Mentoring is an ancient practice that has seen a surge in popularity during the past 10 years. Formal mentoring programs are increasingly being implemented on college campuses in an effort to boost student retention and to provide additional student support services. In recent years, utilizing students to serve as mentors to other students has been on the rise.
One of the challenges faced by community college leaders is the retention of students, especially underrepresented and nontraditional students. Student withdrawal from colleges in the United States has long been recognized as a significant social, economic, and educational problem (Umoh, Eddy, & Spaulding, 1994).
The successful integration of students into the college environment is a crucial element of raising retention rates. Some common efforts at community colleges to achieve such integration are individual and group advising, student life activities, freshman seminars, and mentoring programs.
Preliminary findings suggest that there is a positive association between participation in a mentoring program and the persistence rates of minority, low-income, and nontraditional students (Kennedy, 2000; Rennick, 2005; Shotton, Oosahwe, & Cintrón, 2007; Stromei, 2000; Tinto, 2002). Additionally, the Puente Project in California and the Washington Achiever’s Program in the state of Washington have proven effective in strengthening retention through a combination of peer mentoring and financial support.
The Community College Mentoring Program
This paper describes the design of a mentoring program sponsored by a Women's Resource Center at one West Coast community college and the challenges of implementing and sustaining the program. This mentoring program for displaced homemakers and disadvantaged students was designed in 2003 and implemented in 2004. The program continued for two additional academic years and then lapsed for the 2007–2008 year due to staffing changes at the center. During the summer of 2008 the program was revived and mentors have been recruited for the 2008–2009 year. The mentoring program is staffed by employees of the center and student volunteers.
I conducted a research study looking at the lived experience of the students who served as mentors and the program design during the first year of the program. I have provided the information from that research study on the themes that emerged from the interviews with the mentors and the program coordinator in this paper.
Information on the Women’s Resource Center and Project Independence
The potential mentors were recruited from previous graduates of the Project Independence program that is offered
1 Vikki Rennick, Ed.D., currently serves as the Training & Development Lead for Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) based in Portland, Oregon. During her first four years at NWREL she served as a trainer for the National Mentoring Center. Additionally, she teaches psychology classes and mentoring seminars at two-year colleges in the Portland area. Her past experience includes designing and delivery of educational seminars and classes for nonprofit managers as a faculty member at Cornell University and in a consultant capacity. She holds a doctorate degree in education from Oregon State University and a master’s degree in psychology. through the Women’s Resource Center at this campus.
The Women’s Resource Center is dedicated to providing a supportive, comfortable, and safe environment to all students. The Center offers programs to support the personal and academic growth of students. It also provides ties to other student support services and community-based social services. Assistance from the center includes personalized help entering college, crisis intervention and problem solving, leadership opportunities for women, drop-in advising and informational workshops.
Project Independence is a tuition-free program designed to serve as a point of entry for returning women students. It is designed for women who are displaced homemakers, low-income, first-generation college students, or a combination of these factors. The program runs for nine weeks and provides an opportunity for women to explore career options and gain self- confidence with a cohort of women in an educational setting. The program is held during fall, winter, and spring terms, and students attending the program receive nine credit hours for attending. The three major components of the program are personal development, career development, and college readiness.
Mentoring Program Design
The mentoring program was designed to serve women who are considering attending the community college and who are participants in Project Independence. Mentors for the program are graduates of Project Independence, most of whom are in their second year of classes at the community college.
The mentoring program sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center was designed as a one-to-one mentoring program with the mentoring relationships continuing for the full academic year. This student-to-student mentoring program was staffed by the center’s counselor who also served as the coordinator for Project Independence. I provided assistance with the design of the mentoring program during my internship with the center in 2003.
A listing of potential mentors is compiled by the Project Independence program coordinator based on their academic success, leadership skills and potential, and goal of working in helping professions such as nursing, counseling, and social services. Letters of invitation to participate are sent out to the potential mentors inviting them to attend an informational meeting about the mentoring program, its requirements, and the potential benefits of participation.
The students who elected to participate as a mentor and attend the required mentor training seminar received one credit for the class. The tuition for the one-credit class is paid by the Women’s Resource Center. The seminar is offered on two Saturdays at the beginning of fall term. Childcare services and lunch are also provided for individuals attending the class. No other financial benefit is provided for serving as a volunteer mentor.
