ARC PROJECT MANAGEMENT

SFMP

last updated on Thu, 10/23/2008 - 10:39

Contents

1. General Information
   1. Description

   2. Purpose and goal of the project
   3. Client contact
   4. Personnel
2. Scope and Scale
   
   1. Customer

   2. Users/ audience
   3. Scope
   4. Partners
3. Architecture / Design
   
   1. Project Specification

   2. Requirements
   3. Project home and resource storage
   4. Related projects

4. Project status
   
   1. Timeline

General Information

Description

The Students First Mentoring Project's (SFMP) mission is to help new-to-campus first generation students succeed at and graduate from college. Our aim is to help students adjust to increased demands of this new setting by connecting them with mentors who help demystify college, and to provide them with information about and links to campus support services, as well as time-tested strategies for dealing with specific university adjustment issues.

There are 4 areas of emphasis in the SFMP:

1. recognizing student adjustment issues,
2. identifying appropriate resources and using each appropriately,
3. developing strategies for dealing with issues, and
4. connecting students to the campus and other students.

SFMP provides a range of different services relating to each area. All students in the program go through an orientation where they are introduced to the program resources and staff, and learn some simple adjustment strategies to use during the first weeks of classes. Participating students have access to an on-line peer mentoring video library and a password protected resource website designed to facilitate and simplify the process of identifying relevant campus resources and using them appropriately. All students receive regular weekly contact, support, and encouragement to keep on track from program staff via e-mail, telephone or in person. In addition there is an on-line bulletin board where students can post questions and receive responses from program staff. Each term students take part in a series of group discussions, in which they discuss their most recent university experiences, brainstorm solutions to adjustment issues, ventilate feelings, and both receive and provide social support. In addition, once or twice a term, SFMP staff arranges a group outing in association with a PSU or community social event. These interactions build connections between students and create a field of shared experiences that will help students to experience a sense of community on campus.

Purpose and goal of the project

During 2005-06, the initial focus of the program was on new freshmen and their adjustment issues.

Starting in 2006-07, SFMP has expanded to include an additional focus on community college transfer student adjustment issues. Working in conjunction with local community colleges, the expanded SFMP will help make the transition to PSU smoother for first-generation, transfer students.

Client contact

Dr. Peter Collier
Project Director
Phone: (503) 725–5346

Collin Fellows
Program Manager
Phone: (503) 725–5307

• Julie Parker
  Mentor
  
• Joel Strong
  Mentor
  
• Heather Lindsay-Carpenter
  Mentor
  
• April Armstrong
  Mentor
  

Personnel

Morgan Harvey
mharvey@pdx.edu

Scope and Scale

Customer

Portland State University
Department of Sociology


Users/ audience

first generation students
incoming freshman
transfer students


Scope

Portland Metro & Surrounding Areas
Portland State Univeristy
Local Community Colleges

Partners

Architecture/Design

Project Specification

Requirements

Project home and resource storage

SFMP Homepage

Related Projects

N/A

Project status

Timeline