As part of our work to increase our students' persistence and graduation, and help them find their place at PSU, Global Diversity & Inclusion is welcoming staff and faculty to volunteer as employee mentors for students in the PSU Mentor Program.
Our goal is to help students navigate campus and support their success and thriving by connecting them with their person — and that person could be you! Your relationship with your mentee(s) will be the core of the program. We will provide community building, navigational tips, programming and social activities for the mentees, all of which you would be welcome to engage with if you choose. Through strong relationships with their mentors, as well program staff, their peers and the programming that comes alongside their curricula and co-curricular experiences, new students will gain important knowledge and the skills needed to excel in their first year and beyond. The program uses an incentive-based point system to support persistence and success.
While we will prioritize these populations, please note that you do not need to have been a first-generation college student, Pell grant recipient or minoritized to be able to participate in the program and support students. There is room for you!
What is required of mentors?
- Fill out the match form to help us support the best mentor mentee match.
- Attend a 2-hour mentor preparation conversation.
- Weekly meetings with your mentee: this is the most critical piece of the program. Virtual check-ins are fine, but we encourage you to meet in person whenever possible and convenient for both parties. At the end of the first term, you and your mentee can mutually decide to shift your meetings to every other week. Of course, we would love it if you want to keep meeting in person frequently, but we know things get busy and have designed the program so it fits into your busy lives!
- Meet your mentee at the match day event or connect by email if either of you cannot make the meeting.
- Submit monthly reports that can be completed online so your students can get credit (points) for your meetings and we have a sense of how your student is doing.
- Reach out to us if you have any challenges supporting your students.
We would also encourage you to utilize the optional periodic mentor check-ins to learn from other mentors/get your questions answered. And take full advantage of the social and community-building opportunities.