2+2 Mentoring Program

Professional Mentor Program is designed to assist new social work students on the Kansas City Kansas Community College campus as they transition from the liberal arts courses at the community college to the upper-level social work courses offered by KU. The purpose of the program is to link students with BSW or MSW social work practitioners from the community. Mentors will give students encouragement, insight into the profession, and connections to social workers in the Kansas City area.

Students can be assigned a mentor if they have been accepted by the University of Kansas and are taking at least one social work course through the BSW degree completion program each semester.

Professional mentors:

• Are a positive role model for students;
• Answer questions about the profession;
• Identify with the student issues that could potentially negatively impact the student’s education experience;
• Discuss the student’s progress with the Program Coordinator;
• Maintain at least monthly contact with the student. Contact includes telephone, e-mail and/or face to face contact. The focus of the contact is to discuss academic and professional issues.

Mentors can choose to continue the mentoring relationship for another year or until the student graduates. The mentoring relationship can be dissolved by mutual agreement after notifying the Program Coordinator.

The Professional Mentor Program is voluntary. Students can choose not to participate in the program.

Students can sign up to get a mentor by completing the mentor application form, available from Maxine Elmore, Program Coordinator, BSW Degree Completion Program.