Hampshire College

Apply to be a Peer Mentee
Students can join the program at any time during their first year.

Apply to be a Peer Mentor

There are close to 40 matches for the 2009-2010 year!

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Incoming students of color and international students are matched with returning students of color and international students. The program was developed in response to students’ concerns about the retention of students of color and international students at Hampshire College.

Transitioning to life at Hampshire College can be confusing and challenging for many students. It is often hard to understand the divisional process and to access resources and support services. This can be particularly difficult for students of color and international students who may be coming from a very different cultural context than the one here at Hampshire.

"I came to college with excitement and skepticism. My Peer Mentor helped me adjust to being in a more rural area, surrounded by many people who didn't look like me. She helped me navigate everything from my tutorial to my weekend social life. Most of all, being in PMP instilled a passion in me that has stayed with me into my third year. Looking back, I'm so glad I was able to take advantage of the resources that Hampshire has to offer." -- Joyce Li, F05

Peer mentors provide incoming students with the informal support they may need to adjust to life at Hampshire and college, informing them about student groups; residential life; the divisional process; and the various services and resources available to students at Hampshire and in the surrounding community.

In order to have an optimal experience, mentees and mentors need to participate fully in the various monthly activities and to check in with each other regularly.

ACTIVITIES
The Peer Mentorship Program (PMP) organizes dinners, off-campus trips, gatherings with faculty, and workshops to help orient incoming students to campus life and to give all mentors/mentees an opportunity to get to know each other in a relaxed and comfortable setting.

"My expectations were that I would develop a friendship with my mentor and have someone who could give me moral support and advice. My mentor was great at fulfilling this expectation, and I really appreciated having her nearby. I really enjoyed the times spent socializing with other students within the Cultural Center. It's a great resource to have, especially as a first year, because the experience and advice from my older peers was very helpful." -- First year student, Fall 2008.

EXPECTATIONS OF MENTORS

• Commit to being a peer mentor for one year.
• Attend the mandatory PMP Meet and Greet.
• Meet with mentees on a regular basis or phone them every couple of weeks.
• Serve as mentors to new students by demonstrating a personal interest in their adjustment to Hampshire while recognizing and accepting the new student's individuality.
• Become familiar with new students' personal and academic interests as well as future educational and career goals.
• Provide students with academic survival information to help them cope with common academic adjustment problems encountered by new students.
• Attend and participate in the programs, workshops, and social activities planned for the Peer Mentorship Program throughout the academic year.
• Serve as a leader and a role model for the incoming students.

*If at any time a student feels that his/her mentee-mentor relationship is having challenges, she or he should contact Melissa Scheid Frantz or the PMP student coordinators.

* Students can fulfill the community service requirement through this program. Check with your Division II committee first.

Estimated time expected per semester: 10 to 24 hours.

EXPECTATIONS OF MENTEES
• Participate in the program for the entire academic year.
• Attend the mandatory PMP Meet and Greet.
• Meet with your mentor on a regular basis or email/phone regularly.
• Be comfortable asking your mentor questions regarding academic, cultural, or social topics to obtain more information.
• Attend and participate in the academic and social programs planned for the Peer Mentorship Program throughout the academic year.

* If at anytime a student feels that his/her mentee-mentor relationship is having challenges, he or she should contact Melissa Scheid Frantz or the PMP student coordinators.


Apply to be a Peer Mentee
Students can join the program at any time during their first year.

Apply to be a Peer Mentor