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Faculty mentors needed for new students

March 30, 2015

NIU student in Founders Memorial Library“Mentoring is valuable in providing students with the emotional and instrumental support needed to reach their goals as students and in life” (from President Doug Baker’s Baker Report, Feb. 6, 2015).

Taking to heart President Baker’s words, First- and Second-Year Experience is looking for NIU faculty and Supportive Professional Staff who are interested in volunteering their time to mentor new students during their transition to NIU next fall.

The Student-Faculty Links mentoring program is a component of First- and Second-Year Experience.

Student-Faculty Links mentors are asked to fill out a short survey to match them with new students who express similar interests or are in a related academic department.

Mentors and protégés are notified in early August with each other’s contact information and are invited to attend an informal “meet and greet” kickoff event hosted by the First- and Second-Year Experience staff in the early fall. All meetings after that are scheduled by the mentor and the student. The office also coordinates events for the mentor and protégé pairs throughout the semester geared toward students’ professional development.

Student-Faculty Links gives NIU faculty and supportive professional staff a unique opportunity to reach out and help make a difference in the lives of new students. Involvement with this program is highly beneficial to new students seeking guidance and encouragement to make their college experience more successful and enjoyable.

Feedback collected from students in the Fall 2014 cohort agreed that this experience enabled them to feel more comfortable engaging with faculty and staff, as well as with making connections on campus.

For more information, call (815) 753-0028 or e-mail fsye@niu.edu.