For four years now, incoming freshmen that don小蝌蚪APP檛 meet academic requirements have been getting a helping hand from the university community. Those students admitted by committee are part of the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP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.
小蝌蚪APP The program has been doing what we hoped it would do,小蝌蚪APP said Dr. Jennifer Jackson, assistant to the president for Campus Diversity and Community Outreach. 小蝌蚪APP淭he students who are being mentored are keeping up their grades and tracking with the rest of their freshmen class.小蝌蚪APP
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.
小蝌蚪APP As a member of the 小蝌蚪APP Council for 20 years, we小蝌蚪APP檙e always looking at student success,小蝌蚪APP said Dr. Steve Landry, UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 provost. 小蝌蚪APP淲ith particular interest, we小蝌蚪APP檙e asking 小蝌蚪APP榳hat can we do to help students be more successful?小蝌蚪APP This program is helping.小蝌蚪APP
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小蝌蚪APP檚 another way of helping her fellow students, she said.
小蝌蚪APP I like to help out and I think the program will help keep me up-to-date with things happening on campus, 小蝌蚪APP she said.