Facilitating Retention through Mentoring First -Year Students

1. Donna Grant, Ph.D. dgrant@suno.edu Josephine Okoronkwo, M.ED. jokoronk@suno.edu NASPA International Assessment and Retention Conference New Orleans, LA. June 12, 2009 Facilitating Retention through Mentoring First -Year Students Southern University @ New Orleans

2. “Four year colleges graduate 53% of students in 6 years: Even as colleges nationwide celebrate commencement season, hundreds of schools are failing to graduate a majority of their students in six years”– American Enterprise Institute • Mentoring first year students can facilitate and support the advancement and acceleration of the graduation rate of students. Introduction USA Today June 3, 2009 Southern University @ New Orleans

3. Mentors as Potters: Mentors are like potters who mold and fashion mentees “clay” into the image of Engineers√, Physicians√, Attorneys√, Teachers√, - - ----- • African Village Potters : Very creative in designing ceramics, pots etc. • Mentees are like “Clay” which the mentors (potters) can mold and fashion into positive images. Introduction (cont’d) Mentors as potters Southern University @ New Orleans

4. Understand the importance of creating a top leadership-driven mentoring campus environment. • Identify incentives, rewards, and/or recognition for winning mentors. • Anchor mentoring in an identifiable conceptual framework. Learning Outcomes Top Leadership Incentives Conceptual Framework Southern University @ New Orleans

5. Building Engagement and Attainment for Minority Students (BEAMS) available at more than one hundred Historically Black Colleges and Universities and at Hispanic Serving and Tribal Colleges identifies mentoring as a key academic support program for first year students What does the Literature Say? Institute for Higher Education Policy 2008 Southern University @ New Orleans

6. The word ‘mentor’ first appeared in Homer’s epic : The Odyssey • Mentor, the friend of Odyssey provided lessons, guidance and instruction to Odyssey’s son. • Most widely comprehensive literature review • Numerous Definitions • Theoretical and Research Efforts • A closer link between mentoring and undergraduate academic success What does the Literature Say? Ehrich et al 2001 Jacobi 1991 Southern University @ New Orleans

7. An ambiguous term • Ambiguity leads to conceptual confusion • No widely accepted definition of mentoring • Dissimilar meanings in management, education and psychology Defining Mentoring Defining Mentoring in the First –Year Experience: One Institution’s Approach to Clarifying the Meaning of Mentoring First-Year Students Caroline P. D’Abate Skidmore College 2009 Meriam, S. 1983 Southern University @ New Orleans

8. “First, it is an intentional process of interaction between at least two individuals..” • Anchor mentoring in one or more of these conceptual framework Defining Mentoring One Example Meriam, 1983 Conceptual Framework Integration Involvement Social Support Cognitive Development Southern University @ New Orleans

9. Leadership and Mentoring Program for Students at Southern University at New Orleans is top-leadership driven. • Began in 2007 by the Chancellor, Dr. Victor Ukpolo. • Mentors are selected from faculty, staff and administration (43 mentors) • Mentees are all first year students • Mentors and mentees are matched using a survey • Each Mentor is assigned ten mentees plus an achieving senior • Mentoring meetings hold on Mondays Mentoring Mondays @ SUNO LAMPS- A mentoring initiative at Southern University at New Orleans Southern University @ New Orleans

10. To keep the momentum of mentors and mentees going, a motivational speaker , Les Brown served as kick off event speaker. • Each mentor established a process of interacting with his/her mentees • Attendance at Basketball Games • Open lines of communication • All were aware of the contest and that there would be a reward • Reward kept a secret • Contest Criteria Mentoring Mondays at SUNO(cont’d) Kick Off Event with Les Brown Mentors’ Approaches The Mentors’ Contest Southern University @ New Orleans

11. Who: Know the students: Who are they? They are different and unique. • How: Understand how each mentee needs to be served. • Open Door Office Policy • Open Communication Lines- called homes, spoke with family members, made self known in the household through phone calls • What : What does each mentee need? • When: Know when to meet each mentee • Mentor/Mentee contract • Persistence with mentees • Holiday Wishes • Just being Me—care, listen, care. • Small tips on succeeding • Going beyond Mentoring Mondays at SUNO (cont’d) One Winning Mentor’s Approach Who, How, What and When and other small stuff Southern University @ New Orleans

12. A lifelong process and relationship • Increase Retention • LAMPS– Fall 2007 • -First Year Students were 347 • Spring 2008, 272 were retained • Do the Math.. LAMPS lost 75 students Mentoring Mondays at SUNO (cont’d) Benefits Southern University @ New Orleans

13. There appears to be little literature on incentives • Mentoring achievements seems not to appear in Curriculum Vitae or even considered in tenure decisions • Havard University is one of few universities that reward mentoring (Southern University at New Orleans is another university). Incentives- a critical component for a mentoring program Little Literature on Mentoring Incentives Rarely Rewarded Not Top Priority at many institutions Few institutions reward mentoring Southern University @ New Orleans

14. Board member was there at the kick off event • Picked up the check for 80 plus lunch tickets • Paid for cruise for two to Mexico- Progesso and Cuzumel • Thank you “Chip” Forstall. Incentives: The case of SUNO A member of the Board of Supervisors Honorable Warren A. Forstall- the catalyst for incentives for winning mentors at SUNO Southern University @ New Orleans

15. T he key person in a mentoring relationship is --------- Test Your Knowledge ? Fill in the blank with the choices below a)President/Chancellor b) Board member c) Faculty d) student Southern University @ New Orleans

