The Mentor Connection Program:Supporting First Year Students in Academic NeedAmy LorenzMarshall UniversityHuntington, West VirginiaUnited States

Connect with me coachamyrunslorenza@marshall.edu

A Little About Amy• Assistant Director of

Academic Initiatives• New position in 2012• Reason: On campus

grade point average (GPA) was lower than off campus; retention rates were parallel to the rates on campus (68%)• Oversee residence

education, the first and second year experience, and academic initiatives

Learning Outcomes• Attendees will…• Understand Marshall University’s approach to Academic

Mentoring• Identify student populations for a potential Mentor

Connection program• Develop learning outcomes and job descriptions for

Academic Mentors• Articulate campus partnerships to help facilitate a

mentoring program• Receive support materials to aid in the creation of a

similar program at home institutions

The ContextMarshall University

Demographic Information• Located in Huntington, WV• Part of Appalachia• Several low-income, first

general students

• 68% of students need some form of developmental education

• Our retention rate is at 73% from first to second year

• From Fall 2011-Fall 2012, the average GPA for students living on campus was a 2.1

Overview of Services

• Midterm interventions with 1st and 2nd year students on the D/F list

• Marco’s Academic Madness• A social norming campaign regarding healthy academic behaviors

• Partnerships with advising offices

• Living learning communities• One for most colleges• As of Fall 2014, all 1st year students will live in an LLC

• Academic programming in the residence halls

• Faculty-in-Residence

The Academic Mentor Position• Began in Fall 2013• Overall goals:• Provide direct academic

support to students in the residence hall• Recruit and train staff

able to help in all academic areas• Create tutoring

opportunities beyond office hours• Improve the GPA and

retention of 1st year students

General Job Description

• Mentors live in residence halls with 1st year students

• Provide 3 office hours a week• At least 2 after 8 pm

• Each holds 2 academic programs a semester

• Provide general academic support

• Coordinate and facilitate study groups

• Coach students on academic probation through the Mentor Connection Program

Key Campus Partnerships

• Student Resource Center

• Provost’s Office/Academic Affairs

• Professional and Faculty advisors

• Career Services• Multicultural Affairs

Time to Reflect

The Mentor Connection Program• Structured, academic coaching• Students meet biweekly with their Academic

Mentors and complete the following:• Academic Plans, Part 1 and 2• Complete a Time Management Packet• Meet at least once with each professor for their courses• Attend at least 2 Student Resource Center events• Complete a Learning Styles Inventory• …and other interventions mutually determined with the

Academic Mentors• Study skills instruction, test preparation, tutoring, and

so on

Marketing to Students• Formats• Social media• Fliers• Emails to key academic

partners• Specific contact to

students with below a 2.0 in Fall 2013

• Incentives• Every student received a

$125 bookstore gift card• 5 students received $500

due to nominations from their Academic Mentors

Key Resources• Academic Plan, Parts 1 and 2• Online Resources• Modeled after the University of Connecticut’s Uconn

Connects Program• http://aac.uconn.edu/links-resources/

Key Findings: Mentor Interactions

Type of Interaction NumberAcademic Advising 7Course Registration 76Class Attendance 7Clubs 7Final Exams 7General 121GPA Calculation 7Graduate School 3INTO 7Major Exploration 17Math Prep 34Mentor Connection Meetings 76Midterm Grades 58Motivation 3Notetaking 38Professors/Office Hours 243Sleep 3Stress Relief 31Student Illness 7Study Skills 72Study Bucks 48Test Preparation 45Test Anxiety 3Time Management 59Transfer 7Tutoring 27Writing Skills 20All 1003

Key Findings: Effect on GPA and Retention

• Students in the Mentor Connection Program had an average GPA of 2.64

• The average GPA of 1st year students on campus is a 2.02

Discussion Time

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