“We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give.” -Douglas M. Lawson (Maxwell, p. 3)
An Introduction
“Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) enrolls about 13,000 students and offers 83 undergraduate majors and 120 areas of study within six academic colleges - business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, sciences and mathematics, and liberal and applied arts” (SFA, “About Us”). The school of theatre is made up of approximately 150 majors and 20 minors. The school offers 5 separate degree plans including BA, BA with Teacher’s Certification, and BFA degrees in performance, stage management and tech/design. There are 8 full-time faculty and 3 adjunct faculty. According to the SFA website, “SFA provides the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school” (SFA, “About Us”). This is true of the school of theatre in general feel and intent as stated in the schools’ mission and core values. However, the number of students and the number of productions within a typical semester (7-8 produced student-directed short plays, 3-4 one act or full length student productions with student designers in the studio theatre, 2 faculty directed and designed productions in the proscenium theatre, in addition to a traveling musical/improvisation troupe and a very active Alpha Psi Omega chapter) put the faculty at the extreme borders of maintaining that personal connection with all of the students all of the time.
The school of theatre holds auditions for the faculty directed plays on the first day of classes. The next several days involve callbacks and auditions for the student productions, the improvisation troupe and the student-directed short plays. Shortly after that, all crew assignments are made and posted. Many of the crew positions are filled by a production lab course requirement so students are being notified of their expectations to maintain that course grade. Approximately 100 performance roles and 175 crew and design assignments are generated within 1-2 weeks of the beginning of the semester. In the meantime, classes have already begun, rehearsals for the first productions have started and we are well into building the first faculty directed and the first student directed productions in the shops. This dizzying hubbub of activity is fairly normal for a seasoned theatre student but can be extremely overwhelming for a timid freshman or incoming transfer student.
Facing the challenges of college, in general, is an overwhelming feat for many students. The typical SFA student is a first generation college student and often comes with limited college preparation. When they arrive, they are faced with roommates, maps of campus, lectures on libraries, food plans, new friends (or no friends), a plethora of information and then they arrive in the theatre building and stumble upon a beehive of activity. If they didn’t manage to attend or understand everything told to them at an orientation, chances are they have already missed signing up for auditions, will hopefully manage to not miss our majors and minors meeting on the first evening, and can only understand every third word coming at them.
There have been efforts made in the past to assist with the vast amount of information. Most notably, there is a student handbook with general information and degree checklists. However, due to the expense of printing (and the waste) that handbook has been placed online. And, though that actually does make it more accessible for those looking for it, it seems to be missed by the incoming student until they have had more time to meet with their faculty advisor at the end of the fall semester. Each student is assigned a faculty advisor. However, they usually have been advised by the chair or other faculty member in the summer to begin the fall semester with general entry-level courses and are expected to seek an advisor assignment from the chair that semester. So they typically begin seeing their faculty advisor at the end of the fall semester.
The ramifications of this pile up of information are varied. Some students acclimate well. They seek theatre friends or approach faculty with ease to ask questions. Others manage through that semester with little negative effect until they can enter the fall slightly more prepared. Unfortunately, a few just get lost in the mix. Either they fail to complete their production lab crew assignment, miss auditions and become discouraged actors, or just let fear affect their determination to be a theatre student. In this way, the school sometimes loses majors or has less successful majors than desired. In the end, a certain amount of determination and self-motivation must exist in any student in order to succeed in college and certainly in the theatre profession. Therefore, there are certainly a few students who may simply have been pursuing the wrong major or just not ready for college at all. However, it is the conviction of the school of theatre to make sure that all possible techniques, skills and tools are utilized to assist the retention and success of these theatre majors.
