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• University of Houston-Victoria

Component III
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Component III: About

Mission:

To positively impact the academic life of college students at Coastal Bend College and provide opportunities that increase confidence and trust with the aid of an experienced student that can help them access resources at the university and serve as a guide for students that seek advice on classes, majors, and academic difficulties. The upper class student can also assist students in making a seamless transition from the community college environment to the university environment.

Philosophy:

By providing community college students with consistently engaged mentors, they will learn to have open and honest dialogue to discuss apprehensions, fears and uncertainties about life in a higher education institution that will prepare them to take a place in future leadership roles in the world of work. Mentors will learn and impart their own leadership and coaching skills; pass on hard lessons learned to less experienced students; aid in career planning; and feel a sense of gratification in sharing their knowledge.

Goals/Purpose:

To help ease students' transition from the community college to the university; promote the retention of college students in underserved populations; enhance students' college experience; and increase students' academic success and graduation rate for low income, or first generation college students.

Mentors will participate in a team that will play an integral part in the academic life of a lesser experienced student via an electronic communication process. Mentors will spend time being a friend to an assigned mentee(s). Mentors invest their time in listening, building trust, establishing a relationship, supporting and guiding the mentees.

Program Guidelines:

The pairs will communicate once a week by e-mail, telephone or other established means for the duration of a full semester. In addition to the weekly communications, mentors must attend a classroom training on required subjects:

• Role of a Mentor
• Building Relationships
• Problem Solving and Decision Making
• Cultural Diversity
• E-Mentoring
• Online Communication Skills
• Confidentiality and Closure

as well as three planned face-to-face events at the kick-off to start the matching of pairs, at mid-term to provide support for the program, and a final recognition ceremony.

The meetings will take place at Coastal Bend College and the University of Houston-Victoria will provide transportation and meals. The trips will be planned at the most convenient time for all participants.

Benefits:

In addition to building friendships and expanding social and educational networks the participants will also benefit from the following:

• Mentees: The program will help lesser experienced students to develop important life management skills, plan for future career opportunities, improve college attitudes, get help with complex transfer issues, improve performance, build self-confidence, increase academic success and receive a certificate for participating in the program
  
  
• Mentors: In addition to providing mentors with the satisfaction of giving back to their community and fellow students, e-mentoring can help strengthen the university community and build personal pride in having the chance to develop and apply leadership and coaching skills; an opportunity to pass on valuable experience, add to a personal résumé portfolio for a future career, get personal gratification from sharing their knowledge, and receive recognition.