Concepts derived from past research presented in the University of New Mexico’s 2012 Mentoring Conference paper “Creating a Mentor Training Program for Transformational Mentoring in the University of Minnesota Leadership Programs” led to the creation of a new training program for Transformational Mentoring.  In this paper, third in our ongoing study of Transformational Mentoring, we discuss the results of that training program based on new surveys that complement last year’s work. As in previous research, the framework for our study incorporates Sharon Daloz Parks’ three broad developmental concepts: “(1) becoming critically aware of one’s own composing of reality, (2) self-consciously participating in an ongoing dialogue toward truth, and (3) cultivating a capacity to respond—to act—in ways that are satisfying and just” (Parks, 2000, p. 6).  The survey participants again represent three co-curricular leadership programs that are open to the university at large: First Year Leadership Institute, LeaderQuest and the Tom Burnett Leadership Program. Each participant has a mentor selected from senior students, faculty, staff and community, representing a variety of professions for interdisciplinary development. The training approach is highly interactive and participatory, including experiential mentoring simulations.  Tools and resources used in the training will be made available to all. We believe that the maturing training program helps all mentors to be effective in establishing a developmental relationship leading to a transformational experience, and the achievement of Parks’ goals.

In a paper presented at the University of New Mexico's 2011 Mentoring Conference, Ron Frazzini and Alex Fink outlined a tentative and theoretical categorical distinction between two types of mentoring: informational and transformational. Informational mentoring is oriented toward providing information, assistance, and advice from mentor to mentee, and is a burgeoning field of research. Transformational mentoring is oriented toward changing the perspectives, mindsets, and habits of mentees, often through a Socratic model of questioning. There is very little research in this field. Especially lacking are practical steps to becoming or training transformational mentors. This poster outlines a study designed to solicit transformational mentoring practices. It tentatively suggests characteristics and processes necessary in mentor training programs to orient mentors toward transformational mentoring.

Programs for transformational mentoring at the University of Minnesota strive to incorporate Sharon Daloz Parks’ three important concepts: “(1) becoming critically aware of one’s own composing of reality, (2) self-consciously participating in an ongoing dialogue toward truth, and (3) cultivating a capacity to respond—to act—in ways that are satisfying and just” (Parks, 2000, p. 6). Results of a pilot study on the effectiveness of achieving Parks’ goals in a mentoring program designed for developing leadership and personal growth show promising development of the three concepts. By examining two years of student evaluations and mentor feedback, the study examines the process of transformational development resulting from leadership program mentoring. The co-curricular program LeaderQuest has been in operation for twenty-nine years with a structure that includes a formal mentorship pairing of a student with an older adult, a peer mentoring relationship with another student participant and weekly seminars on leadership concepts.  Participants are drawn from across all undergraduate departments while the mentors are from faculty, staff and community, representing a variety of professions for interdisciplinary interaction.  A mentor coordinator, aided by a team of experienced mentors, creates mentor pairings based on application and interview information from students and potential mentors.  Training is based on experience level, and the mentor coordinator maintains communication during the program.  This pilot study and presentation is a precursor to a larger study identifying specific practices for mentor training. Data is available from programs that serve a broad spectrum of specific interests and groups, and range in purpose from career development to personal growth. 

From career based mentoring programs dating back at least three decades to new programs, some specifically centered in the various culturally diverse campus organizations, mentoring across the University of Minnesota Campus is vibrant and growing. Specific programs within most colleges are career oriented and match students with professionals in the specific field of interest. Other programs actively match university students with youth in local schools or provide culturally diverse mentor/mentee relationships in on-campus organizations. Within several co-curricular programs, particularly directed toward leadership development, both peer mentoring and mentoring that matches students with qualified members of the University and outside community emphasize the career and psychosocial elements that have been identified as basic to a mentoring relationship. Beginning with a brief description of the career-based programs, specific co-curricular leadership programs incorporated in the Office of Student Affairs will be explored. Included is a review of recent mentoring research as well as the relationship of University of Minnesota survey results to mentoring program design. Finally, the direct relationship of mentoring with improvements in University proscribed Student Development Outcomes will be shown.