Program Year One
Planning for the first year of the mentoring program included gathering information on what other mentoring program efforts had occurred on the campus, at other community colleges and reviewing existing literature on best practices.
A course content and outcome guide was prepared and submitted to the college administration for review and approval. After approval was received a description for the Mentoring Returning Women Students course was completed for distribution to students.
Eleven women students were invited to complete the requirements for serving as a volunteer mentor. Program requirements included: a nine-month commitment, completion of the two-day mentor training seminar, and attending seven mentor support group meetings. Benefits of participation, as listed in the recruitment flier for the mentoring program, included work experience, letter of recommendation, strengths-based supervision, experience of support and learning in a community of other mentors, and ability to contribute to the empowerment of a woman student. Two of the 11 women students invited to participate as mentors had prior commitments for the dates of the required training and, therefore, were unable to participate.
The opportunity to have a mentor was presented to the 20 individuals attending the Project Independence program during fall term 2004. They received an overview of the mentoring program and applications. The women were invited to speak with the mentoring program coordinator if they were interested in pursuing this opportunity. Additionally, seven of the nine trained mentors attended a potluck for the class, held at the end of fall term. This occasion offered the potential mentees the opportunity to meet with the women mentors. A total of four students from fall term 2004 indicated their interest in the program and each was paired with one of the eligible mentors. As there were still mentors available without mentees, it was decided to offer the opportunity to have a mentor to the 19 students who had participated in the winter term 2005 (January– March 2005) Project Independence program. Four of these individuals asked to be paired with a mentor. In all cases, the mentoring program coordinator determined which mentor would be matched with which mentee.
Two of the matches dissolved prior to the end of the academic year. In one situation a student being mentored (mentee) decided not to continue classes. In the other case, the mentee repeatedly missed appointments and did not return telephone calls - the match was terminated by request of the mentor.
The year-end review indicated a need for more contact with the mentors and mentees by the program coordinator or a program volunteer. Additionally, development of an orientation booklet for mentees to clearly articulate expectations and responsibilities was recommended.
Program Year Two and Three
The program design for years two and three was similar to the first year with the addition of a student volunteer who helped coordinate the program by providing basic support in recruiting mentors, answering questions about the mentoring program requirements, and completing basic program paperwork.
The required mentor training seminar continued to be provided by the Project Independent program coordinator and the students mentors receive one credit hour for attending the training, paid by the Women’s Resource Center. Eight women students completed the required training in both years.
As in Year One, the opportunity to have a mentor was presented to the individuals attending the Project Independence program during fall term and they received an overview of the mentoring program and applications.
Challenges in these two years included balancing staff workload with the ongoing needs of mentors and scheduling of mentor support group meetings that fit with student availability.
Program Year Four
The staffing of the Women’s Resource Center changed when the center director resigned in 2006. The Project Independence program coordinator subsequently assumed the interim director position. Due to the increased responsibilities she was not able to continue her efforts with implementing the mentoring program for 2007 - 2008. The program was put on hold until additional staffing and resources were in place continue the program.
Program Year Five
The full staffing of the Women’s Resource Center and Project Independence was filled by the end of the 2007 - 2008 academic year. The approved 2008 - 2009 budget for the center added funding to hire a part-time staff person to work with the center director to prepare and deliver the mentoring program seminar and staff the mentor group meetings.
For the 2008-09 academic year, the goal is the have twelve mentors. Over thirty students have been invited to an informational meeting to learn about the mentoring programs and its requirements. The mentor training is scheduled for the first two Saturdays in fall term. The students who complete the mentor training will receive 1-credit class as in past years. The opportunity to be matched one-to-one with a mentor will be explained at the fall term Project Independence first class.
Mentoring Program Research
During the first year of the program, the 2004- 2005 academic year, six of the nine mentors with the Project Independence program participated in my doctoral research study on their experience serving as a mentor. The research was conducted over a nine-month period via interviews, observation, and field notes.
Six themes emerged from the interviews with the participants and subsequent analysis of the data: 1) reflecting on past experience; 2) wanting to help; 3) setting and maintaining boundaries; 4) experiencing strong emotions; 5) relational support from other women; and 6) mentoring as a reciprocal relationship.
