Alumni Presentation
The Mentor Program is designed to tap into the valuable experience of our alumni and channel that back to the student. The College of Hospitality & Tourism Management has developed a fantastic curriculum over the years, so much so that it is now accredited, making it one of only a very few universities in the U.S. to have such a program. As we all know, academic knowledge needs to be supplemented with practical knowledge as well.
This is where the mentorship program helps the academic program. By pairing up students with a mentor from their field(s) of interest, we provide some practical knowledge of the industry and help the student make decisions that will assist in transitioning from academic life to the work force.
To be able to participate as mentors, alumni need at least five years of work experience in the field in which they wish to represent to the student. The student must have completed at least 30 credit hours of coursework, thus making most students at least sophomores. Students will have the opportunity to be part of the decision process in partnering them with their mentors. Each student will rank their top three choices of the mentors listed. The committee will make every effort to accommodate the student's request and connect them with one of their three choices. Only one student will be assigned to one mentor.
The program begins each year in February and concludes in November. At the end of the program, the students will complete an end-of-program summary. We will provide a guideline of discussion topics to assure that certain areas are covered. However, this is just the beginning. As the relationship develops over the nine months of the program, many more topics are discussed and when possible, students may visit the mentor’s place of employment for some real “hands-on” education.
