Higher education is facing national calls for increased graduation and retention rates (Good, Halpin, & Halpin, 2000; Obama, 2009). In an effort to answer these calls, administrators are using peer mentoring programs to provide social, personal, and academic support to first-year students (Crisp & Cruz, 2009; Jacobi, 1991). This study drew on the disciplines of business, medicine, and higher education to demonstrate the prevalence of mentoring (Crisp & Cruz, 2009; Buddeberg-Fischer & Herta, 2006; Scandura, 1992). Focusing on the area of higher education, the existing literature supports the positive effects of peer mentoring for mentees, but there is a dearth of information regarding the lived experiences of undergraduate peer mentors. As institutions continue to seek ways to support students from underrepresented populations through the use of peer mentor programs, it is critical for administrators to clearly understand both sides of the mentoring relationship in order to use it as an effective educational tool. Moreover, peer mentor programs also utilize the unique influence peers possess in order to create supportive environments for underrepresented students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of undergraduate peer mentors who served underrepresented students at a predominantly white institution. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, this study adapted the psychosocial and vocational functions of mentoring in relation to the development of the mentor in order to understand how peer mentors experienced their role, interactions with mentees, and feelings of connectedness to the institution (Kram & Isabella, 1985). Additionally, Schlossberg's transition theory, specifically the coping resources of the 4S's (situation, self, support, and strategies) were utilized to understand how peer mentors experienced their transition from mentee to mentor (Goodman, Schlossberg, & Anderson, 2006, Seidman, 2006).

Mentorship is a catalyst capable of unleashing one's potential for discovery, curiosity, and participation in STEMM and subsequently improving the training environment in which that STEMM potential is fostered. Mentoring relationships provide developmental spaces in which students' STEMM skills are honed and pathways into STEMM fields can be discovered. Because mentorship can be so influential in shaping the future STEMM workforce, its occurrence should not be left to chance or idiosyncratic implementation. There is a gap between what we know about effective mentoring and how it is practiced in higher education. The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM studies mentoring programs and practices at the undergraduate and graduate levels. It explores the importance of mentorship, the science of mentoring relationships, mentorship of underrepresented students in STEMM, mentorship structures and behaviors, and institutional cultures that support mentorship. This report and its complementary interactive guide present insights on effective programs and practices that can be adopted and adapted by institutions, departments, and individual faculty members.

This research study was designed to address the research question: "What are the perceptions of African American college students relative to the helpful behaviors of peer mentors who assisted them during Freshman year college adjustment in a predominately White institution?" All participants of the study were undergraduate students attending Kent State University, for at least one semester and participants of The Student Multicultural Center's "University Mentoring Program." The goal of the study was to broaden our understanding of the contexts of African American freshmen on predominantly White campuses, as well as to add to the dialogue concerning how to be assistive to African American students in these environments. Q-methodology was utilized to address the research question. The PQ Method software was used for data/factor analysis. The main source of information was 40 African American students (appropriate N for Q studies) who sorted a set of Q-sample statements (40) according to conditions of instructions and their subjective perspective. As a result of data analysis, four factors or student perspectives relative to mentor helpfulness were identified. The Factors included, Factor 1: Providing Tips For Academic Success, Factor 2: Interpersonal Connectedness, Factor 3: Accessible and Knowledgeable, and Factor 4: Nurturing Friendship. Relative to the significant diversity that exists among African American students, implications of this study suggest that different groups of students have differing perceived needs relative to the helpful qualities of a peer mentor. The continued study of related issues pertaining to mentoring and the college adjustment of African American freshmen may be helpful in aiding faculty and administrators in higher education, counselor educators, high school counselors, faculty and administrators, and programs that seek to serve African American freshmen.

Take a critical look at the theory and recent empirical research specific to mentoring undergraduate students. This monograph: Explains how mentoring has been defined and conceptualized by scholars to date, Considers how recent mentoring scholarship has begun to distinguish mentoring from other developmental relationships, Synthesizes recent empirical findings, Describes prevalent types of formalized programs under which mentoring relationships are situated, and Reviews existing and emerging theoretical frameworks. This monograph also identifies empirical and theoretical questions and presents research to better understand the role of mentoring in promoting social justice and equity. Presenting recommendations for developing, implementing and evaluating formal mentoring programs, it concludes with an integrated conceptual framework to explain best-practice conditions and characteristics for these programs. This is the first issue of the 43rd volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education issue, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.

