Minority University students have an opportunity available for interaction with faculty members -- but few have taken advantage of it.
The Faculty-Student Mentoring Program, run by the Office of African-American Affairs, offers black, Latino, Asian and Native American students the chance to have a personal relationship with faculty members and administrators.
Peter Yu, assistant dean in the Office of African-American Affairs, said while the program has been in existence for five years, it is being underutilized.
Fifty students now are involved in the program, Yu said, and nearly 100 faculty and administrators want to participate as mentors.
He said the OAAA now is working to try to attract more minority students to the program.
"We're trying to get more students involved," he said, adding that the office has stepped up its publicity efforts for the program this semester.
Dean of Students Penny Rue said that, although she has not been assigned a student to mentor, she has had "good conversations" with students who are part of the program.
Part of the reason students are not fully utilizing the program is that they are "hesitant to put themselves forward" and join it, Rue said.
Students need to "get the chutzpah to do it," she said.
Faculty Senate Chairman David T. Gies, who has been a mentor in the past but is not one this year, said the lack of student interest "struck me as kind of weird."
Equal Opportunity Programs Director Karen Holt said she thinks the program presents valuable chances for students to gain personal experiences.
But Holt also said she feels many students already are extremely busy and do not have time to participate in more activities, which might deter them from joining the mentorship program.
Mentors "don't want to be a burden to the students," she said.
Asst. Dean of Students Glenna Chang, also a mentor in the program, said she thinks more students need to take advantage of the chance to have a closer relationship with a faculty member or administrator.
Chang said one way to reach more minority students would be to better inform "umbrella organizations," such as the Black Student Alliance, La Sociedad Latina and the Asian Student Union.
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