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I'd like you to join Leslie Mansfield, Executive in Residence at Duquesne University Palumbo Donahue School of Business, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, as we review a tremendous volunteer opportunity to work with the 'Freshman Year Innovation Experience' (FYIE) this coming Fall Term at Duquesne University!

Come share Prof. Mansfield's overview of the 2023 Freshman Innovation Experience.   Learn about becoming a mentor within this program.   We are looking for volunteers to COMMIT to this program.   Leslie will share the roles & responsibilities of these mentors.  And yes, there is a weekly requirement to engage with your teams.  Ernst & Young will be the Executive Sponsor for this year's experience. 

The PMI Pittsburgh Chapter has supported this project in the past and I am hopeful that we can provide the leadership and experience to make this year's offering a success.  Here is a summary of the Mentor Role for the FYIE:

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Serving as a Mentor in the First Year Innovation Experience (FYIE) Course

=> What is the FYIE and who can be a Team Mentor?

In the FYIE course, student teams compete to offer recommendations in response to a real-life business challenge posed by Ernst & Young (EY), our corporate client.  The entire freshman class participates each fall, meaning that we form 50+ teams, each with an assigned mentor. Team mentors are volunteers who have a business background and are willing to coach a student team.  Mentors meet with their teams on a regular basis as defined below.  At the end of the Fall term, the top 5 teams will present their ideas to EY, competing for ~$15,000 in scholarships.

=> Why be a Team Mentor?

Mentoring provides many benefits, including enhancement of personal and professional knowledge while providing guidance, support, advice, and feedback to mentees. Students can bring fresh perspectives to problems and serving as a mentor offers a sense of satisfaction in helping to develop the next generation of business leaders. Finally, the FYIE is the signature course in our undergraduate business core.  In essence, mentors are the “glue” that makes this distinctive course a success, something that continues to help us attract students to the School.

=> Team Mentor Expectations:

• FYIE runs from 8/22/2023-12/7/2023, with mentors expected to briefly meet with their teams weekly (this translates to 15-25 hours of mentor time over the 4-month Fall term). Three of these meetings are face-to-face as follows: 1) Introductory meeting (week of 8/27); 2) Elevator Pitch Presentations (week of 9/24); and 3) 1^st Round of Team Final Project Presentations (week of 11/5).

• Mentors will spend approximately 1-2 hours per week with their teams on the development of the team’s project improvement idea—both inside and outside of an assigned lab time to provide guidance and discuss any questions the team may have. The attached mentor agreement provides the opportunity to identify times that are convenient for mentors (the FYIE instructional team will accommodate these preferences to the greatest extent possible). 

See You There!