Alumni Mentorship Program&

Learning Resource CenterDr. Michael Thompson, Associate Dean for Undergraduate ProgramsMs. Emily Sandvall, Associate Director for Undergraduate ProgramsMs. Kate Amaya, Director of Communications & External Relations

Fall 2015 Board of Advocates MeetingOctober 9, 2015

Undergraduate Programs Office

• Academic Progress• Retention• Graduation Rates• Student Programming • Advising• Recruiting• Placement• Student Organizations

Learning Resource Center

• Pilot program in ECS Annex – Fall 2015• Population– 62% non-LLP students

• 74% of total minority students; 38% of total women

– 64% - 6 year graduation rate (LLP)– 44% - 6 year graduation rate (non-LLP)

• Goal – Close the Gap– Provide community-building programming– Academic support services

Learning Resource CenterCollaborative Space

• Programming• Group Study

Learning Resource CenterGraduate Student Office

• HESA – Practicum Students• Gatekeeper

Learning Resource Center

• Quiet Study Space• Testing Center

Computer Lab

Learning Resource Center• Pilot – 2015• NSF-S-STEM: $996,704 (5 years)• Seed Money: $25,000– $10K from ME/ECE– $15K from CS (computers)

• Halliburton: $25,000– Mentoring Program: The Power of Two ($15K)– Ladies and Legos ($10K)

LRC Needs• Peer Mentor Funding Support• HESA Stipend Support• Funding for Activities/Incentives• Scholarship Support• Research Support• External Review

Mentorship Programs at BaylorCenter for Professional Selling• Launched a mentor program in Spring 2014

with 50 mentees and over 40 mentors who were leaders in the sales profession

• The ProSales mentors are “talented sales professionals who exhibit dedication to the coaching process”

• Mentors advise mentees based on the objectives and career aspirations of the mentee

• Mentors set clear expectations and commitments from the mentee to ensure the mentorship relationship is productive and helpful

“…the relationships have helped students clarify what business best suits them, increased the student’s

level of confidence, provided valuable insights and perspective

into the sale profession and put the students in a position to be

successful in their future endeavors.”

What is the feedback?“Students often want, and need, to be able to confide in someone outside of their authority structure. The often want to be able to network with someone who is actually doing what they want to do and may have faced exactly the same circumstances they are facing.”-Mentor

“Having a mentor is important to me because I have someone to whom I can turn to ask questions about my future. Because [my mentor] has experience the sales field, I can draw many lessons and ideas from [my mentor’s] insight.”-Mentee

“The ProSales Mentor Program guides students through the job search process while offering strategic and innovative practices to become a successful and competitive, business-savvy individual.”-Mentor

“I have a source of expertise to reach out to when I need advice. I’ve gained communication skills, learned how to effectively set goals, and I’ve learned what to expect once I graduate.”-Mentee

“It is a true blessing to impact a student’s life while getting a front-row seat into [her] professional career. Mentorship doesn’t stop after graduation; it is a life-long partnership.”-Mentor

Other Mentorship Programs in Engineering• Texas A & M

– One-to-many model– Provides mentorship on Capstone Design projects

• Washington State University - Engineering– Pairs undergraduate students with a mentor from Boeing– The program is corporate sponsored and includes Boeing-sponsored events

throughout the year– Includes a job shadow day at Boeing– 100 students have been mentored over a 5-year period– Nearly all mentors are alumni who are employed at Boeing

• University of Pennsylvania - Engineering– Pairs alumni mentors with first-year undergraduate students– Fall Meet & Greet Reception/Spring Appreciation & Networking Reception

• University of Southern California - Engineering– See handouts

How do we make this work at ECS?