Mentoring Outside of the Classroom
Tim Oates, assistant professor of computer science, is a fixture in Potomac Hall on Wednesday evenings, greeting students as they leave for dinner or return from class. He is one of several UMBC professors who participate in the Faculty Mentor Program.
In addition to scheduling regular office hours in the residence halls, faculty mentors offer programs on topics such as studying for tests and applying to graduate schools. Research indicates that students who have contact with faculty outside the classroom are more likely to graduate, are more likely to exhibit higher levels of achievement and are generally more satisfied with their college experience.
Im available to listen and talk with anyone who wants to stop by, says Oates. We chat about everything from day-to-day concerns to career interests and graduate and professional schools.
Oates says he participates in the Faculty Mentor Program, in part, because of his own experience as an undergraduate. I would have benefited greatly from having an advisor with whom I could share my career interests, he explains. No one at my undergraduate institution talked with me about going to graduate school. After college I ended up working for a few years before I discovered that I really wanted to go back to school.
The Faculty Mentor Program is also welcomed by the students. Dr. Oates provides good insight into whatever problems students are dealing with, says Jesse Ellsbury, a senior English major. [The program is] a good resource for Potomac.
Meeting with students in the residence hall setting helps Oates remember what its like to be an undergraduate. I see firsthand many of the adjustments first-year students make, and that affects my approach in the classroom. It makes me more sympathetic, says Oates.
For information on how to become a faculty mentor or to nominate a UMBC faculty member, e-mail Matt Soldner, assistant director of residential education.