To protect confidentiality, pseudonyms are used for each of the mentors, research participants. The information following on the six themes contain quotes from the first year mentors. Additionally, the name of the college has not been used in this paper or in the research study to further protect the privacy of the students.
Reflecting on Past Experience
The experience of preparing to serve as a mentor and actively mentoring brought back memories of what they had experienced when they decided to attend or return to college and when they first entered the Project Independence program. All of the mentors spoke about challenges they faced when they were new to the community college. This experience of reflection is underscored in the literature relating to mentoring and is a common experience for mentors.
The participants spoke of several common experiences when reflecting back on their entry into the community college. First, they spoke of a feeling of being intimidated and/or overwhelmed by the process. They were concerned that others would think they were dumb, stupid, or incapable—not up to the task. Second, for most mentors, was a related feeling of being excluded, of not having all the information and not belonging to the group. There was a sense that a set of information on how to succeed was shared by others, but they did not have access to it and did not know how to go about getting access. Third, they shared a general feeling of not having personal power in the past, that others were in control of their life choices (parents, husband, employers, etc.) and that they could only react to the circumstances presented to them.
Sharon underscored this feeling when relaying what she hoped to give to her mentee: “to have somebody they can ask questions to, that’s not going to make them feel like they’re stupid for asking. Because when you’re kicked back out into the college campus life, and, and trying to adjust and get along, you feel like you almost should know these things, but you don’t.”
Wanting to Help
The participants stated an underlying desire to help other students avoid the frustration that can come with being new to college life and to balance home, work, and academic achievement. They felt that by sharing the knowledge they had gained during their college experience they could help others avoid potential barriers to academic success and difficulties with the college system. The experience of giving back and helping others reaffirmed the participants’ view of themselves as successful in their role as college students and uplifted their confidence in their own abilities.
Setting and Maintaining Boundaries
The purpose for boundaries is to protect and take care of ourselves. Having boundaries clarified in a mentoring relationship serves two purposes. First, it provides a framework for the mentoring relationship. Second, it provides the mentor with guidance on how much is reasonable to expect to give. Setting and maintaining boundaries both on a personal and professional level was mentioned by all six mentors. Linda stated that she “goes back to the mentor training materials related to boundaries” when she is uncertain of how much to become involved. Mari said that the information on boundaries was important because she “did not have any” in her (early) personal experiences. Karen discussed how she works to keep her personal challenges out of the mentoring relationship and to keep her personal boundaries in the relationships. She shared how she serves as a sounding board for her mentee but “I have my own sounding board.”
Questions that arose for the mentors ranged from how much, if any, personal information to give out; to asking the Women’s Resource Center staff in what instances could they refer the mentee there for assistance.
Desire to Do No Harm
Mentors stated concern with ensuring that they were giving out accurate information and sound advice. The mentoring program coordinator verified that most of the mentors had checked in with her regarding the level of advice and guidance they were providing to the mentees. The mentors also were cognizant of the need to know when to refer their mentee to another person either if they did not have the information needed or the mentee needed counseling or guidance beyond the scope of the mentoring role. Karen stated, “I am confident enough to say I don’t know that and I need to give you a name of someone who might answer that.” Five of the mentors spoke about learning how to listen in a nonjudgmental way and the importance of “being there fully for the mentee.” Four of the six mentors also discussed referring their mentee, or student they were informally mentoring, to the counselor at the Women’s Resource Center.
Experiencing Strong Emotions
There were several strong emotions that were experienced by the participants in this study. When waiting for the mentor-mentee relationship to begin the participants were in a state of anticipation, a waiting for the experience to begin. For some this anticipation moved into frustration and disappointment when their relationship with the mentee was not realized. There was also anxiety about what to expect in the relationship and in projecting if they would be able to meet the needs of the mentee.
The occurrence of experiencing strong emotions was not a topic covered in the literature on mentoring. Yet, for this group of women, it was a key component in their experience of becoming mentors. The level of anxiety and frustration were, at times, intense.
Karen worked through an awkward period when her mentee did not return phone calls to continue on with her mentee providing emotional support, advice, and listening. All of the mentors stated they were anxious when waiting to hear if they had been assigned a mentee.
