Pioneered in Spring 1994 by Michael Aufdembrink (MS in MIS, 1991), the IST Mentoring Program exists to add value to the IST students at University of Missouri - Saint Louis by enhancing their industry perspectives and extending their professional network.
The program is run by a body of (elected) student officers and a faculty advisor with the guidance of an Advisory Board composed of IST department alumni.
To broaden the horizon of IST students by enhancing their exposure to industry and expanding their opportunities for career development and professional networking through interaction with practitioners.
The program also provides a mechanism that allows UMSL alumni practitioners the opportunity to contribute to the University and the community by sharing their experiences and working knowledge with future IST graduates.
Advice is an interesting animal. Simply defined, it is "an opinion given as what to do." The key is to find a reliable source for this valuable information. The IST Mentoring program is meant to provide such a source by matching students who have questions about curriculum and career choices with alumni who have already "been there."
There are three key players in the Mentoring Program: students, alumni and the University itself. Students benefit by having a chance to receive guidance from a practitioner in their chosen field of study; alumni receive not only the satisfaction of helping upcoming professionals, but an opportunity to network and share their knowledge with other information professionals; the University is nurtured through continued alumni relations, fostering better educated students, and in turn, improving the University's standing in the community.
The program has been structured in such a way that there is a great deal of flexibility in scheduling meeting times and topics. This approach is intended to provide a framework for communications that can be adapted by each pairing to maximize knowledge transfer while being sensitive to the schedules of all participants.
I am very excited about the Mentoring Program and would like to challenge everyone involved to capitalize on this opportunity and maximize their mentoring experiences. Learning is not limited to those in school; alumni and students alike can work together in order to gain knowledge on current trends, technologies, and opportunities. The expression has taught us that opportunity will come knocking -- by sharing information through the Mentoring Program, we are preparing ourselves to open the door.
-Michael D. Aufdembrink
MS.MIS, 9
Thank you for your interest in serving as a mentor for UMSL's IST students. As a mentor, you will have many opportunities to meet with your protégé at events of the IST department, particularly the IST Mentoring Club meetings.
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Information Systems & Technology Mentoring Program
c/o Information Systems & Technology Dept., College of Business Administrations
211 Express Scripts Hall
University of Missouri - St. Louis
Email: ismentor@umsl.edu
UMSL is the only public university in the region to carry dual AACSB accreditations for its business and accounting programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