In order for the United States to maintain the global leadership and competitiveness in science and technology that are critical to achieving national goals, we must invest in research, encourage innovation, and grow a strong and talented science and technology workforce. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation explores the role of diversity in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce and its value in keeping America innovative and competitive. According to the book, the U.S. labor market is projected to grow faster in science and engineering than in any other sector in the coming years, making minority participation in STEM education at all levels a national priority. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation analyzes the rate of change and the challenges the nation currently faces in developing a strong and diverse workforce. Although minorities are the fastest growing segment of the population, they are underrepresented in the fields of science and engineering. Historically, there has been a strong connection between increasing educational attainment in the United States and the growth in and global leadership of the economy. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation suggests that the federal government, industry, and post-secondary institutions work collaboratively with K-12 schools and school systems to increase minority access to and demand for post-secondary STEM education and technical training. The book also identifies best practices and offers a comprehensive road map for increasing involvement of underrepresented minorities and improving the quality of their education. It offers recommendations that focus on academic and social support, institutional roles, teacher preparation, affordability and program development.

Between 2000 and 2015 the Asian American Pacific Islander population grew from nearly 12 million to over 20 million--at 72% percent recording the fastest growth rate of any major ethnic and racial group in the US.This book, the first to focus wholly on Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Institutions (AANAPISIs) and their students, offers a corrective to misconceptions about these populations and documents student services and leadership programs, innovative pedagogies, models of community engagement, and collaborations across academic and student affairs that have transformed student outcomes.The contributors stress the importance of disaggregating this population that is composed of over 40 ethnic groups that vary in immigrant histories, languages, religion, educational attainment levels, and socioeconomic status. This book recognizes there is a large population of underserved Asian American and Pacific Islander college students who, given their educational disparities, are in severe need of attention. The contributors describe effective practices that enable instructors to validate the array of students’ specific backgrounds and circumstances within the contexts of developing such skills as writing, leadership and cross-cultural communication for their class cohorts as a whole. They demonstrate that paying attention to the diversity of student experiences in the teaching environment enriches the learning for all. The timeliness of this volume is important because of the keen interest across the nation for creating equitable environments for our increasingly diverse students.This book serves as an important resource for predominantly white institutions who are admitting greater numbers of API and other underrepresented students. It also offers models for other minority serving institutions who face similar complexities of multiple national or ethnic groups within their populations, provides ideas and inspiration for the AANAPISI community, and guidance for institutions considering applying for AANAPISI status and funding. This book is for higher education administrators, faculty, researchers, student affairs practitioners, who can learn from AANAPISIs how to successfully engage and teach students with widely differing cultural backgrounds and educational circumstances.

This research study explored the experiences of African American seniors attending a predominantly white institution in the southeastern United States to determine if a relationship existed between mentoring and academic performance. The primary focus of the research was on whether mentoring enhanced or impacted the success of African American students on a predominantly white campus. Tinto's Model of Retention was used as a framework to provide further understanding of the role of mentoring and persistence for African American college students. The following questions guided the inquiry: (1) What factors contributed to the persistence of African American students enrolled at a predominantly white institution, (2) What are the mentoring experiences of African American undergraduate students enrolled at a predominantly white institution, and (3) What is the relationship between mentoring and academic performance as measured by reported GPA? Six major categories emerged from the data on factors related to persistence: (1) isolation, (2) faculty-student interaction, (3) family relationships, (4) student involvement, (5) peer interaction, and (6) degree attainment. The research revealed that students perceived mentoring to be beneficial in their growth and that race of the mentor was a contributing factor in the development of the relationship. It was determined that students who received mentoring had a higher grade point average compared to students who did not. Implications of this research can be used in future studies to explore how students choose to utilize available services and seek mentors for support as well as for practitioners in designing programs to ensure success of minority students.