Committees/Programs Overview

Building Relationships.  Building Academic Success.  Building Cultural Identity.

SMART Program Overview

The Office of Residence Life’s SMART Program (Students of Color Mentoring, Aiding, Retaining, and Teaching) is a peer mentoring program designed to offer support to first year students of color living in the residence halls at Bowling Green State University. SMART’s ultimate goals are to assist first year students of color with their transition to BGSU, to increase the number of students who return to the University for their second year, and to provide a forum for discussion of the residential experience in order to make it as positive and rewarding as possible.

To achieve these goals, SMART consists of four core components:

• Social Engagement
• Cultural Exploration
• Academic Support and Encouragement
• Leadership Enhancement

Who are the SMART Mentors?

The SMART Mentors are upper classmen student leaders who live in the residence halls. Each mentor is assigned a group of first-year students. The mentors help their mentees make the transition from high school to college by offering resources and guidance, as well as motivating them to feel comfortable navigating BGSU’s campus. The mentors go through on-going training to equip them with the knowledge and skills to give their mentees appropriate resources.

Mentors provide:

• Information on getting involved in student organization
• Help with typical first-year student concerns
• Networking opportunities with the BGSU Community
• Social, Cultural, and Academic programs and events for a successful transition