Spring Break
Diversity affairs expands faculty mentoring program
Roger Sauerhaft
Issue date: 8/31/07 Section: Campus
Beginning this fall, the Office of Diversity Affairs has expanded upon a mentoring program for first-year students at Miami University, pairing current faculty and staff with multicultural students.
Director of Diversity Affairs Eloiza Domingo-Snyder said that although the program specifically targets students of diverse backgrounds, anyone in their first year could receive a mentor if they wish.
She added that participating faculty members will be allowed to mentor up to five students each year and will receive $200 per student in order to fund social interaction activities at least twice per semester.
"(The mentors) do not talk about what classes to take or anything, instead, they are support networks for students," Domingo-Snyder said. "We try to set (the students) up with someone to navigate them through Miami so they have consistent resources, such as if they are homesick, or if they just want to know where to go eat."
She added that the $200 available for interactions with each student is a donation from the provost.
"(The mentors and mentees) can go do dinner and lunch, a game in football, basketball and hockey here at Miami, and the Latin and Caribbean Festival in Uptown Park," Domingo-Synder said. "We are also creating a calendar of Miami events."
Domingo-Snyder said the objective of this program, patterned after University of Virginia's Center for African American Affairs, is twofold.
"First, (a goal is) to make sure first-year students feel they belong and people care about them here," she said. "Second, retention and satisfaction rates of diverse population has been low, we are trying to help those students stay here."
According to Snyder, this program is not connected with the new Access Initiative for scholarship students at Miami.
Access Initiative students are given coaches instead, and any Access Initiative students who do try to apply for a mentor will be directed toward their coaches.
Director of Diversity Affairs Eloiza Domingo-Snyder said that although the program specifically targets students of diverse backgrounds, anyone in their first year could receive a mentor if they wish.
She added that participating faculty members will be allowed to mentor up to five students each year and will receive $200 per student in order to fund social interaction activities at least twice per semester.
"(The mentors) do not talk about what classes to take or anything, instead, they are support networks for students," Domingo-Snyder said. "We try to set (the students) up with someone to navigate them through Miami so they have consistent resources, such as if they are homesick, or if they just want to know where to go eat."
She added that the $200 available for interactions with each student is a donation from the provost.
"(The mentors and mentees) can go do dinner and lunch, a game in football, basketball and hockey here at Miami, and the Latin and Caribbean Festival in Uptown Park," Domingo-Synder said. "We are also creating a calendar of Miami events."
Domingo-Snyder said the objective of this program, patterned after University of Virginia's Center for African American Affairs, is twofold.
"First, (a goal is) to make sure first-year students feel they belong and people care about them here," she said. "Second, retention and satisfaction rates of diverse population has been low, we are trying to help those students stay here."
According to Snyder, this program is not connected with the new Access Initiative for scholarship students at Miami.
Access Initiative students are given coaches instead, and any Access Initiative students who do try to apply for a mentor will be directed toward their coaches.
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