MENTORING MENTORS: EMPOWERING LEADERS TO
ENHANCE A MENTOR PROGRAMGrand Valley State University
Kate Langmeyer, Darby Naheedy, and Emma Hahs
A RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS BY STUDENTS
FREDERIK MEIJER HONORS COLLEGE MENTOR COUNCIL
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
DEMOGRAPHICS
■ Grand Valley State University is located in Allendale, Michigan
■ In 2016 we had 4,816 new first-year students
■ The honors college currently has 493 first-year students enrolled
■ 84% of first-year students live on campus
■ 92.2% of students enrolled currently are from Michigan
■ 7.8% of students enrolled currently are from out of state
INTRODUCTIONS“ABOUT US”
■ Who are we?
■ What do we do?
■ Why does the mentor program help?“I w
ant to
be a mentor
next year!”
Who are we?
■ We are the GVSU Honors Mentor Program
■ Comprised of students who have gone through the
mentor program as first-year students
■ Upperclassmen who care about our incoming first-year
students
“ It's been great always
having someone to smile
at me in the halls where
I still don't know many
people. She's great, and
I'm very lucky to have
her as my mentor.”
What is the GVSU Honors Mentor Program?
■ This program is designed to help transition incoming
honors students into college life
– We are specific for the honors college due to the tight
knit community and unique curriculum that begins the
first year
Why do we need this program?
■ What common problems do students face during their
first few weeks on campus?
– What do you think?
– What did you experience?
“Love it! It's
a
great idea. I
would love to be
a mentor like
Shelby.”
Why do we need this program?
■ Show incoming students how many resources are
available to them
– How many students actually use these resources?
■ What is the best way to ensure they retain this
information and know there are resolutions out there for
problems they may be facing?
How Does This Program and Honors Help Students?
- Honors students have a higher graduation rate going
through the honors curriculum and mentor program
than honors eligible students who choose not to apply
to the honors college.
OUR MENTOR PROGRAMPut on by the students for the students, with help from faculty.
Mentor Council
■ 14 hand-selected mentors
■ All upperclassmen
■ Have each been a mentor for at least one year
■ Responsible for 5-6 mentors and own mentees
Questions for Prospective Mentor Council Members ■ How many times have you been a mentor?■ What sets you apart from other mentors? For example, what do you
think made you an exceptionally good mentor? ■ What improvements would you like to see in the mentor program?■ What are your other commitments (clubs, sports, activities, work, etc.)
and the time frame of those? ■ Describe your previous leadership experiences. This does not have to
have been in an official position. How are you a leader in class or in your job or in your day to day life?
Text-in poll
Mentors
The first contact that the incoming students have before moving in!
“My mentor was one of
the best mentors in the
program. He always
tried to get us together
for lunch, and was
overall helpful in telling
us what classes to take
at GVSU.”
“She made me
feel like I
definitely made
the right choice
in coming to
GV.”
Training
1. Your mentee comes to you and tells you they’re thinking about leaving the
honors college. They say the classes are too hard and Niemeyer is too
quiet for them. They ask you how they are supposed to go about quitting
the honors program. How do you respond?
2. You’re at a party off campus where there is drinking going on, and maybe
you are drinking yourself. All of a sudden, one of your mentees comes in
and walks up to you. How do you handle the situation?
3. Your mentee brings up a situation that you are uncomfortable with or do
not know how to handle. How do you help them?
Matching Process - Mentor Profile
■ Name
■ Gender
■ Year
■ Residence
■ Origin
■ Major/Minor
■ Extracurricular Activities
■ Interests
“I think the match
system worked
pretty well, because
we seem to all have
quite a bit in
common and it led
to friendships.”
OVERNIGHT ORIENTATIONS
Overnight Orientations
■The Schedule– Discussions– Then the “SPLIT”
■ Parents– Parent Panel
■ Students– Play Trainwreck, Body-Body, take a night tour, and bond with one
another and the mentors that are present
■ Registration Occurs the next day
“I had an
excellent
experience
overall!
Time to Get Moving!Trainwreck
WELCOME DAYS
Tuesday■ Photo Scavenger Hunt
■ Lunch
■ Three Break-Out Sessions
“I think that it's a great
program and helps the
freshmen feel more
connected to their new
home. I also really liked
the photo scavenger
hunt because it
definitely helped me
figure out my way
around campus.”
“I felt so much
more
comfortable for
my first week on
campus!”
Wednesday
■ Group Photo
■ Frozen Yogurt
■ Meet and Greet with Upperclassmen
“Overall, I think Honors
Mentoring is a great
program that allows you
to learn a lot of
important information;
while having fun and
bonding with other
honors students.”
CHANGES MADE
Mentor Council
Mentor Council
Honors Office
Faculty
Mentor Responsibilities
Welcome Days
■ Break-out sessions
■ Scavenger hunt
The goal was to make welcome days as useful to the first-year students as possible!
“She made me
feel like I
definitely made
the right choice
in coming to GV.”
CONCLUSION
■ Why do we need this program?– Not only does it help our first year students, but our upperclassmen as well.
■ We see a common theme in our mentors– Leadership– Honesty– Integrity– Dependability
■ This program is a success and shows how our students care about their peers
“A+ !”
QUESTIONS?Comments, Concerns