The Mentoring Idea
Knowing that the faculty is heavily loaded with courses, productions, advising, recruiting and professional obligations, it was clear that any program developed to assist with this problem must not add further burden to the faculty. Therefore, a plan has been developed to create a peer-mentoring program where juniors and seniors of good standing will act as mentors to incoming students helping them through the obstacles of the university and the school and encouraging their success. The overall energy of the program can change for the better and the success of our graduates increase as they are mentored and develop into mentors. Tapping into a student’s undiscovered ability to mentor is important to their overall success. “Authentic mentors never stop mentoring. Over the years, mentoring becomes a deeply engrained and consistently expressed facet on the mentor’s personality.” (Johnson, p. 133)
The truth is, theatre students already act as mentors for each other in many cases. However, with no formal mentoring program established, we cannot be sure to mentor all of the students that need that attention. Also, without training and understanding of what it is to truly serve as a mentor, what should be a developmental relationship strengthening the skills of the mentees while endowing the mentors with the leadership skills involved and building mentees into future mentors will not be achieved. It is in formalizing the process of peer mentoring and teaching and exemplifying a mentoring state of mind that will help build and strengthen the connections within and outside of the school of theatre. Therefore, a formal peer-mentoring program should be designed and implemented to support the school of theatre and its core values. The program was organized as a full year plan but there was an opportunity to attempt it in a one semester “pilot” version in the spring of 2013. After soliciting support from the chair and the faculty, I put the pilot program into affect at the end of the fall semester.
The Pilot Program
The first step was to prepare an application and basic expectations of a mentor. The faculty determined that mentors should be juniors or seniors in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.0 or better in theatre classes and must have completed at least two semesters at SFA as a theatre major. The time commitment for the pilot program was one training session (4 hours), two full group gatherings at the beginning and end of the semester (2 hours each) and three monthly meetings with mentees (1.5 hours each); which was a total commitment of 12.5 hours over the course of the semester. Four students applied but one ultimately did not return to school in the fall due to financial constraints. Therefore, my first group of mentors were a BFA stage manager and two BA teaching certification students.
The training day consisted of supplying the mentors with a variety of campus and school information and a clear plan of the program. We discussed methods of how the mentors may choose to communicate and stay in touch with the mentees over the course of the semester. Social media was discussed and both positive and negative aspects were covered. It was cautioned that the mentees should have ease of contact but also feel comfortable to share personal information privately with their mentor if necessary. During this meeting, I was also able to arrange QPR training from the university counseling services. This is a suicide prevention program and training gave my mentors certification as “Suicide Prevention Gatekeepers.”
All freshmen, transfers, new majors and students on probation were contacted and expected to attend the first general meeting. This gave us an opportunity to have an informational session for them that would recap a lot of information they may have heard in their orientations but also give them a smaller gathering than the majors and minors meeting to meet others and ask questions. The program was introduced and described. With only 3 mentors and approximately 50 new students, I made the program voluntary and asked those that were interested in participating to sign in to elect to participate. 72 students were invited and 45 attended. 18 students signed up for the pilot program. Those students were then divided among the 3 mentors who were instructed to meet with their group, set up methods of contact and meet each month. Topics were suggested for each month according to the typical school of theatre activities occurring within the semester. For instance, at the first meeting it was suggested that the mentors show the mentees where the postings for production assignments was located and discuss the various types of assignments listed. Where, later in the semester, they would cover items like finals week and what to expect toward the end of the semester.
Pilot Program Analysis
At the end of the semester we gathered together to get feedback on the pilot program. At that meeting many successes and failures were identified and a plan for the future program was developed. Among the failures of the pilot program was the lack of actual participation on the part of about 15 of the 18 students. They never seemed to embrace the potential of the program and found themselves too immersed in the busy schedule of school to make contact with their mentors. Starting in the second semester is the most probable cause of the lack of participation as well as not specifying specific dates for the mentees to meet with the mentors.
Successes of the pilot program include the 3 students who embraced the opportunity to connect with their mentors. Two of those three mentees have applied to be mentors next year. The third is still a sophomore and not eligible to mentor yet. The program also gathered a lot of interest from current students and we had 20 applicants to be mentors in the 2013-14 academic year. And, having implemented a one-semester pilot program allowed us to discover many ways to improve the program and fully develop it for success in its first full year. Participating mentors and mentees discussed various ways to improve upon the program. All participants in the discussion voted that the continuance of the program would be useful and promote the successes intended. There are several ways that we can ensure that the first full year program succeeds. A list of potential improvements was generated from the discussion and sorted into three major categories.
