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Academic Advising

Faculty: Become a Mentor

Undergraduate Students already have several opportunities to interact with faculty members outside the traditional classroom setting. Find a current opportunity to interact with students in your college/school.

Ten Ways to Become a Faculty/Student Mentor

Per the Faculty Manual at South Carolina, faculty/student mentorship may be considered a teaching function used to evaluate a professor’s teaching performance for the purposes of tenure and promotion (see page 24 of the manual for more information). 

 

For Faculty Interested in On-Going Student Mentorship Opportunities: 

Opportunity Description Support                        
Meet My Major Event*
Informational session led by faculty for undergraduate students to learn about opportunities to engage with their major
*once per semester
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interested in hosting a Meet My Major Event for your department? Complete the Meet My Major Event Interest Form, and we will be in touch soon to talk about your event.
The University Advising Center will: 
  • provide up to $300 budget for event
  • order food
  • reserve on-campus location for event
  • provide promotional materials (and help promote event)
  • manage event registration 
  • staff the event to assist with logistics (if desired)
Academic Mentorship
 Faculty may choose to have on-going one-on-one meetings to provide academic mentorship to undergraduate students. Topics may include learning about the discipline, understanding coursework content and relevancy to major, getting connected to academic opportunities, etc.
 The University Advising Center will: 
  • assist in pairing/matching selection of faculty and undergraduate students 
  • provide mentorship training for faculty
  • conduct mentee expectation sessions with students 
Career Mentorship Faculty may choose to have on-going one-on-one meetings to provide career and/or professional mentorship to undergraduate students  Interested faculty should attend a "Career Champion" workshop through the Career Center. 
Undergraduate Research  Faculty may elect to have undergraduate students assist them with various research opportunities Interested faculty should first visit the Undergraduate Research Website to learn more about becoming a faculty mentor. 
Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning Faculty Fellows Collaborate with CIEL and other Fellows to support undergraduates pursuing graduation with leadership distinction, assess student learning, and offer recommendations to the Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning. Interested Faculty should visit the Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning Faculty Fellows website. 
Living and Learning Communities Living and Learning Communities provide students with opportunities to pursue academic and personal interests while interacting with faculty in their field. Faculty Principal Communities are staffed by faculty who are experts in themes of the learning communities. 
Current Faculty Principal Communities include:

For Faculty Interested in a Moderate Level of Student Mentorship Opportunities: 

Opportunity Description Support
Drop-In Mentorship
 Faculty may offer time for undergraduate students to “drop-in” to ask questions related to major and/or career decisions
The University Advising Center will: 
  • secure location on campus
  • promote drop-in opportunities

 
Group Mentorship Faculty may offer group mentorship sessions to students who are seeking guidance on major and/or career information and opportunities
The University Advising Center will: 
  • secure location on campus
  • provide promotional materials (and help promote opportunity)
  • manage registration
Virtual Mentorship Faculty may offer virtual/online mentorship video chat sessions with undergraduate students The University Advising Center will: 
  • provide technology platform for virtual session. Offer training/resources/support for faculty and mentors to use technology. 
  • provide promotional materials
  • manage registration

For Faculty Interested in One-Time Student Mentorship Opportunities:

Opportunity Description  Support
Out to Lunch Faculty may have lunch with undergraduate students in any on-campus dining facility
Students interested in taking their professor Out-to-Lunch should visit the Student Success Center Center’s website to obtain a voucher.
 
"Meet My Mentor" Social Social gathering for faculty mentors and undergraduate students to mingle in a relaxed environment
The University Advising Center will: 
  • assist in pairing/matching selection of faculty and undergraduate students
  • provide promotional materials (and help promote event)
  • manage event registration
  • staff the event to assist with logistics (if desired)
Informal Coffee Chats  Informal opportunity for faculty members to briefly engage with undergraduate students over coffee at any Starbucks on campus
The University Advising Center will: 
  • provide $10 Starbucks coffee voucher for each faculty/student meeting

Current Faculty/Student Mentorship Opportunities by College/School

  • Arts Departments: 

    • School of Visual Art and Design – Coming Soon

  • Humanities Departments: 

    • Department of English Language and Literature – Coming Soon

    • Department of History- The Department of History encourages students to develop research topics they would like to explore with faculty members.

    • Department of Languages, Literature, and Cultures- The Department of Languages, Literature, and Cultures encourages students to find a faculty mentor with similar research interests by searching their mentor database. This department also has several student organizations in which faculty advisors engage to support undergraduates. 

    • Department of Philosophy- The Department of Philosophy encourages students to find a faculty mentor with similar research interests by searching their mentor database.

    • Department of Religious Studies- Coming Soon

  • Mathematical and Sciences Departments:

    • Department of Biological Sciences- Coming Soon

    • Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry- The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has several student organizations in which faculty advisors engage to support undergraduates.

    • Department of Mathematics- Pi Mu Epsilon (PME) & Gamecock Math Club (GMC) hosts “Getting to Know Your 500-Level Courses” – an informal get-together for students to ask professors about advanced math degree requirements.

    • School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment (SEOE)- The School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment encourages students to reach out directly to faculty members to express their interest in working in specific areas of study. There are also several student organizations of which faculty advise. 

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy- The Department of Physics and Astronomy encourages faculty and undergraduate students to work together on both theoretical and experimental physics.

    • Department of Statistics- Coming Soon

  • Social Sciences Departments

    • Department of Anthropology – Coming Soon

    • Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice – Coming Soon

    • Department of Geography – Coming Soon

    • Department of Political Science- The Department of Political Sciences encourages faculty and undergraduate students to work together on various research opportunities

    •  Department of Psychology – Coming Soon

    • Department of Sociology- The Department of Sociology encourages faculty and undergraduate students to work together on various research opportunities.

  • The Museum of Education offers faculty and students the opportunity to explore research and advance the field of education.

  • The Office of International and Comparative Education provides study abroad opportunities for students to connect with faculty members while in other countries to learn about international education practices and events.

  • All Seniors within the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing participate in Capstone Design teams which engage students in real-world projects by partnering with industry sponsors to provide solutions to complex problems. 

  • The College offers students the opportunity to conduct hands-on research in an academic setting under the direction of full-time faculty members.

The College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management encourages undergraduate students and world-class faculty to engage with each other often through making personal connections.

The CIC Student Resource Fair provides undergraduate students the opportunity to mingle with professors who are teaching new electives in the upcoming semester.

Coming Soon

The College of Pharmacy offers students opportunities to engage with mentors and preceptors throughout their program, as well as the chance to participate in relevant research through the college’s several Research Centers and Facilities.

Undergraduate students in the College of Social Work may be elected to represent their peers on one of several faculty-involved committees.

The Arnold School of Public Health encourages student-faculty mentorship through their student research.

 Coming Soon

The School of Music engages faculty mentors and undergraduate students through their Spark Music Leadership Laboratory.

The South Carolina Honors College provides students with mentorship opportunities with their distinguished faculty members.

 

 

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