16. Canadian Institutes of Health Research News Release, (2008). CIHR Rewards Four Mentors Who Have Helped Create Tomorrow’s Researchers • BEAMS Project, (2008). Institute for Higher Education • D’Abate, Caroline P., College, S. (2007). Defining Mentoring in the First- Year Experience: One Institution’s Approach to Clarifying the Meaning of Mentoring First-Year Students • Ehrich, L.C., Hansford, B., Tennent, L. (2000). Mentoring in contest. Paper given at the 8th Annual International Conference on Post-compulsory education and training, Learning together, Working together : Building Communities for the 21st Century, Conference Proceedings, 2, Surfers Parardise, Gold Coast, 4-6 December. • Symonette, H. (2006). Connecting the Dots and Keeping Our Eyes on the ultimate Prize, Linking Assessment/Evaluation Agendas with Diversity/Equity Agendas and Educational Excellence Agendas/ Developmental Evaluation Spiral. Resources Check out these resources Southern University @ New Orleans

17. Thank you!!!! QUESTIONS ??? Let’s hear from you. Southern University @ New Orleans

18. Mentoring Benefits for Students • Improved academic performance (indicated by higher report card grades and standardized test scores) • Increased attendance rates • Higher college enrollment rates and higher educational aspirations • Better attitudes about school • Enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence • Improved behavior, both at home and at school, including fewer disciplinary referrals and less violent and disruptive behavior • Improved relationships with parents, teachers, and peers • Enhanced social, communication, relationship, and decision making skills • Heightened career awareness and ability to make vocational and educational choices • Decreased likelihood of dropping out of school, initiating drug and alcohol use. • Benefits for Mentors • Friendships with young people • Connections with youth • The satisfaction of having contributed to the community • Opportunities to enhance personal strengths and develop new skills • Benefits for Schools • Lower dropout rates • Opportunities to further develop partnerships with businesses and community organizations • Improved image of the school in the community • Increased community support through mentors who often become school advocates, the community gains a better understanding of the challenges students, teachers, and schools face and becomes more aware of schools’ accomplishments and achievements. Presentation Handouts Mentoring Benefits Southern University @ New Orleans

19. WHAT IS MENTORING • Definitions of mentoring vary widely, as do individual youth mentoring programs and the types of relationships they promote. Broadly defined, however, mentoring is a sustained “one-to-one relationship between a caring adult and a child who needs support to achieve academic, career, social, or personal goals” (McPartland & Nettles). • HOW STUDENTS WERE ASSIGNED TO MENTORS • A survey that was developed by Dr. Donna M. Grant (2008) was administered to the students and the mentors to determined their likes and dislikes. Several of the staff members in Enrollment Services reviewed the responses and matched students with mentors where there were areas of common or similar interest. • The ideal situation would have been to have one-on-one tutoring but because of the large number of freshmen, students we placed them in groups of ten. We assigned each mentor and upperclassmen with a G.P.A. of 3.0 and above to assist them. • We met every Monday from 11:00 – 12:00 with the mentors. During the weekly meetings the mentors talked about their groups. If they met with their groups they discussed what they did and whether or not the event was successful. They were not required to meet with their groups every week just whenever possible. We also instructed the mentors to contact their group members by telephone or email just as a way of keeping in touch with them. • At the end of the fall and spring semesters the mentor who had retained the most members of his group won a Caribbean cruise. The second and third place winners received dinner certificates to an upscale restaurant in New Orleans. • KICK OFF LUNCHEON • The chancellor suggested we have a big event to launch our new mentor program. We decided to have a luncheon and invite the students being mentored, the mentors and a few administrators • from campus. The luncheon was held at Zea’s Restaurant and the nationally known motivational speaker Mr. Les Brown was our guest speaker. Les was a big hit with the audience. • All of the students and mentors received a special T-shirt with the word LAMPS (Leadership • and Mentoring Program) on the front. What Is Mentoring Mentoring Southern University @ New Orleans

20. MENTORING INTEREST SURVEY • Developed by Donna M. Grant, Ph.D. • Name _________________________________________ Date ___________________ • Directions: Please read each question carefully. Circle ONE correct response. • 1. In your free time are you most likely to 6. If given the choice, on a Friday night, I would prefer • A). Take a nap A). Going to a movie • B). Go Shopping B). Spending a quiet evening at home • C). Read a book C). Going to church • D). Watch TV D). Going to a party • E). Listen to music E). Going to a concert •   F). Visiting a friend • 2. My favorite subject is G). Having friends over • A). History H). Reading a book • B).English I). Watching TV at home • C). Math J). Going out to dinner • D). Science • 3. My favorite kind of movie is 7. When it comes to clothes • A). Scary A). I am a fashion buff • B). Romantic B). I could care less • C). Drama C). I like to dress casual • D). Comedy • E). Documentary 8. Do you talk on the telephone a lot? • F). Science Fiction A). Yes • B). No • 4. The type of food I like most is • A). Italian 9. Do you have a car? • B). American A). Yes • C). Fast B). No • D). Chinese • E). Greek 10. Do you have children? • F). Other _____________________ A). Yes • B). No • 5. My favorite kind of music is • A). Latin • B). Rock • C). Gospel • D). Rhythm and Blues • E). Classical • F). Opera • G). Pop • H). Other ________________ Mentoring Interest Survey Survey Southern University @ New Orleans