WISE Mentoring Program

WISE  is a high-impact mentoring and early intervention program that began at Shepherd University as a PILOT program in the fall of 2020. WISE now has over 70 student members who are engaged in the knowledge-building and growth processes of the project. The primary goal is to improve student retention, enhance social and cultural capital, improve access to textbooks and course materials, and boost the academic achievement of minority students in ways that empower them as prepared students and future mentors and advocates for social change.

Through proactive formal mentor and mentee relationship building, this project pairs Shepherd students with experienced leaders for participation in a variety of enriching events on and off-campus.

The Office for Diversity and Equity will also actively recruit junior and senior-level (also graduate-level if possible) college students (including graduate students) from populations to mentor, support, and model excellence for incoming students who are typically members of under-served or marginalized groups. These upper-class students and leaders will help our younger students with networking, enhance study plans, increase participation in diversity and inclusion activities, and boost knowledge building and leadership skill development.

The Office for Diversity and Equity, campus organizations, student-led department clubs and organizations, the Byrd Legislative Center, and Shepherd’s Multicultural Leadership Team will provide support to mentors and mentees. Participants will complete activities to receive the “Leadership for a Better World” certificate to develop their consciousness of self, others, and our society by focusing on eight core values of a Social Change Model (self-consciousness, congruence, commitment, collaboration, common purpose, civility, citizenship, and change). The Office for Diversity and Equity and WISE team will also host WISE TALK, monthly topic-focused discussion sessions where mentors and mentees share and unpack experiences that center on their unique experiences on campus.

Fall 2022 WISE TALK Schedule (Coming soon!)

Spring 2022 and Fall 2021 events are listed below to help students grasp the types of experiences that WISE Talk has offered.