As a result of rapid changes affecting higher education, educators face continuing challenges to meet their responsibilities and must reevaluate their interactions with students, both inside and outside the classroom. This new issue examines how educators might mentor their students. Covering a variety of disciplines, the authors discuss how to prepare students for more active and collaborative learning and how to help students develop different skills they will need to succeed. They also examine the effect of changing demographics, diverse student populations, and changing student expectations on mentoring. In the transition to a learning-focused environment with the student at the center of the endeavor, instructors will find this issue a helpful tool as they continue to play a major but changing role. This is the 85th issue of the Jossey-Bass series New Directions for Teaching and Learning.

Author Biography

REINARZ is currently director of the Academic Advising Center for the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LS&A) at the University of Michigan. She is also the director of Inteflex, a joint program of the college and the University of Michigan Medical School. As an adjunct associate professor of biology, she currently teaches a class on infectious diseases as part of the LS&A First Year Seminar Program. A recipient of the 1990 Carski Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award for the American Society of Microbiology, she has also published in the areas of undergraduate curriculum reform, and careers for science majors and academic advising. ERIC R. WHITE is executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies and affiliate assistant professor of education at the Pennsylvania State University. He has been president of the Association of Deans and Directors of University Colleges and Undergraduate Divisions. He has held elected and appointed positions in the National Academic Advising Association and is currently treasurer of that organization. In 1998 the Division of Undergraduate Studies won the Oustanding Institutional Advising Award in recognition of innovative and exemplary practice in academic advising.