This summer SA&D will initiate the Cornell University Mentoring Consortium. The goal of this comprehensive effort is to provide the university community with a common vehicle via which all mentoring efforts on campus can coordinate, share information and resources, generate ideas, assess the impact of the mentoring programs which exist across campus, and initiate new mentoring efforts as needed.

Extensive research has shown that mentoring impacts levels of retention by increasing a sense of connected-ness with the institution. For members of marginalized communities, mentors help translate the ways in which one can access the resources of the "system" and institution.. If well structured, a mentoring program can enhance the advising role of faculty, can provide a much needed connection with a person with whom the mentee maximally identifies, and can provide access to the keys of success via professional training programs, paraprofessional internship experiences, professional networks. Most importantly, a mentoring program if done well, can help life defining behavioral change to occur.

The CUMC, a multi-layered coordinating body, would invite existing mentoring programs such as the Cornell Mentoring Connection to participate (led by Human Resources, is staff to staff, with a focus on professional, academic and personal development) and the Cornell Asian/Student Alumni Mentorship Program (led by the Cornell Asian Pacific-Islander Student Union and the Cornell Asian Alumni Association, focused on career development).

SA&D will be especially interested in initiating the following mentoring pilots for '01-'02:

a) The Asian Alliance Mentoring Program: 20-25 pairs, Asian American first and second year students paired with Asian/Asian-American/non-Asian staff and faculty in a formal one year program focused on shared academic/personal interest.

b) The Professor Emeritus Mentoring Program: 10 pairs, Emeritus Professors paired with first year students in a formal one year program focused on long range career development.

c) The Cornell-Ithaca High Connects Program: 10 pairs, current Cornell Undergraduates of Color paired with 10 Ithaca High School sophomores of color in a formal one year program focused on the college search process and personal support.

d) The Campus Life Staff Mentoring Program: 10 pairs, Campus Life Staff who have worked at the university for at least two years paired with younger CL staff in a formal one year program focused on career development.

e) The Smart Teach Mentoring Program: 5 pairs, Campus Life Staff who have an educational background in Higher Education or Student Affairs paired with a Faculty in Residence or Faculty Fellow in a one year formal program focused on the enhancement of student affairs skills for the academic staff member.

Common to all the pilots developed out of SA&D will be an expectation of regular interaction between pairs at least every other week, mentor attendance at regularly scheduled once a month mentor meetings, regularly scheduled once a month mentee meetings, administration of a racial identity development assessment tool to all mentors and mentees, active participation by pairs in a once a semester socio-cultural event, and systematic interaction with the program leaders.

An underlying goal for all of these projects is to help breathe life into the Cornell University Statement on Diversity and Inclusiveness. Mentoring is a meaningful way to do diversity work. Participants can be exposed to all the defining elements of enhanced cultural proficiency: valuing diversity, assessing one's culture, managing the dynamics of difference, institutionalizing cultural knowledge, and adapting to diversity.

The Consortium herein proposed aims to help clearly define a signature activity at this Ivy League-encouraging the potential we see in all members of our community to grow into leaders in our fields.

Qualitative and quantitative assessment techniques will help evaluate ways in which to improve all the pilots. Ongoing research to define what other mentoring is happening on campus will help make the project comprehensive and cohesive.