The Mission

Mentoring on the Run!

When most faculty, staff, and students hear the word "mentor," one dominant image comes to mind: that of an old person — almost always male — with white hair (or no hair) involved in a one-to-one, long-term, matching program with a younger person. Yet, in real life, mentors are female as well as male and young as well as old. More importantly, opportunities for mentoring for faculty and staff occur in daily interactions with students, not only through one-to-one, long-term matching programs. Research in higher education points to the importance of the presence of mentors for increasing student academic achievement. Yet, the challenge here at CSUN is carrying out mentoring at a large, commuter campus where formal, one-to-one matching programs are difficult to set up and administer.

In recent years, the Faculty Mentor Program has responded to this challenge by reorganizing services, training projects, and resources to emphasize "mentoring on the run." This innovative approach to mentoring was created by former FMP Coordinator Dr. Gordon Nakagawa and represents a creative response to meeting the needs of students on our campus. "Mentoring on the run" focuses on the mentoring opportunities contained in each interaction of faculty and staff with students — what Provost Kennedy has called the "little moments of mentoring" that can change students’ lives.

For more information, contact the Faculty Mentor Program: Professor Glenn Omatsu, FMP Coordinator, c/o EOP, University Hall 205; telephone, (818) 677-4151; e-mail: glenn.omatsu@csun.edu

•  Mentoring in a Learning-Centered University:  Some Resources

•  Infusing Mentoring into Teaching

•  Additional Resources for Teaching Freshmen

The Faculty Mentor Program & Educational Opportunity Program

Call for Nominations

Don Dorsey Excellence in Mentoring Awards

For 2008-2009 Academic Year

Nomination Deadline:  Tuesday, Nov. 3

In 1998, the Faculty Mentor Program and the Educational Opportunity Program established the “Don Dorsey Excellence in Mentoring Award” in recognition of Professor Don Dorsey’s invaluable contributions to mentoring and mentor training over two decades. Dr. Dorsey, Professor of Educational Psychology and Counseling, helped develop CSUN’s first mentor training program, and devoted himself as a mentor to innumerable students. These awards are presented to faculty, staff, and administrators who have been exceptional mentors at CSUN. A reception honoring the recipients will be held Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Nomination Guidelines

Faculty, Staff, and Administrators may be nominated for these awards.

Criteria
•  Exceptional mentoring of past or present CSUN students
•  Holistic approach to mentoring, including academic and personal support and in informal and intangible ways
•  Support of the university’s commitment to the success of students of diverse backgrounds and communities

Complete the attached nomination form, include support materials from students, and submit by Tuesday, Nov. 3, to Glenn Omatsu, Coordinator, Faculty Mentor Program, EOP Central, University Hall 205 (campus mail code: 8366); e-mail: glenn.omatsu@csun.edu