Information
What are mentors?
Mentors are TAMU faculty, staff, and administrators who volunteer extra office hours to make themselves available to students who just want to talk to someone. We currently have about 165 mentors on campus.
What do mentors do?
- Mentors advise students in their area of experience and competence.
- Mentors stay informed about current TAMU services so they can act as effective referral sources to students whose problems are outside the Mentor’s expertise.
- Mentors provide a caring, nonjudgmental ear when a student just needs to talk.
- Mentors provide a smile, a helping hand, and eagerness to serve as stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks – these are the nuts and bolts of Mentoring.
(The ATMentors program does not attempt to replace or substitute for the programs provided by departmental advisers, the Student Counseling Service, and the many other valuable student services available at TAMU. On the contrary, Mentors work hand-in-hand with all of these services, helping students to locate and use them.)
Why was ATMentors created?
The ATMentors Program was established in 1979, when the University was undergoing tremendous growth. At that time, a small group of concerned faculty noticed a fast-growing campus, with its accompanying growth in bureaucracy, was leaving some students feeling isolated and overwhelmed. They organized to form ATMentors, and today Mentors continue to compensate for students’ feelings of loneliness by listening and helping each student feel part of the Aggie community.
How is the ATMentors program funded?
The ATMentors program is funded primarily through donations and a presidential endowment fund. The Department of Student Life funds the ATMentors Coordinator position which is the person primarily in charge of day to day tasks and planning major events (Office of New Student Programs, Department of Student Life). We also have an Executive Committee of approximately 12-15 mentors who volunteer and we meet once a month to keep members current on happenings in the program. All members of ATMentors are volunteers. The ATMentors program depends solely on contributions for its operating budget. With the donations and support of others, the program has been able to increase its visibility among students through its webpage, advertising, publicity and personal contacts. Each year more students and parents are utilizing Mentors as willing listeners and informed helpers.
