University Mentorship

                           

              Who are Peer Mentors?

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peer Mentor Amerique Philyaw (front), Faculty/Staff Mentor Mary Cullen Guttman (right) and three mentees enjoy Mentorship Kickoff

• Peer Mentors are undergraduate students (sophomores, juniors and seniors) who volunteer to offer advice, respond to questions, and provide information about campus and community resources to incoming freshmen (mentees). Peers represent all academic departments across University of Michigan.
• Mentorship groups are invited to attend an array of pre-planned events by our staff and Peer Mentors are encouraged to partner with their faculty/staff mentor to plan get-togethers, study breaks and other activities throughout the semester for their own groups.
• Peer Mentors apply through our online system and are interviewed by our staff, and those accepted are paired with groups of 4-6 mentees and one faculty or staff mentor.
• We match F/S and Peer Mentors based on information received in their applications. We also have many F/S Mentors and Peer Mentors who have met previously and choose to mentor together. Mentorship provides a great opportunity for students to get to know a faculty or staff person outside of a classroom or work setting.
• The Peer Mentor works collaboratively with their Faculty/Staff (F/S) Mentor to provide support and encouragement to assigned Mentees. Our goal is to create memorable and enriching experiences for each Mentee, whether through group activities or one-on-one interactions.
• A typical Peer Mentor will spend 10-12 hours a month on Mentorship related activities.

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       Peer Mentor Benefits

Serving as a Peer Mentor is a valuable form of service that directly impacts the University community. By volunteering your time, energy and knowledge about college life, you contribute enormously to the success of the entering class by helping them become acclimated and integrated into the University community!

A relationship with a faculty/staff mentor gives Peer Mentors:

• Personal advice about managing academic life
• Help in networking for future
• Non-judgmental support from someone who takes a special interest in them. l

A relationship with mentees allows Peer Mentors to:

• Share experiences and help others avoid similar obstacles
• Develop/improve upon organizational and leadership skills
• Enhance their undergraduate experience and expand their network
• Receive a vartiey of great Mentor Incentives (see below)

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                   Peer Mentor Incentives

• lMentor of the Month/ Mentor of the Year nomination Mentees and Mentors are invited to complete monthly nominations to highlight the good work of mentors! Gifts are given to the recipients of the best nominations. Click here to see this year's award recipients.
• lMentors-only Events occur during fall semester to support mentors--we have a workshop just for mentors in late September 2010!
• Free or discounted admission to sporting, arts and culture events…and more! l
• Free admission to approved events for mentors who plan and organize with other mentorship groups l
• Prizes for participating in surveys and focus groups implemented and evaluated by our staff
• Special gifts to Mentors at Kickoff and Workshopl
• End-of-semester recognition and completion certificates for outstanding mentors
• lProfessional development workshops designed to market your Mentorship experience to future employers

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Now that you've learned a little about Peer Mentors,

Attend a November 2011 OR January 2012 Mass Meeting to learn more about this opportunity!

Click here to view our mass meeting, interview, hiring and training schedule!

If you have any questions about being a Peer Mentor or about the program, click here or feel free to contact us at 734-764-6413 or email UMmentor@umich.edu.