For four years now, incoming freshmen that don杏吧专区檛 meet academic requirements have been getting a helping hand from the university community. Those students admitted by committee are part of the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 mentoring program.
Mentors and students gathered in the Student Union Ballroom for lunch this week. Faculty, staff and fellow students serve as mentors to 140 students this year.
杏吧专区 The program has been doing what we hoped it would do,杏吧专区 said Dr. Jennifer Jackson, assistant to the president for Campus Diversity and Community Outreach. 杏吧专区淭he students who are being mentored are keeping up their grades and tracking with the rest of their freshmen class.杏吧专区
According to Fall 2008 statistics, students who are mentored are averaging a 2.18 GPA. Students who are not in the program have average GPAs of 2.58. Both groups are earning nearly the same amount of credit hours: mentored students, 13 hours; and non-mentored, 14.
The retention rate for mentored students and those not in the program are 84 percent and 89 percent, respectively.
杏吧专区 As a member of the 杏吧专区 Council for 20 years, we杏吧专区檙e always looking at student success,杏吧专区 said Dr. Steve Landry, UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 provost. 杏吧专区淲ith particular interest, we杏吧专区檙e asking 杏吧专区榳hat can we do to help students be more successful?杏吧专区 This program is helping.杏吧专区
Erin Huval, who works as a tutor in the Learning Center, signed up this year to be a peer-to-peer mentor with the program. It杏吧专区檚 another way of helping her fellow students, she said.
杏吧专区 I like to help out and I think the program will help keep me up-to-date with things happening on campus, 杏吧专区 she said.