Mentoring
A mentor is a trusted person who offers wisdom, counsel, guidance, and support to another. Studies show that when students have mentors they report greater success and satisfaction with their college experience. Most mentor relationships are informal, meaning that they develop naturally through interaction in the classroom, during a volunteer experience, on the athletic field, in a residence hall, or at a job. Alumni and faculty frequently serve in this informal capacity:
Mentoring Programs
Formal mentoring programs complement the informal relationships that develop between alumni or faculty and students over the course of the undergraduate years. These programs provide venues for students to forge social and cultural ties essential for academic success; they can strengthen identities and increase personal satisfaction with the entire undergraduate experience. The College sponsors three formal mentoring programs for undergraduate students:
Phoenix BioSci Peer Mentor Program
The Phoenix Biosci Peer Mentor Program matches first- and second-year students with upperclass peers who are majors in Biological Science and Biological Chemistry. Peer Mentors are not academic tutors; rather they provide advice about choosing classes and locating research experiences.
Students Supporting Students
Students Supporting Students assists first-year undergraduate students in their transition to college life. The program pairs new students with second-, third-, or fourth-years based on common interests. Mentors serve as resources that can provide a unique perspective because they too are students in the College. Participants and mentors meet several times each quarter.
For more information contact Samantha Maher in the College Programming Office.
