Impact of Mentoring on Student Success

Abstract Formal mentorship programs aim to educate, encourage, and support individuals with less experience, less resources, etc. in achieving their personal and professional goals. Crisp and Cruz (2009) provide a comprehensive review of college student mentoring research from 1990 to 2007. A key conclusion was that many mentoring studies have not been theoretically-based. This deficiency had been recognized in a similar review by Jacobi in 1991. One consequence is a lack of common definition of mentoring in the literature. Another is difficulty in identifying the key components of the mentoring relationship that are most critical in supporting students' academic success. Crisp and Cruz point out that 'mentoring' may not be generalizable across student populations (4-year vs. 2-year, majority vs. minority, different majors/career tracks, peer vs. faculty mentoring, etc.). Thus, continued investigation of potential links between mentoring attributes and student success is warranted. The College at University implemented a new, alumni mentoring program for the 2022-2023 academic year. The purpose of the current study is to understand potential correlations between participation in mentoring relationships and positive academic, self-efficacy, and career awareness outcomes for the proteges (students). Components of three mentoring assessment instruments were combined and administered to first-year students in the college. The first, the College Student Mentoring Scale, was used to understand the presence of a mentor-like presence in students' life and was administered as a pre- and post-semester survey (Fall 2022) to all new domestic students in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, regardless of whether or not they are participating in the alumni mentoring program. Students who are participating in the program were also be invited to take an end-of-semester survey (Fall 2022) integrating items from the Mentorship Measure and Mentoring Functions instruments. These items evaluate participant's perceptions of the alumni mentoring experience and its value. Results of the surveys will be integrated with academic outcomes from the Fall 2022 semester and correlations will be discussed. Additionally, challenges and lessons learned in the process of implementing the new mentoring program will be reported.