The Cornell Alumni-Student Mentoring Program (CASMP) was launched in the spring of 2004 in order to further the development of Cornell's undergraduates. The mentoring program seeks to create personal and professional relationships between current students and alumni mentors, who act as role models and provide guidance to the undergraduates. Our belief is that a close and continuous connection with an alumnus will help in the recruitment, retention, graduation and overall success of the students that choose to participate in the program. Students who choose to have a mentor will learn about coping with, and succeeding in, life at Cornell and beyond from alumni who themselves have shared that experience with all its challenges and all its promise.
Over 900 alumni from all over the United States have generously volunteered to serve as mentors since the inception of the program. To date, over 1,000 students have joined the Cornell Alumni-Student Mentoring Program and have been matched with an alumnus mentor. Generally, students are matched with an alumnus from the same geographic area. In addition to locale, other factors, such as gender, course of study, ethnicity, and career field, are considered when completing the mentor/student match. Alumni mentors and students are encouraged to meet in person once a semester and connect with each other one to two times a month. The Cornell Alumni-Student Mentoring Program periodically sponsors events, such as the January Winter Break Reception, which provide opportunities for mentor/student interaction and networking.
