The NIA Mentor Program is a two tiered mentoring program that uses the principles of wellness (being the best that one can in all dimensions of one’s life), self-awareness, and mentoring to create a set of interlocking and mutually supportive activities that nurture initiative and achievement in students.
NIA is an acronym which stands for Nurturing Initiative and Achievement. It also represents the Kiswahili principle of purpose. The NIA Mentor program is designed to assist students in developing a greater understanding of self; to create an opportunity for out-of-classroom interaction with faculty, staff, and students, and to support student success.
The NIA Mentor Program began in fall 1993 to assist first-year minority students with making a successful transition into the collegiate environment. The program began with a small cadre of faculty/staff mentors and student peer mentors who agreed to offer guidance to 25 incoming students of color.
The program has the following requirements for student participants:
Complete 12 or more credit hours per semester in the first year
Maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA
Register for spring semester
Declare a major
For more information, please contact the Student Leadership and Engagement Office at leadengage@buffalostate.edu OR at (716) 878-4631.
