The Program

The purpose of the Odyssey Mentor Program is twofold, the purpose is to integrate students into campus life. We would like to introduce new and returning students to faculty members, other students within the government major, and to the variety of campus clubs and organizations. The second purpose of the Odyssey Mentor Program is to ensure that our students are successful here at CSUS. By the term successful we mean that students are earning good grades, are on track to graduate, and that they are able to access every opportunity and resource available to them on this campus.

Every government student who wishes to participate in the Odyssey Mentor Program will be carefully matched with a mentor to suit his or her specific needs. Mentors and students will be matched based on expressed academic and social interests, time constraints, and future goals and plans.

Mentors and students will be meeting once a week or four times a month. The timing and frequency of the meetings will be determined by the needs of the student being mentored. The goals set by each mentor-student group will be designed around the student being mentored. Students desiring a more academic focus will probably attend more workshops, spend time learning to research at the library, focus on getting to know their professors during office hours, and strategizing with their mentor how to best approach their work load during the semester. Students desiring a more social focus will probably attend more campus events and workshops, and spend time at club/organizational meetings and events.

Mentors will keep a weekly on-line journal through Web CT, updating the Program Director of their plans for the week or a brief summary of their weekly meeting. Mentors and students will be a part of a Web CT on-line community, where they can converse with one another as well as receive updates on coming events, scholarships materials, receptions and workshops.

Mentors will receive credit (1-3 units) for each semester they participate in the program. The students being mentored will also receive credit (1 unit) for each semester they participate in the program. The credit is graded Credit/No Credit and will be awarded after the successful completion of the semester.

Mentors will have the ability to earn 1-3 units using a floating unit system. While basic mentoring will be awarded 1 unit, mentors will have the opportunity to earn more units via event planning, faculty research, self-improvement activities, or tutoring.

Mentors will participate in a training session before the start of each semester. In the training sessions they will learn to take an assessment and write a mentoring plan for their student. Mentors will also have an introduction to SacCT (as needed) and an overview of the services available on campus.

When the Government Department introduced this program to its students there was an overwhelming response from the students to want to participate as mentors and to receive mentoring. As a result of this favorable response a second program, Alumni Mentoring, was developed in tandem with the Odyssey Mentor Program. The Alumni Mentor Program began in late Fall 2008.

The Odyssey Mentor Program is funded through the College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies (SSIS) and the Student Academic Success and Educational Equity Programs.