In consultation with Dr. Carmen García-Fernández, SPAGrad's new Mentor Program will serve as a student-to-student welcoming committee for the Spanish Graduate Program.

Before arriving to ASU to start their first semester, new graduate students will be sent a directory of potential mentors with their contact information, courses taught, area(s) of research, etc., along with a compilation of helpful tips for getting settled and oriented in the Tempe area. This compilation will include personal testimonials regarding housing, shopping, neighborhoods, etc.

New students will have the option of selecting their own mentor from the directory and communicating their choice to the Mentor Program Coordinator (currently PhD student Charles St.George). If no selection is made, the coordinator will assign the new student a mentor so that all new students have at least one personal contact in the department to whom they can direct questions, being mindful that student mentors are not to assume the responsibilities of faculty mentors in terms of academic direction or of division coordinators in terms of important TA issues.

The Mentor Program will establish a vital first step in making new students feel welcome and creating an atmosphere of camaraderie among the student body. It was also help to alleviate the confusion and anxiety associated with starting a new program, providing student mentors to answer questions on a whole range of issues, including registering for classes, becoming acquainted with the library and other facilities/resources, and understanding the logistics of being a TA. The mission of the Mentor Program is to welcome new students and encourage a sense of community among the student body.

Charlie St. George, Mentor Program Coordinator