You can also download the Mentee Profile Form

WHAT IS MENTORING?

Mentoring is an excellent way for returning students to help new students acquire new skills, knowledge, and build self-confidence. A mentor is someone who takes another student under his or her guidance to help them develop goals and encourage personal and professional growth.

WHY IS MENTORING IMPORTANT?

Characteristics of a Mentor

• Experienced in specialty and acts as a leader
• Communicates well
• Has a good personality
• Maintains a positive outlook
• Trustworthy and respected
• Honest
• Supportive and Nurturing
• Good sense of humor
• Can provide constructive criticism
• Provides a support atmosphere
• Has special interest in helping you

WHAT CAN A MENTOR DO FOR YOU?

A mentor can help you by increasing your visibility and exposure on campus, by introducing you to influential people, and recommending you when certain opportunities come up. A mentor can teach you things, give you perspective, and act as a role model. Without the guidance and support of mentors, new students who face the reality shock of entering the college community will not survive the first year.

CAN WE HELP YOU FIND A MENTOR?

Please contact us and tell us about yourself, your goals and what you want out of experience at Providence College and we will try to connect you with the appropriate mentor!

HISTORY OF THE PEER MENTOR PROGRAM

The Peer Mentor Program was initially created by the Office of Minority Affairs in 1989 for first-year Martin Luther King [MLK] Scholarship recipients to “provide counseling services, establish open lines of communication between the students, [to] support and encourage each student to be successful, and to develop leadership skills” in mentors. Today, MLK and other cultural scholarship recipients are monitored and supported by the director and their “dream coaches” in the Multicultural Scholarships Program (MSP). In an effort to expand these services and to advance the mission of the Balfour Center for Multicultural Affairs,the Peer Mentor Program has been redesigned to provide academic and social programs and services that support and retain Asian, Hispanic, African-American, and Native American (AHANA) students, who do not have access to the program supports available through the MSP and the Friars Athletic Academic Support Services Program.

This peer support service is designed to assist first-year students with their transition to college life. The goal is to make first-year students feel more comfortable in an academic environment, adjust to the academic demands, and become self-sufficient, successful members of the PC community. The PMP aims to develop a sense of belonging and create a connected community, through positive personal relationships between mentors and advisees.

ADVISEE INFORMATION

All advisees are self-selected. All first-year and transfer AHANA students are encouraged to enroll; this program is designed to provide a helping hand.

Program Benefits

Advisees can benefit from this experience since they will have access to returning/experienced PC students to provide decision-making assistance, academic coaching, and referrals to PC services and activities. Mentors can assistance to advisees about changing habits, roommate issues, academic pressure, and other stress issues. As students themselves, mentors can help advisees with personal, social, and academic concerns. Mentors are trained to listen and respond non-judgmentally to a variety of concerns common to PC students.

• Advisees have access to the following programs and services:
• PMP Orientation/Icebreaker
• Academic Progress Monitoring/Mid-term Progress Reports ^**
• Series of Academic Workshops and Seminars
  • Office of Academic Services (OAS)
  • Personal Counseling
  • Office of Career Services (OCS)
• Academic Tutoring
• Access to Reserved Semi-Private Study Rooms
• Social Activities

^** monitoring performed by PMP staff

Additional benefits:

• A friendly, familiar face on campus
• Opportunity to get involved in intramurals and students clubs with a friend
• Peer curriculum advice (best instructor, best route between Smith Center to Albertus Magnus, etc.)

PEER MENTOR INFORMATION

The PMP provides self-selected incoming PC students the opportunity to be matched with returning undergraduate Peer Mentors. The recruitment of PMP mentors is ongoing.

Peer Mentor Qualifications:

• Demonstrate leadership skills, experience and potential
• Demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills
• Demonstrate a willingness to learn about and contribute to the success of individual students
• Demonstrate a willingness to learn about and contribute to the success of the AHANA community at PC
• Good academic standing
• Knowledge of Providence College , its programs, and its services
• Ability to work in a team
• Ability to follow through with this commitment throughout the year

Peer Mentor Responsibilities:

• Attend all training (dates/times will be provided)
• Establish contact with peer advisee(s) before September arrival
• Facilitate peer advisee’s (advisees’) adjustment to PC
  • Assist in the transition from secondary to post-secondary education
  • Help advisee become familiar with PC campus
  • Answer questions about life at PC or help connect advisee(s) with resources at that might help answer questions
• Provide social and academic assistance to advisee(s) when necessary
  • Help guide advisee(s) to the appropriate resources, opportunities, extra-curricular activities and services on campus
  • Help guide students in developing and achieving academic excellence and realistic expectations
  • Offer suggestions and tutorial assistance when needed
• Serves as a positive peer role model and confidant for advisee(s)
  • Have a positive and enthusiastic attitude about PC, the PC community and the college experience
• Maintain a minimum contact (once a week) with advisee(s) via phone, email or face-to-face interaction
• Work closely and effectively with other peer mentors
  • Promote interaction among peer mentors and advisees
  • Participate in and help develop interesting educational and fun opportunities for peer advisee(s)
• Attend regular PMP meetings
• Attend all PMP events, unless an emergency arises and PMP staff are notified
• Provide regular feedback (via semi-monthly reports) to PMP staff