To assist the students in making an informed decision on which specialization track to pursue, the Department utilizes a mentor mentee system where mentors help student mentees recognize their cognitive (knowledge) and non cognitive (skills and attitudes) traits and realize the importance of their choice in their future career.
Responsibilities of the Faculty Mentor
The faculty mentor should:
1) Upon start of the student mentee in the degree program, collect their academic documents such as DB information sheet and curriculum checklist;
2) Before each semester, advise the student mentee on academic matters such as registration, loading, satisfaction of pre-requisites, and planning on a healthy mix of courses for the current, as well as the remaining semesters in advance;
3) During the semester, respond to the student mentee’s inquiry on academic matters such as grades, dropping, or filing of leave of absence;
4) After each semester, assess the student mentee’s academic performance, development, and standing by computing their semestral, or if needed, general weighted average in Biology or Microbiology courses taken following the Department’s rules on retention and graduation, update their curriculum checklist, and report to the Scholarship Committee for final assessment of academic standing;
5) Throughout the student mentee’s stay in the degree program, advise them on issues related to academic tracking and future career path as well as psychosocial well-being, or if needed, refer them to proper authorities for professional guidance.