University Minority Mentor Program
UMMP Mentor Handbook
[2015-2016]
Mary Kay Carodine, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs
Dr. Lloren Foster, Ph.D., Executive Director, Multicultural and Diversity Affairs
University Minority Mentor Program — P301 Peabody Hall, PO Box 114135
T: (352) 294-3549 E:
University Minority Mentor Program
Mentor Handbook
Table of Contents
The UMMP Program
Overview
Mission Statement
Goals & Objectives
Introductions
Activities & Events
The Mentor Role
How Mentoring Works
Responsibilities of the Faculty/Staff Mentor
Expectations of the Mentees
Communication between Faculty/Staff Mentors and Mentees
Resources
Mentee Profile
First Date Suggestions
Language Guide
University Resources Guide
Faculty/Staff-Student Agreement
Overview
The University Minority Mentor Program (UMMP), a service provided through Multicultural & Diversity Affairs (MCDA), is a valuable opportunity for first-year incoming students to enhance their collegiate experience at the University of Florida. As they prepare to navigate the university during their first year, faculty, staff and upper-division students are here to assist them on their journey.
Involvement in a mentoring relationship opens up the opportunity for first year students to deepen their relationship with the University of Florida and to jump start their academic careers by gaining insight and receiving support from great mentors. Involving oneself in this mentoring program allows you, the mentor, to assist first-year students on their journey of self-discovery as they undertake the challenges related to the first year of college.
UMMP is the only campus-wide mentoring program that matches a first-year student with a faculty or staff mentor to assist with the student’s transition to college. This program makes a large university campus seem small as connections are made and mentors encourage our students to complete a degree. We know there are many opportunities to take advantage of at the University of Florida, but UMMP is unique with the aim to make the transition to college easier and the goal of achieving a college degree more attainable and enjoyable.
Mission Statement
The University Minority Mentor Program (UMMP) is designed to support students in their transition to the University of Florida. This objective is achieved through active participation in one-on-one interactions between mentors and mentees, participation in UMMP events and attendance at cultural events.
Goals and Objectives
UMMP Strives to:
¤ Promote personal and intellectual growth.
¤ Assist with academic and personal concerns through one-on-one relationships.
¤ Connect students with a person who cares about them and can help them navigate UF's climate successfully.
¤ Encourage students to take full advantage of university resources for achieving academic success, finding employment, research and internship opportunities.
¤ Create a professional relationship with a faculty/staff member who may serve as an academic or professional reference.
How UMMP Works:
¤ First year students admitted to UF are invited to apply to UMMP in the summer.
¤ Mentees are assigned a mentor who they meet at the Match and Mingle event.
¤ Mentees & mentors create a mentoring partnership agreement, outlining goals and objectives.
¤ Mentee & mentor pairs are assigned to clusters of other pairs and teamed up with transition ambassadors.
¤ Mentees & mentors meet and communicate often during the student's first year and beyond at UF.
Transition Ambassadors
Transition Ambassadors act as a liaison between the faculty/staff mentors and mentees, while also serving as a peer resource to new students at the university. All mentees will be placed into a Knowledge Community that one of the Transition Ambassadors lead.
Name / EmailAgyeiwaa Osei Agyei /
Angela Cleri /
Caitlyn Burnitis /
Cynthia Abraham /
Emily Rodriguez /
Evan Sagar /
Isabella Trujillo /
Jennifer Nunley /
Marisa Pico /
Melodie Khosrovani /
Merin Reji /
Padmini Muralethare /
Patricia Rodriguez /
Priya Sabharwal /
Riken Nathu /
Roxana Bonachea /
Contact information for Transition Ambassadors may be obtained from the UMMP Website online at http://multicultural.ufl.edu/ummp/ (Under Staff à Transition Ambassadors)
Activities & Events
Programs and events are an important aspect to the mentoring experience. There are some required program-wide programs for both mentors and mentees and there are some optional ones that take place in the Knowledge Communities. Mentors are also encouraged to develop other activities or attend other campus and city events with their mentee.
