African American Mentor Program
Guidelines

Purpose and Description
As Iowa State University aspires to be the best university in the nation in fulfilling its land-grant responsibilities, the ISU Alumni Association aspires to assist the university in recruiting and retaining the best students by providing outstanding mentors. We are working to increase our number of African American mentors, in response to the request of our African American students to meet with ISU African American alumni mentors.

African American students may apply to be matched with ISU alumni or friends of ISU who are highly experienced and well-regarded in their fields. Mentors will serve as role models and personal career advisers in an informal mentoring relationship. By openly sharing their experiences and what it takes to achieve success, mentors can truly make a difference in a student’s life.

Goals

• To help transition students to the Ames and Iowa State University Community
• To provide an excellent out-of-classroom learning experience for interested ISU students
• To provide a meaningful way for ISU alumni to stay connected with the university

Desired Outcomes

• To prepare African American students for their careers by providing learning opportunities about the realities of a professional career from preeminent ISU alumni mentors. These mentors will share what it takes for success, the importance of learning from failures, working and communicating with others, and balancing careers and personal lives.
• To help increase the number of African American students who graduate from Iowa State University and find satisfying employment or post-graduate educational opportunities in their chosen fields.
• To increase the number of ISU alumni mentors and individuals who feel more connected to the university through their volunteer, membership, and financial commitments.

How to Become a Mentor
The Alumni Association will establish a pool of alumni and friends of ISU, preferably Alumni Association members, to serve as mentors. The Multicultural Student Affairs Office will match students with alumni. The program is voluntary and will strive to match mentors and students with similar interests.

If individuals agree to carry out the expectations described below and wish to be considered as a mentor, they will be asked to complete and return the Mentor’s Questionnaire within the time frame specified. If mentors are not matched with a student in the given year of their interest, they may choose to have their questionnaire remain on file until students are matched with mentors in the following or a future year. Questionnaires will be updated on an annual basis.

Expectations for Mentors

Length of Commitment
The Mentor/Student relationship will be a minimum one semester commitment. Each mentor will be paired with only one student for the duration of the mentorship.

Special accommodations will be made for students who have opportunities to study off campus for extended periods (cooperative programs, study-abroad, etc.) during the mentoring relationship.

Expectations for Meetings
Mentors are asked to meet with their students throughout the semester/year. These meetings should include:

• A visit for the student to the mentor’s place of work. This visit could be scheduled to coincide with a university break or during the summer.
• A meeting on campus at Homecoming, or at another time during the academic year. Some activities will be scheduled, but we encourage that this time be used for the mentor to participate in the student’s day.
• Other meeting(s) at a place and time mutually agreed upon by the mentor and the student.

If possible, mentors should offer to pay for or assist with their student’s transportation and expenses for on-site visits and for the student’s meals during lunch or dinner meetings. However, meetings need not always be scheduled to coincide with meals.

Expectations for Other Contacts
Mentors should initiate a monthly contact with their student as soon as they are informed of their student. Contacts could consist of phone calls, e-mails, and/or personal letters/postcards. Mentor-initiated contacts can alleviate anxieties the student may have about contacting the mentor.

Interpersonal Communications
The mentoring relationship is designed to provide students with a role model and personal adviser while increasing the student’s exposure to his or her field of interest. It is not designed to be a job internship or a highly structured program.

The focus of the relationship should be to share experiences. Mentors should use the time with the student to share their life and career successes and challenges, to learn about the student’s experiences and goals, and to assist the student in achieving success as an Iowa State student.

Honest and sincere communication will foster the most open and successful relationships.

Concluding the Mentoring Relationship Early
Every effort will be made to match students and mentors with similar interests. However, some relationships may be incompatible. If that happens, either the mentor or the student may request that they be matched with a different person after one semester or three contacts.

Download an Application
Microsoft Word document
PDF document