Sophomore Surge Mentors are leaders who will be trained, supported, and empowered to shape the futures of the next incoming Freshman class throughout their first year of college in order to Surge students into their sophomore year.

Requirements to be a Surge Mentor:

  • an MSU student in their 2nd year or higher 
  • Successful completion of any University Seminar (US) Core 
  • Good academic standing
  • Completion of online application which includes contact info of two (2) references from the MSU community 

Surge Mentors will mentor a small group of (15-18) incoming Freshmen through partnership with University Seminar courses. These 3-credit University Seminar (US) Core courses are required of incoming Freshmen. Mentors will attend all class meetings of a designated section of University Seminar for the entire semester to serve as Surge Mentor for that group of students as well as engage those students in out-of-class activities and events. 

Time commitment and efforts of a Surge Mentor: 

Time commitment for Mentors is approximately 5-8 hours per week during the academic year (~25 hours per month) and efforts consists of:

  • Attendance at every class meeting of designated University Seminar core course to participate in the course content's goal of supporting first year students' transition to college
    • Facilitation of icebreaker and introduction activities
    • Announcement of and encouragement toward campus and community events and engagement opportunities
    • General student support for academic systems such as D2L; and procedures such as review of syllabi of courses and how to use professor's office hours
    • Referrals to key MSU services (library, counseling, academic advising, tutoring, career development, learning strategies, etc)
    • Guidance and support through US course curriculum discussion and interaction 
    • Outreach to students who are struggling
    • Support critical thinking, learning, and understanding in a supportive and collegiate environment
  • Out of class activities
    • Meals together in MSU Dining Halls (meal vouchers provided for Mentors who are not already on a meal plan) 
    • One-on-one check-in with mentees during the first 3-4 weeks of the semester; more as needed
    • Occasional social events throughout semester (Service Saturdays, hiking excursions, sporting events, etc)
  • Enrollment in upper division credit for ongoing training and support for working with first-year students
    • The training and support course for Surge Mentors will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings during the Fall semester of mentoring. 

What Surge Mentors get:

  • An amazing leadership opportunity
  • The opportunity to make an important and life-changing difference in the life of a student
  • Free meals when you meet with your Surge mentees
  • Upper-division credits that count towards your 42 upper-division course requirements
  • A powerful resume builder
  • Stipend

 

Hear from a Surge Mentor:

Upcoming Events: