for the case where the certification was removed due to inactivity.
   
   
7. Mentors may not conduct sesions where the mentor occupies a higher level position and monitors the performance of a non-rated student on a lower level position.