Required Program-wide Events
UMMP Match & Mingle
Wednesday, September 2
4:30-5:00pm (Mentor Training)
5:00-6:00pm (Mentor/Mentee meet and greet)
(Smathers Library 100)
UMMP Match & Mingle
Tuesday, September 8
4:30-5:00pm (Mentor Training)
5:00-6:00pm (Mentor/Mentee meet and greet)
(Smathers Library 100)
UMMP Reception w/ Vice President of Student Affairs Dave Kratzer
TBA
(President's House)
UMMP/Florida Opportunity Scholars/Alliance Scholars/First Generation Students Women’s Basketball Game Mixer
January 2015
Spring Reception
TBA
Other Programs/Events
University Minority Mentor Program
Sports Viewing
September 2015
Service Projects
October/November 2015
Health Event
October/November 2015
Career Preparedness
November/December 2015
University Minority Mentor Program
How Mentoring Works
Mentoring can be accomplished in a variety of ways including, but not limited to these five types:
Group Mentoring
This form of mentorship involves one mentor who assumes a leadership role with a group of up to four mentees and makes a commitment to meet with the group over a long period of time. This interaction takes on the form of a guided session structure which may involve personal sharing, teaching exercises, or may simply be for fun.
Team Mentoring
Team mentoring involves the participation of several mentors partaking in activities with small groups of mentees, with an adult ratio no greater than one to four.
Transition Ambassadors
In the Transition Ambassador relationship, the mentee has an opportunity to interact and receive support and encouragement from an upperclassmen peer, also known as a Transition Ambassador. Transition Ambassadors are able to provide additional social and recreational assistance and serve as positive role models to their mentees in an educational setting. This relationship usually requires that the Transition Ambassador and mentee meet frequently throughout the semester or school year.
E-Mentoring
The e-mentoring relationship consists of one mentor and mentee who communicate via internet at least once per week in a period ranging from six months to a year. This style of mentoring can require two to three face meetings, one of which is usually a kick-off event. Mentors in this regard often serve as a guide for school or career related activities and information.
One-On-One Mentoring
One-on-one mentoring is the traditional form of mentoring relationships in which one mentor is placed with a mentee who meet regularly per month for at least a school year. The mentor in this relationship provides valuable information regarding academic and career related possibilities and guides the mentee in regards to questions and concerns they may have. The following information provides a more in depth look at one-on-one mentoring.
(MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, 2005, p. 12; Retrieved August 2013 from http://www.mentoring.org/downloads/mentoring_413.pdf)
Determine how certain aspects of the partnership will be implemented, including the following:
n The establishment of clear objectives, expectations, and time lines which are realistic for and understood by both parties.
n A structured conversation and ideally the development of a written contract/agreement between the mentor/mentee.
n The identification of key skill development areas.
n An ongoing evaluation process that serves both parties.
Following are suggested components for building a successful one-on-one mentoring partnership:
n The mentee should be led through a productive personal assessment: identifying strengths, weaknesses, skill development needs, career expectations and objectives.
n Together, the mentor and mentee should establish expectations and goals.
n The mentor and mentee should develop a decision-making process for evaluating professional opportunities and expectations.
n The mentor should know the norms, values, expectations and "politics" of the institution.
n Time lines and goals for professional activity and research accomplishments should be addressed.
n Both the mentor and mentee should receive feedback from her/his counterpart in the relationship.
Characteristics of a high-quality mentoring relationship include the following:
n Networking goes beyond mentor/mentee dyad; mentor actively seeks opportunities to introduce mentee to those with similar job descriptions and/or research interests.
n Gender, racial/ethnic, and other differences are accepted and respected.
n A mentor does not use the mentee to further the mentor’s goals.
n Commitment of specific amount of time per week or month, thus the regularity of meetings is agreed upon.
n Both the mentor and mentee accept responsibility for fulfilling their jointly-created "contract" to work towards a mutually beneficial relationship.
n Successful mentors are respected in the academic community, able to listen effectively, provide constructive criticism and clearly articulate suggestions, understand the culture of the institution and can identify barriers to and strategies for success, are respectful of mentee’s multiple roles both personal and professional, and can assist the mentee in devising realistic strategies.
Evaluation
Discuss an evaluation process which allows for mid-course corrections and problem solving strategies for dealing with institutional barriers as well as "negative mentoring" issues. Address from the outset that the mentoring relationship will change or adapt as the mentee becomes more comfortable and involved.
(Adapted from: National Centers of Leadership in Academic Medicine:
Recommendations for a Successful Mentoring Program; Retrieved July 2011 from http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/usered/learnbreak/materials/mentoring_expectations.doc)
Responsibilities of the Faculty/Staff Mentor
Characteristics
n Committed to helping mentee formulate his/her own specific goals.
n Respected, well established and knowledgeable in his/her career.
n Respectful of diversity and differences.
