Development of a Mentor Program for Latino Students at Borough of Manhattan Community College [microform] / Pedro Perez

The purpose of this study was to develop a mentor program for Latino students in the College Discovery Program at Borough of Manhattan Community College. The mentor program was intended to address some of the needs experienced by Latino students and to improve retention rates. This paper describes the process involved in developing the mentor program. A literature review indicated factors that strongly affect student performance and persistence: language barriers; lack of role models; financial aid; and support services. A formative committee was established to plan the program. The committee formulated four general objectives for the mentor program: student recruitment; mentor recruitment; development of tracking forms; and evaluation and feedback. A pilot program involving 13 students and 10 mentors was implemented based on the recommendations of the committee. Appendices include: outline of mentor program; notes on the formative committee; notification letter sent to students; mentor profile form; student profile form; advertising flyer; mentor responsibilities and guidelines; student responsibilities and guidelines; and feedback form. (Contains 20 references.) (RDG)