When students reach a critical point in their studies, they often seek a mentor for guidance: an academic adviser, a professional, a family member or even another student.
MentorNet is an online database, geared toward women, that supplements traditional curricular advising at colleges and universities. The Web site pairs students studying science, engineering or math with a tenured professional in their field. Advising teams establish contact through e-mail.
Although Northwestern subscribed to the service five years ago, it canceled the subscription because of low student interest.
The program, at www.mentornet.net, has existed since 1997. Sponsored in part by AT&T and Intel, it includes online forums, links to industries and a resume database for job seekers.
Although MentorNet focuses on female students and mentors, approximately 35 percent of the mentors are male.
Dr. Carol Muller, the founder and CEO of MentorNet, said in an e-mail to The Daily that more than 12,500 students have participated in the program since 1998.
“(Students) especially appreciate having a mentor who is looking out for their best interests and who is not judging them or grading them,” Muller wrote.
Participating universities include the California Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, Princeton and Stanford universities.
According to McCormick Associate Dean Stephen Carr, NU signed up for MentorNet five years ago. A few names were entered into the program, but results were minimal.
“Some students were bothered with inappropriate questions from online mentors,” said Ellen Worsdall, assistant dean of McCormick. She said NU decided the rising fees were not worth it and canceled its membership.
Carr said students did not seem to be waiting to re-establish MentorNet membership. He said McCormick offers plenty of other interactive mentoring sources.
Carr said options include formal advising, broader perspective provided by the deans and specialized student chapters and clubs.
But some students said they want a different approach. McCormick freshman Michael Sutanto said he would prefer a program open to his own ideas for research.
He also said MentorNet would be a possible outlet for more individualized advice.
Mechanical engineering Prof. Catherine Brinson said MentorNet’s focus on women is another benefit of the program. She said personal mentoring is especially important for female engineers.
Brinson said as a student she was often the only woman in her advising group or seminar.
According to Brinson, MentorNet would provide her a way to volunteer with female students and offer “professional opinions, guidance, perspective.”
But Worsdall said speaking to a professor or someone in a local industry would be “easier to manage” than MentorNet, but said a strong interest in the online program has not been voiced in the past few years.
She said alumni-student relationships forged by groups such as the Society of Women Engineers are a major source of support for women.
Math Prof. Martina Bode also questioned the validity of e-mail mentoring. “You need to sit down with people and talk,” she said.
Stephanie Tang, a Weinberg senior, said throughout her course of study in math and chemistry she was able to find her own mentors for interactive attention.
“I worked on projects together with my mentor, a graduate student,” she said, adding that online assistance would not be as effective.
McCormick freshman Stephanie Olsen said she enjoys receiving advice from female engineers she knows. But she isn’t seeking a mentor yet, online or elsewhere.
“Freshmen are too caught up in fulfilling distro requirements,” she said.
Reach Tara Jayant at [email protected].