The first category is generating excitement about the program. Those that participated in the program see the advantages and are excited to participate. We are faced with getting the word out to others about the program in a way that promotes enthusiasm about mentoring. Clearly the message has spread among upperclassmen that mentoring is rewarding as the 2 of the original 3 mentors are repeating the program (the third graduated) and they have actively recruited 20 more applicants. Subsequently, there will be 18 mentors in the 2013-14 school year. With 18 mentors, we can make the mentoring program available to all incoming students. Although “mandatory” mentoring is not our goal, the availability of a mentor to each incoming student is. This way all students are offered the opportunity to embrace the mentoring advantage. The ways of making it exciting to incoming students that we discussed include light competitions between the mentoring groups, point systems set up to encourage participation, and developing team pride within each group as well as an overall school of theatre mentality of success. Other ways of creating pride and excitement may include t-shirts and team names. Awards will be offered at the end of the year for the highest scoring team with the scores based on school of theatre participation.
The second area in which the program needs development is clearly scheduling meetings and events before the beginning of the semester. Setting the full company meetings and group meetings ahead of time will remove any confusion of the participants’ expectations and clarify much of the perceived lack of communication noted in the pilot program. The group was also interested in adding full company study sessions; which would encourage the new students to ask questions among all of the mentors about their experiences with theatre or core classes; which they are taking. The idea is that, given 18 mentors, it is certain that someone in the mentor group will have taken the theatre classes that the mentees are taking and it is likely that someone within the mentor group will have taken the core classes as well. Also, the upper classmen can share study techniques and resources that they know providing the mentees with 18 times the experience in a community study session. It is also believed that setting out with specific dates planned will encourage new students to develop better time management skills as they enter their university experience. A schedule will be produced that will make sure to incorporate all school of theatre productions, recruiting events, and other activities along with all expected small group and company meetings for the mentoring program. Every effort will be made to avoid conflicts with the understanding that there will always be some sort of conflict somewhere. To that end, we will discuss the skill of setting priorities.
Finally, the group determined that there should be a central source for the above planned resources. The development of a folder or planner that incorporates the schedule, contact information, important School of Theatre data, university resources, etc… all in one place for ease of reference. The goal is to produce an agenda binder that will be fun and full of information. It should be something that the mentees rely upon heavily and take pride in having. This document should encourage time management, team participation, and goal setting as well as a resource of important contact information for school of theatre and university resources.
Moving Forward
The plan for moving forward into 2013-14 is in place. It addresses all of the ideas produced through the analysis of the pilot program experience. As stated, 18 mentors have been selected for next year. The selection process included submitting a written essay stating the applicant’s interest in the program and what he/she would hope to gain. The responses were enlightening and uplifting. The applicants, as a whole, recognize that this program would have benefitted them greatly as incoming students and are committed to making it successful for the new students. They also see that this is an opportunity for them to give back and to grow as supportive leaders in their program. We have created a private Facebook page to maintain communication. Upon acceptance, each mentor excitedly responded and joined the group. One particularly artistic member of the group is working on t-shirt designs for the program and the others have been assigned editing tasks on the rough draft on the agenda for the mentees.
After the initial planning of the layout of the program, I have begun searching for financial funding to cover expenses. A grant proposal has been drafted and grants are being researched. In the case that deadlines do not facilitate financial backing by this fall, I have submitted a proposal for a university sponsored mini grant through the Office of Academic Affairs. Expected expenses include the printing costs of the mentee agenda, t-shirts, awards, certificates, training personnel for the mentors, and food for the full company gatherings.
In addition to the available university resources that can be arranged for the mentor training such as the QPR (suicide prevention) training, I am seeking outside training resources as well. These options should add variety and provide a deeper experience for the mentors. Topics may include active listening, creating personal boundaries, and other important skills for mentors. I am currently working with a professional career coach and we are searching for other types of coaches that would be beneficial and inspiring to the mentors. These coaches will be brought to the two training days that I have scheduled for the mentors before each semester begins. Financial resources to pay coaches are included in my financial needs for which I am seeking grant money.
