Reflecting St. John’s University’s focus on student success,
20 faculty from across the University are
mentoring more than 100 freshmen as part of a new
program created by a professor of education and implemented in
partnership with the University Freshman Center and other campus
departments.
The Student and Faculty Engagement (SAFE) program
was created by
Andrew Ferdinandi, Ed.D., Associate Professor of
Human Services and Counseling in The
School of Education at St. John’s. The goal of SAFE is to
provide freshmen with mentors who can help them successfully
transition from high school to college.
The program recruits faculty mentors to assist first-year students,
building trust and opportunities for engagement. “Students have
told me that having a quality relationship with someone on campus
makes a huge difference in how they feel about college,” said Dr.
Ferdinandi. “We’ve found that the more involved a student is, the
greater the chances of graduating.”
Throughout the summer of 2011, the program trained faculty
volunteers to engage students through SAFE. They learned the
importance of using language that is inclusive, supportive, and
non-judgmental. Depending on their individual schedules, the
professors agreed to mentor from three to 10 students each for an
entire year.
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