Creating a safe space for every Hornet
LINK Mentoring
The Office of Belonging is about making sure our campus community is a safe and inclusive space for everyone.
Mission
The mission of Lynchburg LINK is to create meaningful, cross-campus mentoring relationships that support students throughout their academic journey. By connecting students with faculty, staff, and peer mentors, the program helps participants navigate challenges, discover purpose, and thrive, personally, academically, and socially. Through inclusive engagement and holistic development, LINK contributes to a vibrant campus culture rooted in belonging and lifelong learning.
Program Objectives
The primary objectives of the Lynchburg LINK Mentoring Program are to:
- Promote belonging through relationships: Establish consistent, supportive connections that help students feel seen, valued, and at home at the University of Lynchburg.
- Support holistic student success: Equip students with the tools, resources, and confidence needed for academic achievement, personal growth, and emotional well-being.
- Expand access to mentorship: Provide personalized support to all students, especially BIPOC, Pell-eligible, first-generation, international, first-year, and under-involved students.
- Build cross-campus community: Engage mentors from faculty, staff, and peer leadership to create a campus-wide network of care and empowerment.
- Integrate experiential learning: Enhance the mentorship experience through engaging programming, workshops, service-learning, and/or culturally affirming off-campus opportunities.
- Align with UESS strategic goals: Directly support UESS priorities related to student engagement, proactive mentorship, CliftonStrengths integration, resource accessibility, and operational excellence.
Interested in being a mentee?
Eligible mentees must:
- Be currently enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at the University of Lynchburg.
- Be in good academic standing and conduct.
- Commit to active participation for the full academic year, including:
- Attending at least one LINK program event.
- Meeting with their assigned mentor at least once per month.
- Completing monthly check-in forms and biannual feedback surveys (fall and spring).
Interested in being a mentor?
- Eligibility: Mentors must be University of Lynchburg faculty or staff (full- or part-time) or current students with junior status or higher serving as peer leaders.
- Faculty/Staff Expectations: Commit to the full academic year; complete mentor orientation; meet with mentees at least monthly; attend at least one LINK Program event; submit monthly check-ins, biannual surveys (fall and spring), and attend the year-end reflection session.
- Peer Mentor Qualifications: Must have completed at least four semesters at the University of Lynchburg and remain in good academic and conduct standing.
- Peer Mentor Expectations: Commit to the full academic year; complete mentor orientation; submit monthly check-ins and biannual surveys (fall and spring).
Frequently Asked Questions
Program Contact
