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London Offers Advising Experience to In-State Peer through New Mentoring Program

Anne London

Anne London

Anne London, the Director of Student Academic Affairs for Ferris State University’s College of Arts, Sciences and Education, will help a peer grow from her experiences. London is a mentor in the Michigan Academic Advising Association’s inaugural mentoring program.

London, the university’s interim director of Academic Advising and a past president of MIACADA, said she had a preliminary training session to address program goals and expectations before her first contact with her mentee in May.

“Ours is one of nine such combinations, statewide, with both the mentors and mentees accepted to the program after completing an application process,” London said. “Since this is a new program, the MIACADA organizers allow us some latitude to proceed as we choose, then gain their insights after we complete the program in May next year.”

London said the virtual sessions with her mentee may not follow a scripted agenda but could address how to best serve students arriving on campus for orientation, policy review, professional development options, or any other higher education-related current issue. She feels that lessons learned from a prior collaborative involvement with the National Academic Advising Association will bring the best result in this current process.

London feels similar initiatives could be valuable for the university and its students.

“The idea of an advisor-mentee program in the College of Arts, Sciences and Education may be an appropriate starting point,” London said. “That could have real potential as a way to support the professionals who work with our students at the departmental and collegiate levels. I am interested in any endeavor that can improve the experience related to advising in general at Ferris.”