PLUS Handbook
Purpose of the Mentoring Program

The Mentoring Program is designed to assist the University by helping the entire student population to stay in school and successfully complete a degree. Research in higher education has consistently shown that enhancing a feeling of belonging to the University community is the single most important variable influencing retention and the persistence toward the graduation of college students. The Mentoring Program therefore must provide students access to accurate and comprehensive personal and academic support by pairing faculty, staff and peer mentors with interested students. The Mentoring Program should help integrate the student into the academic world through informal, non-classroom interaction with caring faculty, staff and student peers.

It is believed that mentoring would not only contribute to greater participation by the students in their education, but that it would also provide greater overall student satisfaction with the University and create a more inclusive environment in which to learn, be active, and feel a sense of pride for decisions the student has made to further their education. An ideal population to begin mentoring with is first-generation college students, in which EKU has an abundance. First generation students confront different problems than those whose parents have completed a degree or have had some experience with a University environment. A mentor could be the one to provide encouragement and knowledge of services available to the student during a college career. A specific purpose of the mentoring program is to provide friendship, support, direction, and encouragement during the first years of college.

By its very nature, mentoring goes beyond the traditional aspects of advising. The main focus is not helping students work through the maze of graduation requirements or devising a good class schedule. These are more specifically the responsibilities of an academic advisor, although mentors may talk with their mentees about these topics. Mentoring provides us with an opportunity to affect students at a much more personal level; to make a difference in students' lives; and to have a positive impact on the retention rates of new students. Our challenge is to share the responsibility of making all students feel welcome and "at home" at Eastern Kentucky University.

The PLUS/Mentoring Program will recruit mentees from first year students, transfer students, and international students. Our mentors will be successful upper-level students, faculty, staff and administrators at EKU who volunteer to participate in this program to provide early exposure to University related resources.