by Alejandra Cruz
Staff Writer
In an attempt to incorporate more service into the Honors Program, the ULV Honors Society is planning two projects that will enable members to be involved in the La Verne community on a personal level.
Junior Starla Willis, chairperson for the Mentor Program, has tried to recruit honors students into the program as mentors since November 1995 with little success.
“I sent out questionnaires to honors students and received responses from only two students,” said Willis.
In an attempt to recruit mentors, Willis and juniors Monica Schwarze and Jennifer Rubino plan to telephone honors students and present the program to them.
“The Mentor Program is something we can’t implement unless we get students’ complete participation,” said Willis. She believes students may be hesitant to become a mentor because of the time commitment. Mentors would need to dedicate about two hours to the program each week.
In the program, each freshman student would be assigned one upperclass honors student to guide them through their first year at La Verne. This would allow freshmen to have the individual attention of a mentor.
Mentors would show students around the campus, help them with their homework and generally be available to address any questions or concerns the incoming honors freshmen may have about college life.
“The program is designed to allow students to go beyond the University 100 experience for freshmen,” said Willis.
The freshman would be assigned a mentor who shares the same major, although students will not be limited to only mentors with similar majors.
According to Willis, an average of 15 freshmen honors students attend ULV each year. The program will provide a “comfort level for freshmen.”
The Honors Program is also trying to implement a program in which ULV honors students will teach elementary students.
Dr. Al Clark, vice president of academic affairs and professor of humanities, said the children will most likely come from Roynon Elementary School in La Verne.
Depending on the number of students participating in the program, Dr. Clark expects each class to have an average of 25 elementary students.
Although Honors Program Director and Professor of Spanish Dr. Andrea Labinger is still negotiating the details with the Bonita Unified School District, Dr. Clark expects to have the program implemented by the fall of 1996.
