The L&S Peer MAP: Mentorship for Achievement Program matches first-year and transfer students with current upperclass mentors within the College of Letters and Science.
These mentors focus on providing the three types of support that improve the experience and performance of mentees – guiding them to resources, modeling successful student behavior, and helping to create connection to community. The goal is to improve mentees’ sense of belonging as well as their academic self-efficacy and help-seeking abilities.
How Does the L&S Peer MAP Program Work?
- In the Spring Quarter, new students are invited to join as mentees at the same time that we recruit new mentors (we also hope to retain current mentors who are not graduating).
- We ask mentees for their interests and preferences and work to match them with mentors who have enough in common to facilitate a quick and helpful connection.
- During the summer prior to arrival, we ask mentors to build those relationships virtually so mentees can start getting important questions answered and build their comfort before they ever arrive on campus.
- After school starts in the Fall Quarter, it is up to mentees to decide how much help they need, while we continue to push out important information to them through our mentors.
How to Become a Mentor
We hope to begin recruitment for new mentors by the middle of the Spring Quarter. Students must have completed at least one full year on campus and have a major within the College of Letters and Science to be considered.
Once selected, we guide mentors through an online training program in mentorship and coaching, and then start building the mentor community with an on-campus retreat in the Fall. We enroll mentors in the L&S Student Leadership Development program and hope that they are as enriched by the entire experience as their mentees. We’ll post an enrollment link here as soon as it’s available, but you may express interest by emailing Program Manager Dr. Mike Lorenzen any time mlorenzen@ucdavis.edu
How to Get a Mentor
Toward the end of the Spring Quarter, we will send out an invitation to all eligible students (first generation first year or incoming transfer students) who will start at Davis in the Fall. Once enrolled in the program as a mentee, we’ll work as quickly as possible to match each mentee to a mentor by the beginning of the summer. If a mentee does not connect with a mentor, they’re welcome to ask for a rematch.
- What are the eligibility requirements to become a mentor?
- Students must have completed one full year at UC Davis and be pursuing a major within the College of Letters and Science.
- What are the eligibility requirements to become a mentee?
- Students must be:
- A first generation student (meaning neither of your parents have received a four-year college degree)
- A first year student or incoming transfer student - When will I be able to apply to become a mentor?
- We are hoping to start recruiting in the middle of Spring Quarter and will post the enrollment link here. You are welcome to express interest any time by emailing Program Manager Dr. Mike Lorenzen at mlorenzen@ucdavis.edu