The FIG peer mentors play a vital role in the coordination of the program. Mentors serve as resource persons to freshman on both academic and personal adjustment issues. Specific responsibilities of the peer mentors include:
Attend most meetings of the freshman seminar for each FIG as discussed in training and in conjunction with your faculty member. This provides regular contact with students and offers great opportunities for out of class interactions.
Mentors should maintain regular contact with FIG students throughout the fall semester via email, phone calls, instant messaging, ANGEL, Facebook, etc. A good rule of thumb is for each mentor to contact the students in his/her FIG at least once every other week.
Mentors are asked to coordinate a number of programs during the fall semester that meet the needs of the students in their FIG. Possible topics include study skills, time management, stress management, utilizing the Learning Resource Center for tutoring, career opportunities, healthy living, etc. Mentors should assess their group’s needs through their personal contact with members, discussions with other FIG mentors, and where appropriate, contact with the instructor of the freshman seminar and linked course(s). Specific expectations will be addressed at the FIG mentor training in April and August. Documentation of program completion is required prior to receiving stipend.
Mentors are required to coordinate a program on advanced registration, preferably with the assistance of an academic advisor. Topics could include course selection, use of ELION, etc.
Mentors should serve as a resource person to students and help to solve problems/provide information in a timely manner. However, mentors should feel free to refer students to the Personal Counseling staff should a student display serious or otherwise concerning behavior.
Mentors must report to the Program Coordinator the activities they are coordinating and the money they are spending. This will be done through regularly scheduled mandatory meetings. Mentors are also required to obtain monthly documentation that they attended the seminars, and completed required programs prior to receiving stipend.
Mentors will be expected to participate in training opportunities in August. The fall training earns mentors course credit.
Mentors are required to assist in new student move-in on August 22, 2008.
Mentors are required to participate in monthly mentor meetings throughout the fall semester. These meetings are to discuss business and paperwork as well as to receive additional training.
Mentors will also be asked to participate in an evaluation of the FIG program and are encouraged to offer suggestions for the next year.
FIG Mentors with multiple groups (i.e. School of Business, School of Engineering, Division of Undergraduate Studies, and Engineering Technology) are encouraged to work together to coordinate activities among several FIGs and will be working together on the FIG ANGEL site.
Each mentor receives a $500 stipend and $100 in programming money. It is expected that the mentors spend all of their programming money.
The Freshman Interest Groups program (FIGs) is a Behrend tradition that began in the fall of 1999 to help freshman in their transition to college. FIGs are clusters of students who share an interest in an area of academic study and are block-scheduled in one or more classes together. The FIG program is voluntary and students are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Clusters of students have been designed in each of the College’s four schools representing a broad array of interests. FIGs for fall 2007 include (with number of groups):
Apprentice “You’re Hired” (4) Business
Be WISE (Women in School of Eng) (1)
Engineering: Turning Ideas into Reality (3)
Focus on Computer Engineering (1)
Gadgets and Gizmos (EET) (1)
Software Engineering (SE) (1)
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (MET) (1)
The Possibilities of Plastics (PLET) (1)
Biology (1)
Protecting our Natural Resources (1) Evironmental Science
Frontiers in Chemistry and Physics (1)
The Science of Computing (1) Computer Animation
Elvis, Rock & Roll, and American History, 1953 – 1974 (1)
It’s All Politics (1)
Media Madness (1)
Psychology as a Major (2)
Writing Behrend (1)
Explore This! (2) For the Undecided.
Education(1)
Creative Writing (1)
The overarching goals of the FIG program includes: 1) to assist students in their academic and personal adjustment to Penn State Behrend through the development of peer groups based on shared academic interests; 2) to strengthen ties among participating students through shared experiences in both curricular and co-curricular activities with the assistance of a peer mentor; 3) to enhance students’ interaction with faculty members through contact in the Freshman Seminar and out-of –class activities; 4) to increase students’ involvement in the life of the College including attendance at programs, knowledge of student clubs and organizations, and leadership opportunities; and, 5) to enhance students’ knowledge of College programs and services that are most relevant for first-semester students.
