About the Program

You know that college graduates get better jobs, have greater opportunities, and develop more rewarding lives. A large university can be a tough place to find your way. There's no reason for you to leave Pitt without valuable life skills and a solid, marketable degree.  “RISE: Reaching Inside Your Soul for Excellence” will guide you toward graduating with a degree you’re proud of because you earned it.

RISE was created because we want you to do more than just “attend” Pitt. We want you to connect to the University of Pittsburgh and your fellow students and build the skills necessary to finish your degree and become a successful professional.

Your RISE mentor will be with you every step of the way, working with you as you take responsibility for your future by having meaningful discussions about your problems, setting achievable goals, attending weekly meetings and study sessions, concentrating on your values and beliefs, and becoming involved on campus.

The RISE Program will also make you aware of threats to your success. Among these are an unfavorable institutional environment, academic “disidentification,” lack of academic resilience, and stereotypes. As a RISE student, you will learn how to positively and effectively change your environment, develop interpersonal coping strategies, and improve self-perception through reflection, introspection, dialogue, involvement, and action.

RISE Mission

The mission of the RISE Mentoring Program is to increase dramatically the retention and graduation rates of all students. The University’s commitment to student development, academics, socialization, mentoring, global awareness, and community development is inherent in RISE and provides students with a comprehensive learning experience designed to facilitate their success.

RISE employs strategies designed to improve students’ academic efficacy, encourage and facilitate student involvement, strengthen connectedness to mentors, improve students’ self awareness, and programmatically address other specific and unique needs of undergraduate students. 

Enrollment 

All undergraduate students at the University of Pittsburgh's Oakland Campus are eligible to join the RISE Mentoring Program. Students range from freshmen to seniors and represent all academic schools. Current enrollment in the RISE Mentoring Program is 150 students. 

RISE Promise

We will Reach Inside our Souls for Excellence.
We will rise to a better future.
We will rise to meet the demands of the University and resist temptations that lead us astray.
We will strive for our goals and work to achieve greatness.
We will reach back to those who follow and serve as beacons of success.
We will embrace challenges and walk in success with humility.
We accept the RISE Promise and our commitment to civility, respect, and dignity.
We rise to be leaders toward a better self, a better Pitt, a better global society.
We are each other's keeper.
We are...RISE.