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Helpful Tips for Meeting with a PASS Volunteer or Graduate Mentor

  1. To help avoid unnecessary delays in response when contacting a PASS Volunteer or Graduate Mentor:
    1. Include "PASS" in the subject line when contacting a PASS Coordinator or Volunteer by e-mail. Telephone or faxed messages should also refer to "PASS."
    2. Include "La Verne ACADEMIC SUPPORT" in the subject line when contacting a Graduate Mentor by e-mail. Telephone or faxed messages should also refer to "La Verne Academic Support."
  2. Mention several possible times that you can definitely meet in your first e-mail or telephone message to the PASS Volunteer or Graduate Mentor. This will prevent an e-mail or phone tag problem.
  3. If you have a preference for a particular PASS Volunteer, mention that to the PASS Coordinator and they will try to set you up with that person.
  4. If you have difficulty meeting with one of the PASS Volunteers, inform the PASS Coordinators or Professor Garcia. It may be that your schedules are not compatible or that the Volunteer has urgent projects that hinder meeting. It may be necessary to make alternate arrangements. Don't give up!
  5. If you have difficulty contacting one of the Graduate Mentors, let Professor Garcia know; the Graduate Mentor may be in trial or away from his or her office. It may be necessary to make alternate arrangements. Don't give up!
  6. Include your contact information in every e-mail or message to a PASS Coordinator, PASS Volunteer, or Graduate Mentor, even if you've given it to them before. This will help ensure they can return your e-mail or message as quickly as possible. It also ensures they can contact you if they need to re-schedule an arranged meeting.
  7. Let the PASS Coordinator and Volunteer or Graduate Mentor know what you would like to work on when scheduling an appointment in advance so the PASS Volunteer or Graduate Mentor can prepare. It might be necessary for the PASS Volunteer or Graduate Mentor to review the particular area of law you would like help with. Be as specific as possible!
  8. If you have trouble with a particular area, try to isolate the difficulties into specific questions. For example, it would be more efficient to ask, "How do you tell the difference between incidental and consequential damages?" than to ask for a general explanation of contract damages.
  9. Avoid changing your mind about what you want to work on after scheduling an appointment, unless you are able to give the PASS Volunteer or Graduate Mentor adequate advance notice. Changing your mind needlessly wastes the Volunteer or Mentor's time spent preparing for the original appointment topic. It also creates the risk that the Volunteer or Mentor will not be adequately prepared for the "new" topic.
  10. Bring your study materials with you to appointments, and, if possible, to walk-in consultations.
  11. Try to set aside about an hour for each session. This is better than having several 15-minute sessions with the PASS Volunteer or Graduate Mentor every time a question comes up. Remember that some questions can be answered by e-mail or telephone, though. It's better to have your questions answered when they are relevant than to wait until the end of the semester.
  12. Although PASS Volunteers are happy to help, and don't mind quick questions in the hallways, try to limit such questions to those that really can be answered quickly. If you have questions about a particular subject area, it's better to schedule time with a PASS Volunteer so he or she can review in advance, or use the library walk-in hours so sufficient time can be devoted to helping you.
  13. Although PASS Volunteers will be available during the exam preparation period, please remember that they are also preparing for their own finals and may not be able to respond to your questions as quickly as you would like. Try to allow time for a response. It's even better if you request help throughout the semester, as needed, instead of waiting until near the end of the semester.
  14. If a PASS Volunteer or Graduate Mentor was helpful, tell your classmates about the PASS and Graduate Mentor programs and get them involved, too.