Ideas incorporated to add excitement and encourage participation include a well-prepared agenda with clear details of the program, t-shirts, group challenges, and troupe names. The agenda includes a point earning system for participation in the program such as attending meetings and study clinics and participating in the school of theatre recruiting events, ushering for shows, attending shows, and volunteering in other ways. Each mentor will be expected to rally their troupe to compete and participate to get awards at the end of the year. Meetings scheduled are either “full company” or “troupe” meetings. “Full company” refers to all mentors and mentees while “troupe” refers to each mentor and his/her “understudies”. Each troupe will determine their troupe name. Full company gatherings will be held at the beginning and end of each semester with food and prizes. Troupe meetings will be held monthly. Two full company study clinics are scheduled at mid semester and near the end of the semester to offer opportunities to prepare specifically for mid-term and final exams. The terms “full company,” “troupe,” and “understudy” are used to keep the program linked to theatrical terms while I feel that the term “mentor” is an important term that need not be substituted.
The agenda prepared for the understudies also addresses the observation from the pilot program of communication challenges. Every effort has been made to include on the calendar all productions, recruiting events, and special events in the school for the entire academic year. All of the company meetings, study clinics, and troupe meetings have been inserted. School of theatre contacts as well as common university resources are listed. There is a school of theatre “glossary” that defines all of the common jargon used in the program. There is a specific place for understudies to list their point earning activities and have a supervisor sign for credit. And, finally, the agenda includes monthly planning pages to encourage goal setting and time management. The agenda both provides clarity of communication, specific expectations of the program as well as a focal point to provide and to gather information.
Assessment
Finally, I am putting into place a plan for assessment of the program. Potential benchmarks of a successful program would include fewer theatre students on the ineligible list after their first semester or year, fewer students on academic probation and fewer drop-outs. Other less measureable affects might be higher participation of all students in production and recruiting activities, and a general improvement of school pride that could affect recruitment and success of all theatre majors. I am working with the chair of the school of theatre to gather data regarding academic suspensions, ineligible students and non-completing majors. Students become ineligible to participate in productions by not successfully completing a production assignment, for a GPA below 2.0 or for not completing a set amount of credit hours within a semester. Seeing the number of students reaching that list become smaller may be a result of the program.
As fall 2013 approaches, an energetic beginning to the school year is anticipated for our next set of incoming majors. Plans are in motion and my team is established. I am dedicated to mentoring and providing a healthy mentoring state of mind for the school of theatre. My mission is to develop strong developmental relationships between the mentors and mentees; which should provide the peer-mentoring program with the momentum to continue by encouraging mentees to grow into future mentors. “The best mentors are students of other mentors” (Al Huang, p. 17) This process will develop stronger students and stronger peer relationships within the school; which in turn should create stronger relationships outside of the school. As students learn to cultivate their mentoring relationships, both mentors and mentees will learn collaborative skills, communication techniques, leadership skills, study skills, and general social skills that will not only affect their academic futures but also their personal and professional successes.
REFERENCES
Al Huang, C., & Lynch, J. (1995). Mentoring: The Tao of Giving and Receiving Wisdom. New York: Harper Collins
Johnson, W.B., & Ridley, C.R. (2004). The Elements of Mentoring. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Maxwell, J. C. (2008). Mentoring 101. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
Omatsu, Glenn. “Peer Mentoring Resource Booklet”. Retrieved from www.csun.edu/eop/htdocs/peermentoring.pdf
Stephen F. Austin State University. “About SFA”. Retrieved from http://www.sfasu.edu/5574.asp
Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre. “Core Values”. Retrieved from http://www.theatre.sfasu.edu/join.php?link=offerings
Stephen F. Austin State University. “The SFA Way”. Retrieved from http://www.sfasu.edu/universityaffairs/182.asp
