The Scholar’s Mentorship Program (SMP) is a program that connects newly accepted first-year New Paltz students of color with both a faculty/staff mentor and an upper class college student. The SMP is for general admission students of color and is based on the assumption that networking provided to new students by mentors is a key to academic success.
Students enrolled in the program are called “Freshman Protégés.” Each Protégé is assigned a faculty/staff mentor, peer mentor and is enrolled in a three-credit first-year student seminar course. Mentors meet regularly with their Freshman Protégé to provide academic advising and leadership development. The purpose of SMP is to encourage academic excellence and to facilitate leadership development and social responsibility through networking.
Registration: Newly accepted first year students of color interested in registering for SMP see First Year Interest Groups. The success of the SMP is attributed to the effective collaborative effort between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs Divisions, namely the Black Studies Department and the Psychological Counseling Center. The program is housed within the Black Studies Department. It is a conjoint effort of Dr. Gweneth M. Lloyd, Director of the Psychological Counseling Center, and the late Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis.
The Peer Mentorship Program (a component of SMP), founded by Dr. Gweneth M. Lloyd, Director of the Psychological Counseling Center (PCC), was developed to provide peer support for a positive transition to campus life. Dr. Lloyd’s active role in both the SMP and the Counseling Center has significantly increased the number of students of color who choose to utilize counseling services during their enrollment at New Paltz. These students have consistently expressed to others the significance that counseling played in easing their transition to the New Paltz college environment. Counseling contact with the PCC is confidential according to counselor/client ethical standards, regardless of a student’s involvement in the SMP.
Under the leadership of Dr. Lloyd, the PCC has developed a multicultural counseling model. This approach has decreased the stigma of counseling services for New Paltz students of color. The strong network provided by the SMP has created an environment where students of color are connected to academic faculty and student services early in their college career. If you wish to obtain additional information about multicultural counseling services at the PCC contact 845-257-2920 and ask for Dr. Lloyd.
For New Paltz students, faculty and staff who are interested in becoming a SMP Mentor, please read about the three tiered program at the SMP website. Specifics regarding course requirements for learning how to be a Peer Mentor, Counseling Underrepresented Students, and leadership opportunities provided by the course entitled, Black and Latino Leadership is provided at the SMP website.
