University Minority Mentor Program

1
University Minority Mentor Program

• Mentor Orientation
• August 21, 2008

2
History of UMMP

• UMMP began in 1986 initially piloted in the
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. It was
  designed to address the issue of retention of
  African-American students . By the second year,
  the program was expanded to all seventeen
  University colleges and schools.
• Since then the program has been expanded and it
  now serves all students from underrepresented
  backgrounds at UF.

3
Purpose of UMMP

• UMMP fosters mentoring relationships between
  first year students from underrepresented
  backgrounds and faculty and staff at UF with the
  aim of
• Helping students acclimate to UF
• Facilitating relationship-building between
  students and faculty/staff
• Facilitating the academic and social success of
  students at UF and beyond

4
2008-2009 Cohort

• We currently have 241 students registered for
  UMMP.
• They self identify as
• Black, African American 104
• Includes Haitian, Jamaican, Guyanese,
  Trinidadian
• Hispanic/Latino 77
• Includes Puerto Rican, Cuban, Mexican,
  Portuguese
• Asian American 40
• Includes Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese,
  Filipino, Thai
• Multiethnic and other 20
• Includes Lebanese, Serbo-Croatian, Native
  American

5
2008-2009 Cohort by Major

• 70 health science/core science
• 30 business
• 30 nursing/pre-pharmacy
• 27 English/writing/education
• 25 political science/criminology
• 20 engineering
• 15 psychology
• 11 undecided
• 6 sports/sports management
• 6 architecture/design
• 6 animal science

6
Matching Process

• Factors in the matching process
• students intended major, academic interests
• values
• other interests/hobbies
• Clusters by intended major
• Most mentors are initially matched with 2 mentees

7
Expectations of Mentors

• Initial Expectations
• 1. Attend Orientation and MM
• 2. Establish a relationship with your mentees in
  the first 4 weeks of class and develop initial
  goals for relationships
• 3. Communicate to our office about your success
  with establishing mentoring relationships

8
Expectations of Mentors (cont)

• Ongoing Expectations
• 1. Meet with you mentee(s) face to face at least
  twice during each semester
• 2. Communicate by other means email, text,
  phone message, postcard, at least 2 additional
  times.
• 3. Plan to attend major events
• Presidents House - Dec. 2, 530-7 pm
• Womens BB Jan. 29 (UF vs. Kentucky)
• Closing Ceremony Monday, April 6, 530

9
Understanding UMMP Structure

• Mentors and Mentees
• Program Assistants
• UMMP Council
• Dean of Students Office
• Mary Byrd, Carla Rodriguez, Tamara Cohen
• ummp_at_dso.ufl.edu 392-1261 ext. 222

10
So what is mentoring?

• Bottom line, a mentor is simply someone who
  helps someone else learn something that would
  otherwise have been learned less well, more
  slowly, or not at all.
• Great mentors are not only devoted fans of their
  protégé, they are loyal fans of the dream of what
  the protégé can become with their guidance.
• First and foremost, great mentorship is a
  partnership. And partnership starts with
  balance.
• Bell, Chip. Managers as Mentors Building
  Partnerships for Learning, p. 6

11
A New Model for Mentoring

• S urrendering leveling the learning field
• A ccepting creating a safe haven for risk
  taking
• G ifting generously bestowing something of
  value without expecting anything in return
• E xtending nurturing protégé independence
• (Bell 2002)

12
Building Rapport

• Success of mentoring relationship can hang on the
  first encounter
• Quality learning will not take place until the
  shield has been lowered enough for the learner to
  take risks in front of the mentor
• Be quick to transmit signs of welcome
• Protégés need gestures or actions they can take
  as a token of affinity
• Listen from the heart (how might I feel if the
  roles were reversed?)
• Express empathy Ive been there too or I am
  there too
• Importance of protégés understanding purpose of
  mentoring

13
In your own words

• An ability to listen. An ability to ask
  questions both soft and tough to ensure
  connections are made and answers are given. An
  ability to give time, without making excuses for
  oneself. An ability to encourage yourself and
  your mentees to find answers or solutions. An
  ability to support without coddling the mentees.
  An ability to respect the mentees. Be present.
• Patience, caring and knowledge.
• Persistence.
• Good listening skills flexibility creative
  ideas for fun things to do.
• Making yourself approachable, available and
  interesting to the student asking the questions
  that they might not know to ask so that they feel
  you can be a resource when the need arises.

14
In Your Own Words

• Listening to former UMMP Mentees
• Listening to Experienced Mentors

15
Issues Our Students Are Facing

• Dr. Shari Robinson, Clinical Assistant Professor
  and Program Coordinator for ASPIRE, UF Counseling
  Center.

16

• Thank you!
• Hope to see you at the Match and Mingle
• Friday, August 29th, 11 AM-1230 PM
• Rion Ballroom