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What Do Mentors Do?

Mentors will serve as a vital link to information regarding important resources which incoming students and their families may otherwise be unaware of, such as financial aid, registration, housing, rattler card, clinic and transfer procedures.

• Tutorial assistance

Mentors may or may not provide tutorial or academic assistance to the student.  They may direct students to the Math Lab, Academic Study Skills Center, FGAMP, and FAMU-UP for tutorial assistance.  The mentors' role is to help the student raise their grades, improve their attitude and increase their self-confidence and pride in achievement and recognize the importance of school, and understand how to be more successful in their classes.

• Career preparation

Mentors will give students guidance in preparing for entry into the work force by helping them understand the expectations employers have regarding attitude, preparedness, and skills. Mentors may give insight into the link between their current interests and hobbies, and a future career or professional field. Mentors may provide career-related skills, or use their contacts to help the incoming student secure a summer job or internship.

• Role modeling and avoiding negative behaviors

As a role model, mentors serve as positive examples by virtue of their productive lives, which usually are attributed to the choices the mentors have made. Role-models will be link with incoming students based on their interests, background, and experiences; such as single mothers with more experienced single mothers, young fathers with more experienced fathers, single ladies with single ladies, single men with single men, married men with married men, married women with married women, and students that have been in troubled with the law with students that have been in trouble with the law and gone on to succeed in college.

• Developing the Program's Goals and Objectives

Mentors are kind, concerned students who offer their support, guidance, and encouragement. A mentor will seek to help a student navigate through the everyday challenges of college, society, and the community by drawing upon his or her greater knowledge and experience, and genuine concern for the student.

Goals

• To enrich the educational experience of students at risk of academic failure by providing them one-on-one tutoring or directing them to a learning center;


• To encourage students to take, and succeed in, challenging college mathematics and science courses;


• To provide students at risk of dropping out of school with mentors who will increase the student's motivation to finish school;


• To provide encouragement to students to make good life choices.

Objectives

The objective of the CIS Mentoring Program is to provide an atmosphere for students that will allow them to utilize their knowledge and skills, recognize and expand their horizon of opportunities, and deal positively with challenges and difficulties that he or she may face within their lifetime.

• For mentors to meet the student during the summer TOPS orientation and be paired;


• For mentors to meet with or contact student at least once a week for the first semester and once a month thereafter;


• To create a big brother/big sister atmosphere;


• To show an increase in the student's GPA at the end of each semester;


• To have a decrease in repeated courses at the end of each semester; and


• To have incoming students knowledgeable of University's rules, procedures and deadline.

Anti-Hazing

Any student(s), group(s) of students, or student organization(s) affiliated with the Florida A&M University are prohibited from engaging in any form(s) of hazing activities. The term hazing shall include, but not limited to any brutality of a physical nature, such as striking in any manner, whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the elements, forced consumption of food, liquor, drugs, or other substances, or other forced physical activities which would adversely affect the health or safety of the individual, and also includes any activity which would subject the individual to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced exclusion from social contacts, forced conduct which would be demeaning or results in extreme embarrassment or any other forced activity which could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the individual.  For purposes of this section, any activity as described above, upon which the initiation or admission into or affiliation with a university organization is directly or indirectly conditioned, shall be presumed to be a "forced" activity, the willingness of an individual to participate in such activity notwithstanding.  The term hazing as defined in Rule 6C3-2.012(10)(h) Florida Administrative Code shall be read in a manner consistent with the definition herein.

Any student(s), student group(s) or student organization(s) affiliated with the Florida A & M University on campus or off-campus that are found guilty of hazing will be subject to appropriate sanction by the University to include the imposition of fines, withholding of grade(s), transcripts and/or diplomas pending compliance with the current Student Code of Conduct, 6C3-2.012, F.A.C., of which this rule becomes a part of and pending payment of fines and imposition of probation, suspension, expulsion of said person(s) or organization(s), and/or pending recession of permission for the University sanctioned organization(s) to operate on the Florida A&M University campus or to otherwise operate under the sanction of the University.
All penalties imposed by the University do not absolve the student(s), group(s) of  students or student organization(s) from any penalty imposed for violation of criminal laws of the State of Florida or for violation of any other university rule(s) to which the violator(s) may be subject.

