For students who were terrified of professors before coming to the University, the Women's Center's new Mentoring House, which officially opens tomorrow, may offer a chance to see instructors in a more friendly light.
"A lot of students, especially first and second years, come in to U.Va. and faculty can seem scary, especially if they aren't comfortable talking to them," Mentoring House Coordinator Alyssa Lederer said.
In addition to student-faculty dinners, which aim to allow students to meet their professors in a more intimate environment, the Mentoring House will provide counseling and academic advising for first and second-year students.
The Mentoring House, which is available to men as well as women, is located in room 116 at Cauthen House -- a first-year residence area.
The program is an expansion of existing resources, according to Kim Roberts, director of mentoring at the Women's Center.
"The Mentoring House is building upon the First Year Resource Center, expanding the mission to include second-year students as well as serving as a clearinghouse for all of the mentoring programs on Grounds," Roberts said.
One initiative the Mentoring House will undertake is the student-faculty dinner series, which will provide an informal setting where three to four faculty members dine with about 20 to 25 first and second-year students. After the dinner, faculty members will form a panel, give a brief synopsis of their work and respond to students' questions.
The student-faculty dinner series, which the Women's Center previously sponsored through other programs, was "really popular," Lederer said, adding that "it provides an intimate setting to improve student faulty relations and provide mentoring opportunities."
Lederer added that the professors responded positively to the dinners as well.
"Professors are so excited to talk to students," she said. The program "fosters an environment not only for students to learn from professors, but for professors to learn from students"
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