MENTORING: GENERAL INFORMATION

 

Following are some of the most commonly asked questions about mentoring. Please read through them, and, if you have any additional questions, feel free to contact the Mentoring Committee.

 

 

1) What is a mentor?

In the traditional sense, a mentor is a wise and trusted friend who guides the personal and professional development of another individual. The mentor provides understanding and motivation, enhancing the individual's vision of accomplishment. When students come to college, they often feel lost, confused, and isolated. A mentor helps these students make the transition to college life by providing them with someone who will answer their questions and make them feel more attached to the college.

 

2) If 1 become a mentor, what will my responsibilities be?

Each mentee is paired with a mentor. Together, the pair establishes common goals for their relationship and a plan to achieve those goals. Each relationship develops at its own pace and each pair creates its own ways of working together. Basically, your main responsibility is to stay in touch with your mentees and make sure that they are successfully adjusting to college life. During your initial conversation with your mentees, for example, you would want to ask:

 

Have you filed all your financial aid forms?

Are you attending all your classes?

Have you bought all your books?

Do you have any questions about the college?

 

Topics of subsequent meetings and conversations will be based on decisions made by you and your mentees. Often your role will be to provide referrals (see below) and make the student aware of various college resources.

 

3) How many students will I be assigned to work with?

Generally, mentors work with up to five students each semester, but the number of students you work with can be adjusted to meet your schedule.

 

4) How often do I have to contact my mentees?

Again, this is up to you (and your mentees). You can contact or meet with your mentees once a week or once a month--whatever you like. There are however, some key points in the semester when a contact would be helpful. These include:

--The end of the first week of classes

--The week before the withdrawal deadline

--Two to three weeks before midterms

--Two to three weeks before finals

 

5) What constitutes a "contact"?

A contact could be a phone call, an email, or an in-person meeting. Each mentor mentee pair decides what the best form of contact is.

 

6) This all sounds great, but I'm awfully busy...

Being a mentor is not that large a time commitment. Keep in mind, a "contact” could be as brief as a five-minute phone call. You may also find that many of the activities associated with mentoring are things that you do or have done with students anyway.

 

7) If I'm a faculty member, do I only work with students majoring in my discipline?

Not necessarily. We do, however, try to match students with mentors based on common interests. A professor in the English department, for example, might mentor a student majoring in Liberal Arts, but could also mentor a computer science major who expressed a strong interest in writing or literature or drama. Since mentors are not advisors (see below), it is not necessary that mentors be from the student's major.

 

 

8) What's the difference between mentoring and advisement?

Although mentors may provide "advice" to students, they are not advisors (nor are they counselors). You might find yourself discussing classes and majors with your mentees, but advisement will still be done the way it always has been done. Don't worry: You are NOT volunteering to do advisement by becoming a mentor.

 

9) Can I be a mentor to someone enrolled in one of my classes?

Yes. It may not be possible to avoid this. If you are mentoring one of your students, however, you will need to set guidelines with that student, establishing the difference between your roles as mentor and professor.

 

10) What if I'm not sure how to answer a student's questions?

As a mentor, you will never be "out there on your own." Remember, the members of the Mentoring Committee will act as "Mentors" to you. We will provide training and follow‑up sessions to help you handle any questions that might arise. You should always feel free to call any of the Mentoring Committee members anytime for advice.