Mentor Resources: Basics of the Program

Program Philosophy

A meaningful relationship with a faculty/staff mentor helps students develop a sense of purpose and a sense of purpose helps students persist and be successful in school.

In the words of one mentee:

“The mentor program helped with perseverance and finding my inner-strength. My mentor made me more optimistic about life and guided me in my own path. The mentor program will be able to aid students on life choices and decisions and also prepare them for the future. Also, they might just make a new friend.”

Become a Mentor

We are always looking for UGA faculty and staff who are passionate about mentorship. Through your involvement in the program, you have an opportunity to help students:

• Become more engaged
• Develop critical academic skills
• Identify or clarify academic and/or career goals and path
• Learn critical out-of-classroom life skills
• Connect to campus and community resources
• Network with other UGA faculty and staff
• Find themselves and develop a sense of purpose

Time commitments include:

• Attending an introductory training session
• Completing a mentor information worksheet to assist in the matching process
• Meeting with the assigned student for approximately one hour on eight separate occasions
• Verifying the student’s continued engagement in the mentor program
• Completing a post-experience questionnaire

If you are interested in being a mentor, please contact the Program Coordinator.

Mentor Training

• Once a semester, prospective mentors attend a three hour training session
• Training topics include:
  • Program goals, history, and rationale
  • Office of Student Conduct process
  • Required program assignments
  • Overview of the mentoring process
  • Mentor expectations, strategies, challenges, and resources

Mentor Information Sheet

• Matching mentors and mentees is one of the key factors in creating a successful mentor program.
• Our goal is to match students with mentors who have similar interests, values, and backgrounds and/or who might have an area of expertise or skill that would benefit a particular student.
• To help us with the matching, you will be asked to complete a Mentor Information Sheet. The sheet will ask you to answer the same questions that the mentees have to answer prior to being matched with a mentor.