Please note that our daily office hours for 2020-21 are different from previous semesters'. In an effort to reduce the risks of exposure to and spread of COVID-19, our Mentoring for Success Program staff members are working remotely and all in-person meetings are strictly by appointment only.
Students and employees must complete a daily health screening prior to coming to campus. The health survey can be found in GoWMU. Log in and you will see the survey in a section titled "COVID-19 Information." Please do not bring a companion with you to your appointment unless required for safety, legal, or medical reasons.
The Multicultural Affairs for Students office hours in Ellsworth Hall are Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. While there will be a staff member on the floor to provide support and services during those hours, the floor will not be open to those without an appointment. To schedule an appointment, please call (269) 387-4420 or contact our staff members directly. Use the Contact Us form to send us a general inquiry email. Please know that there may be a somewhat of a delay in responses, but you will hear from us.
Note that masks are required in indoor spaces and outdoor spaces where social distancing is not possible and you must wear a mask inside public spaces whenever you are not alone, per the WMU Facial Covering (Mask) Policy. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate the current public health situation. Keep up-to-date on the University's response to COVID-19 on the WMU's COVID-19 Response website.
The Mentoring for Success Program is a peer mentoring program designed to promote program participants' success at Western Michigan University through increased acceptance rates into participants' intended majors and increased college graduation rates. The program is geared toward achieving specific academic and developmental goals that are focused on participants' overall development. The program is optimized for and most beneficial to first-year and second-year students.
Our academic mentors provide undergraduate students in our target population academic support through one-on-one and small-group mentoring sessions, during which they may tutor, facilitate discussions, help students locate resources, and promote academic and life skills development. They also model effective student practices and attitudes and facilitate weekly study sessions for participants in our target population. Our mentors come from diverse backgrounds and are committed to helping students succeed academically, socially, emotionally, and professionally.
Our program strives to ensure that all program participants are given the full opportunity to discover and develop their talents, interests, and unique potential, and to provide a learning-centered and student-centered environment that presents the context for intellectual, cultural, professional, and personal growth during the college experience. Program participants will learn to become independent, confident learners and develop good study habits, learning techniques, and time management skills that will enhance their education and college experience, as well as to enable them to achieve a post-secondary degree.
The Mentoring for Success Program is funded by the State of Michigan's Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity's King-Chávez-Parks Initiative, as well as WMU's Multicultural Affairs for Students and Office of Diversity of Inclusion. The program was formerly known as the Steps Toward Exhibiting Mastery Program. References to the former name will be found in our participant and former staff testimonials.
How to participate
Safety procedures
Please report any suspected or alleged instances of wrongdoing or misconduct or concerns about inappropriate service provisions and practices by any peer mentor to the program director at (269) 387-3316 or to the director of Multicultural Affairs for Students using the Student Complaint Form. In case of a medical emergency or an immediate threat to your personal safety, call 911. For non-emergencies, call WMU's Department of Public Safety at (269) 387-5555.
For detailed policies and procedures on what to do in case emergency occurs while you are on campus, refer to WMU emergency procedures.
The WMU Hotline at (269) 387-1001 and the University's home page are WMU's official sources for information on WMU closings due to weather or campus emergencies.
WMU nondiscrimination statement
Western Michigan University prohibits discrimination or harassment which violates the law or which constitutes inappropriate or unprofessional limitation of employment, University facility access, or participation in University activities, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, protected disability, veteran status, height, weight, or marital status.