All existing university sanctioned organizations are required to amend their existing by-laws to include an anti-hazing section and all future university organizations must include the same in their bylaws.

Commitment to Mentoring

Commitment to the mentoring relationship is an important part of the mentoring program.  Those unable to fulfill their responsibilities or who are having difficulty in their mentoring relationship are encouraged to contact the CISMO Advisor to discuss the appropriate course of action. All mentors must be committed to the mission of mentoring. If a mentor stops contributing for an extended amount of time, he/she will be asked to discontinue mentoring, and an alternate mentor will be assigned to the student.  The Executive Board will first contact the mentor and discuss the problem.  The organization fully understands that your academics must be balanced with the commitment to mentor.

Code of Conduct

The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants. 1. If not stated, common sense and good judgment, courtesy, respect and safety should apply. 2. All state and federal laws will apply. 3. All mentoring must be conducted in a public setting. 4. During a mentoring session the use of alcohol or drugs is not allowed.  The use of any illegal substance will result in immediate dismissal from the organization. 5. Use of obscenities, jokes, teasing, or slurs relating to another's race, religion, sex, or physical or mental limitations will not be tolerated. 6. Watch what you say and do.  Foul, obscene, abusive language will NOT be tolerated.  Do not undermine the authority of the staff, teachers, or mentee/mentors with your words or actions. 7. A member of the Department of Computer and Information Sciences Mentoring Organization should be contacted immediately if someone is sick or hurt. 8. Adherence to our sexual abuse policies are expected at all times.  References to sex or sexual experiences are not part of our education program. 9. Personal privacy will be respected at all times. 10. Displays of physical affection or crudeness (mooning, flashing, etc.) will not be tolerated. 11. Professional conduct and manner will be maintained at all times, particularly while participating in CISMO. 12. Romantic or sexual involvement between mentees and their mentors during the term of the mentoring organization is not allowed.  13. Any display physical or verbal that is sexual in nature, participating in, encouraging or allowing inappropriate discussions or acts, particularly of a sexual or sexist nature or offering, allowing or encouraging in any way the use of inappropriate pictures, magazines, books, cameras or paraphernalia is strictly prohibited.  Participants will be dismissed from the organization immediately and permanently. 14. Accept no monetary compensation for services provided.

It is important that all participants comply with the Code of Conduct.  Failure to comply with any component of the above code can lead to dismissal from CISMO. Violation of these policies particularly those that relate to an individual's physical or mental health and well being, are grounds for immediate dismissal from this organization.

Confidentiality

Trust and confidentiality of the information shared while mentoring are critical components of a successful mentoring relationship and will be maintained at all times. 

Respect

Please treat all participants with courtesy and respect, valuing diversity views and contrary opinions. Be polite.  Share your perspectives to questions, ideas and stimulate interesting discussions, not to stir up emotions.  If you are not sure of appropriate behaviour, remember: you are molding and shaping people.  Recognize that mentors and mentees alike are very busy, respect their time. 

Responsibility

Mentors will accept responsibility for representing the Department of Computer and Information Sciences Mentoring Organization with dignity and pride by being a positive role model. It is the mentor's responsibility to conduct themselves in a courteous and respectful manner.  The mentor's conduct increases the probability of the student achieving the self-image of being successful in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences. This is accomplished by reducing the occurrences of foreseeable failures.  Mentors are encouraged to warn their mentee of foreseeable failures by noting risks and suggesting multiple alternatives.  Mentors are encouraged to foster an atmosphere of open, honest and respectful discussion.