Responsibilities
Mentors should demonstrate the ability and a commitment to:
n Obtain and share knowledge about the institution’s environment.
n Transfer knowledge of institutional politics.
n Provide advice regarding career advancement.
n Provide emotional support and encouragement.
n Lead by example and establish an environment in which the mentee’s opportunities for advancement are maximized.
n Encourage mentee to ask questions.
n Introduce the mentee to other key individuals and resources inside and outside the institution.
n Identify opportunities for mentee.
Expectations of the Mentees
Characteristics
n First- year students at the University of Florida.
n Open and willing to engage in a productive mentoring relationship their first year on campus.
Responsibilities
Mentees should demonstrate a commitment to the following:
n Assuming responsibilities for her/his own career development.
n Actively initiating the mentor relationship.
n Facilitate and participate in the development of a constructive relationship.
n Evaluate the mentor program, as required.
A MENTOR IS NOT . . .
¤ A (surrogate) parent.
¤ A professional counselor or therapist.
¤ A flawless or infallible idol.
¤ A social worker.
¤ A lending institution.
(Adapted from: University of California Northridge Equal Opportunity Program; The Power of Peer Mentoring; Retrieved July 2011 from http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/usered/learnbreak/materials/mentoring_expectations.doc)
Communication between Faculty/Staff Mentors and Mentees
Many skills are vital for mentors to develop in order to perform and serve their students effectively. In most cases you will deal with issues related to academics, but as your relationship grows with your students, they may come to you with issues of a more personal nature – these issues will often have an impact on their success as a student. The most important thing to remember in any situation is that you’re not a counselor. Know your limits – sometimes the best way you can help others is by referring them to someone else with more experience.
Keys to Success
Listen
Fully participate in a conversation by being an active listener and utilizing some simple counseling skills such as reflecting, encouraging and asking questions. Be aware of how your body language can affect a conversation.
Ask open-ended questions
Any question that elicits a “yes/no” answer won’t be as helpful as a “what, when, how, who” question. “Why” questions seem like they would get more information, but keep in mind that they can sometimes imply criticism and cause defensiveness (i.e., “Well, why didn’t you go to all the study sessions?”).
Attend and respond to both content and feeling
Often there are two things going on at once – there is an issue, and the person has some kind of feeling or reaction to that issue. You need to attend and respond to both. Consider this: “I’m so mad about my Chem test!” What is the content (performance on the Chem test)? What is the feeling (anger)? It’s important to attend to both. Remember that issues presented to you could have some underlying themes and might even be symptoms of a larger problem.
Let the student solve the problem
It’s easy to want to try to solve things for people, but that’s not really as helpful as it might seem. Usually, the student knows the answer or knows how to solve the problem but just needs someone to ask the right questions and encourage their processing.
Refer to/use your resources
Don’t expect yourself to be a trained counselor. But know your resources (CAs, HDs, other Res. Life staff, your Learning Community Coordinator, Dean of Students Office, etc.) and help people make use of those individuals and services. It’s OK to say, “I don’t know” as long as you get the information for the person.
(University, Iowa State, 2005, pp. 5-6; Retrieved July 2011
from http://www.lc.iastate.edu/Peer%20Mentor0910.pdf)
Listening Skills Techniques
Parroting
Parroting is repeating back the same sentence or phrase that was just said.
Clarify
Clarifying is asking the person to expand on or further explain something they
mentioned.
Paraphrase
Paraphrasing is taking a long statement and repeating it back using only the key points and feelings.
Summarize
Summarizing is, near the end of a conversation, going back and touching on the various points you have talked about.
“I” Statements
“I” statements are repeating what someone says using yourself as the active party. For example, “What I’m hearing is…”
Normalizing
People commonly fear that what they feel or think is not normal. Letting a person know that others experience similar thoughts and feelings will help them feel more comfortable.
Our First Meeting:
A Planning Worksheet
Before you undertake anything significant in your life that’s new, it can be helpful to take a few minutes to do some planning.
Planning is just a way to get clear on what you hope to accomplish — the ‘end’ — and then to lay out some logical steps to help get you there — the ‘means.’ This worksheet walks you through some common sense steps to plan a first meeting with your mentee.