“…We know that students thrive when they have mentors to guide them.” (from President Doug Baker’s inaugural address, Nov. 13, 2013).
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 then notified in early August of each other’s contact information and are invited to an informal “meet and greet” 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.
Student-Faculty Links gives NIU faculty and supportive professional staff a unique opportunity to reach out and make a difference in the lives of new students. This involvement is highly beneficial to new students seeking guidance and encouragement to make their college experience successful and enjoyable.
This year, mentors will be able to integrate Blackboard as a virtual space for better communication. Faculty members create Blackboard communities among their students, which allows students to not only communicate with mentors but also with other new students with similar interests.
For those who are interested in mentoring a new student for fall 2014, or who would like to learn more about Student-Faculty Links, contact First- and Second-Year Experience by phone at (815) 753-0028 or via email at firstconn@niu.edu.
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