Residential Peer Mentoring Benefits Mentees: What about Mentors?

Elora Candace Voyles; Rhonda K. Kowalchuk; John W. Nicklow; Robert Ricks

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Conference: 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Vancouver, BC
Publication Date: June 26, 2011
Start Date: June 26, 2011
End Date: June 29, 2011
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: FPD IV: Improving Student Success: Mentoring, Intervening, and Supplementing
Tagged Division: First-Year Programs
Page Count: 16
Page Numbers: 22.1244.1 - 22.1244.16
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--18705
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/18705
Download Count: 626

Paper Authors

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Elora Candace Voyles Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

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Elora Voyles is a master's student in Workforce Education and Development at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). Elora received her B.A. (2010) in psychology at SIUC. Her research interest focuses on: engineering education practices, diversity, and leadership. In pursuing these interests, Elora attained the publication of an article entitled: “The Perception of Leadership Before and After the 2008 Presidential Election” in The Journal of Psychological Inquiry. Elora plans to pursue a Ph.D. in psychology following the completion of her master’s degree.

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Rhonda K. Kowalchuk Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

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Rhonda Kowalchuk is an Associate Professor of Educational Measurement and Statistics in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale (SIUC). She received her B.A. (Hons., 1990), M.A. (1993), and Ph.D. (2000) from the University of Manitoba, Canada. She joined SIUC in 2004 and prior to that she worked at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Her research interest focuses on the performance of statistical procedures when applied to data that do not satisfy the assumptions underlying these procedures. A goal of her research is to provide recommendations to improve the quality of data analyses. Other research related activities involve working as a statistical consultant. She teaches courses in Research Methods, Inferential Statistics, Multiple Regression, Experimental Design, Program Evaluation, and Survey Methods.

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John W. Nicklow Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

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Robert Ricks

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Abstract

Residential Peer Mentoring Benefits Mentees: What about Mentors?With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF Grant No. DUE ######), the Collegeof Engineering (COE) at a medium-sized Midwestern University has implemented a series ofacademic and non-academic programs targeting first- and second-year retention rates.Historically the first two years have had the lowest retention rates in the COE. These programsinclude: (1) an innovative Introduction to Engineering (ENGR 101) course; (2) a six-weekSummer Bridge Program for at-risk students; (3) new developmental mathematics courses forunderprepared students (ENGR 111A and ENGR 111B); (4) an Engineering Residential Collegethat forms the foundation of a new living-learning community; (5) a multi-tiered studentmentoring program that includes faculty mentoring and practicing-engineer (industry)mentoring; (6) engineering student designated (ESD) sections for core university and mathcourses; (7) peer tutoring; and (8) residential peer mentoring. While previous research has shownthat mentees benefit from Mentoring Programs, there is a paucity of research on the effect ofMentoring on Mentors. This paper focuses specifically on connecting the impact of theResidential Peer Mentoring Program on peer mentors.The COE established several guidelines for the Residential Peer Mentoring program to helpensure its effective implementation. Peer Mentors are expected to live in the residence halls withthe students they mentor. Peer mentors are selected from students who have at least one moreyear in the COE than the students they are supposed to mentor and have demonstrated positiveacademic performance and leadership potential. Peer mentor duties include: (1) establishing arelationship with new students; (2) encouraging students to attend programs sponsored by theHall Council or Resident Assistant; (3) taking students to outside activities, such as footballgames, movies at the Student Center, or any university sponsored program; (4) helping studentswith studies and leading students at study tables; (5) attending one class per week with newstudents; (6) taking students who need advice or counseling to the Counseling Center, WellnessCenter, etc.; (7) encouraging students to join a Registered Student Organization; and (8)continually checking in on students and asking if they are attending class, and supporting theoverall mission of University Housing, the College of Engineering, and the university.In addition to the impact on the target group of students during its first three years ofimplementation, the Residential Peer Mentoring Program has yielded unintended positiveoutcomes for residential peer mentors themselves. This paper examines the effects of theResidential Peer Mentoring Program on peer mentors using objective outcome data and studentopinion data with an emphasis on addressing the influence of peer mentor duties on peermentors. Data was collected during the first three academic years during which the ResidentialPeer Mentoring Program has been operating. Objective outcome data include student persistencedata. Student opinion data were elicited through focus groups, survey research and via weeklypeer mentor reports.

Citation
Format

Voyles, E. C., & Kowalchuk, R. K., & Nicklow, J. W., & Ricks, R. (2011, June), Residential Peer Mentoring Benefits Mentees: What about Mentors? Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC. 10.18260/1-2--18705

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -       Residential Peer Mentoring Benefits Mentees: What about Mentors?With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF Grant No. DUE ######), the Collegeof Engineering (COE) at a medium-sized Midwestern University has implemented a series ofacademic and non-academic programs targeting first- and second-year retention rates.Historically the first two years have had the lowest retention rates in the COE. These programsinclude: (1) an innovative Introduction to Engineering (ENGR 101) course; (2) a six-weekSummer Bridge Program for at-risk students; (3) new developmental mathematics courses forunderprepared students (ENGR 111A and ENGR 111B); (4) an Engineering Residential Collegethat forms the foundation of a new living-learning community; (5) a multi-tiered studentmentoring program that includes faculty mentoring and practicing-engineer (industry)mentoring; (6) engineering student designated (ESD) sections for core university and mathcourses; (7) peer tutoring; and (8) residential peer mentoring. While previous research has shownthat mentees benefit from Mentoring Programs, there is a paucity of research on the effect ofMentoring on Mentors. This paper focuses specifically on connecting the impact of theResidential Peer Mentoring Program on peer mentors.The COE established several guidelines for the Residential Peer Mentoring program to helpensure its effective implementation. Peer Mentors are expected to live in the residence halls withthe students they mentor. Peer mentors are selected from students who have at least one moreyear in the COE than the students they are supposed to mentor and have demonstrated positiveacademic performance and leadership potential. Peer mentor duties include: (1) establishing arelationship with new students; (2) encouraging students to attend programs sponsored by theHall Council or Resident Assistant; (3) taking students to outside activities, such as footballgames, movies at the Student Center, or any university sponsored program; (4) helping studentswith studies and leading students at study tables; (5) attending one class per week with newstudents; (6) taking students who need advice or counseling to the Counseling Center, WellnessCenter, etc.; (7) encouraging students to join a Registered Student Organization; and (8)continually checking in on students and asking if they are attending class, and supporting theoverall mission of University Housing, the College of Engineering, and the university.In addition to the impact on the target group of students during its first three years ofimplementation, the Residential Peer Mentoring Program has yielded unintended positiveoutcomes for residential peer mentors themselves. This paper examines the effects of theResidential Peer Mentoring Program on peer mentors using objective outcome data and studentopinion data with an emphasis on addressing the influence of peer mentor duties on peermentors. Data was collected during the first three academic years during which the ResidentialPeer Mentoring Program has been operating. Objective outcome data include student persistencedata. Student opinion data were elicited through focus groups, survey research and via weeklypeer mentor reports.
AU  - Elora Candace Voyles
AU  - Rhonda K. Kowalchuk
AU  - John W. Nicklow
AU  - Robert Ricks
CY  - Vancouver, BC
DA  - 2011/06/26
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Residential Peer Mentoring Benefits Mentees: What about Mentors?
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/18705
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--18705
ER  -