Relational Support from Other Women
All the women who were participants in the research study entered the college via the Project Independence program, a component of the Women’s Resource Center. They shared stories of support that they had received from the Center’s staff and, in particular, the staff counselor and the coordinator of the new mentoring program. The graduates of the Project Independence program have a special bond and frequent the Center’s office to have coffee, chat, and to use the computer or telephone available for students. The Center also has a leadership team that is available on a regular basis to help students navigate the college system and to provide peer support. Suzanne points to the calm presence of the program’s counselor and the support she has received from the staff of the Women’s Resource Center as one of the reasons she has been successful at the college.
Mentoring as a Reciprocal Relationship
Daloz (1999) describes mentoring as a journey that is transformational for both the mentor and the person being mentored. This premise is further supported by Vivian Mott (2002), who states, “Mentoring relationships hold great mutual promise for adults— whether as mentors or protégés— in terms of understanding and negotiating life’s challenging developmental processes, while promoting friendship, assurance, career advancement, rejuvenation, and transformation” (p.13).
Participants in the research study spoke of receiving benefits from the relationship and learning from their mentee. There was also a sense that the relationship changed each party in the mentoring relationship and that each person grew from that experience. Karen stated the mentoring experience was “just people meeting people, talking about “Where I’ve been, where they’ve been, where she’s been. She can help me there.”
The six study participants ranged in age from 29 to 51 and represent diverse socioeconomic strata, racial and ethnic heritages, and life paths. Two grew up in extreme poverty. All were, during the time of the research study, living on an income of less than $1,000 per month, most on less than $800. Four are first-generation college students. Two women stated that they self-identify as black/African American and the others identify as white/Caucasian. All have children, with the number of children ranging from one to three.
These six women shared some basic attributes. All were offered the opportunity to be a part of the mentoring program because their career goal was to work in one of the helping professions such as nursing, counseling, and social services. They had good academic standing and they showed leadership potential.
Summary
The Project Independence mentoring program has a strong structure to recruit, train, and support their program mentors. Increasing contact with the mentees via periodic check-in with program staff would assist in ensuring they are clear about their responsibilities to the program and provides an opportunity for them to voice any problems they may be experiencing with their mentor. The provision of college credit for attending the required seminar provided an incentive for participation in the program but of most importance is that it provided recognition of the student mentors’ role and service in easing the way for new students to enter and participate in college life.
Stable allocation of resources for mentoring programs is critical for implementation and continuation of this effective student retention activity. Funding of mentoring programs is a cost effective means for colleges to attract and retain new students and for keeping existing students, especially nontraditional students, engaged and enrolled.
Wiltshire (1998) describes mentors as “those companions for the journey who give us the courage to be who are.” The students who stepped forward to volunteer as mentors for the Project Independence program became the companions for the new students whose beginning was filled with uncertainty and questions. And during that journey the mentors found a deeper understanding of self and of each other.
References
Daloz, L.A. (1999). Mentor: Guiding the journey of adult learners. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Kennedy, D.B. (2000). The impact of a peer mentor program on mentor and protégé participants in the community college setting (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University, 2000). Dissertation Abstracts International, 61(5), 1722.
Mott, V.W. (2002). Emerging perspectives on mentoring: Fostering adult learning and development. In C. A. Hansman (Ed.), Critical perspectives on mentoring: Trends and issues (pp. 5–14). Columbus, OH: Ohio State University, ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education.
Rennick, V. (2005). The lived experience of women student mentors. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Oregon State University. (AAT 3209412).
Shotton, H.J., Oosahwe, E.S.L., Cintrón, R. (2007). Stories of success: Experiences of American Indian students in a peer- mentoring retention program. The Review of Higher Education, 31(1), 81–107.
Stromei, L.K. (2000). Increasing retention and success through mentoring. In S.R. Aragon (Ed.), Beyond access: Methods and models for increasing retention and learning among minority students (pp. 55–62). San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass.
Tinto, V. (2002, October). Enhancing student persistence: Connecting the dots. Paper presented at the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education’s Optimizing the Nation’s Investment: Persistence and Success in Postsecondary Education conference, Madison, WI.
Umoh, U.J., Eddy, J., & Spaulding, D.J. (1994). Factors related to student retention in community college developmental education mathematics. Community College Review, 22(2), 37–47.
Wiltshire, S.F. (1998). Athena's disguises: Mentors in everyday life. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
