Education Commons^™

Chapter 21- Mentoring Graduate Underrepresented Minorities In Stem, Benjamin C. Flores, Jessica Shenberger-Trujillo, Milka Montes

Making Connections

In this chapter, we discuss high-impact mentoring practices for graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We make a case for inclusive and assets/strengths-based mentoring approaches as a strategy for increasing the number of doctoral degrees awarded to historically underrepresented minorities (i.e., Hispanics, African Americans, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Pacific Islanders); improving their levels of satisfaction with doctoral programs and reducing the notoriously extended time to the PhD that they endure. We offer two examples of national programs committed to promoting graduate student success through professional development and mentoring strategies in which instrumental support, sponsorship, psychological support, …

Contributors, David Law, Nora Domínguez

Making Connections

List of contributors for Making Connections: A Handbook for Effective Formal Mentoring Programs in Academia.

Chapter 4- Formal Mentoring Programs: Characteristics, Benefits, And Outcomes, Rachel Arocho, Benjamin A. Johnson

Making Connections

In this chapter, we review the characteristics of mentoring that distinguish so-called formal from informal mentoring opportunities. Through this discussion, we provide a broad view of what could be formalized and how to distinguish these opportunities. We then turn to a discussion of the observed and anticipated benefits of formalized mentoring (and some benefits of mentoring broadly) and provide an argument for why mentoring, with all its recognized importance and impact at multiple levels, should not be left to chance. By formalizing mentoring opportunities and practices, to varying and customizable degrees, programs and institutions stand to distribute the benefits of …

Chapter 8- Outlining The Goals, Objectives, And Outcomes Of The Mentoring Program, Lisa Z. Fain, Jamie Crites

Making Connections

Even when institutions already have a mentoring culture, a mentoring program is not an end in itself. Rather, mentoring is a tool to achieve a broader outcome, be it at the institutional, department, or individual level. While these outcomes may vary, it is critical that a mentoring program is carefully crafted in service of the outcomes. It must meet the needs and objectives of not only the mentees and mentors but also the institutions and the field. In this chapter, authors Lisa Fain and Jamie Crites will use a case study to discuss how to craft goals, and objectives that …

Making Connections: A Handbook For Effective Formal Mentoring Programs In Academia, David D. Law, Nora Domínguez, Bob Garvey, Mark J. Hager, Kim Hales, Audrey J. Murrell, Gloria O. Onosu, Rachel Arocho, Benjamin A. Johnson, Neal Legler, James Y. Taylor, Greg Dart, Michael A. Christiansen, Don Busenbark, Lisa Z. Fain, Jamie Crites, Paul Hernandez, Natasha Mickel, Dionne Clabaugh, Assata Zerai, Nancy López, Laura Gail Lunsford, Nicole Vouvalis, Andy Harris, Jim Lamuth, Monica Castañeda-Kessel, Shirley L. Yu, Arianna Black, Gönül Kaletunç, Timothy Schroeder, Tara S. Hackel, Yadéeh E. Sawyer, Jeff Spears, Hannah M. Lewis, Jennifer Grewe, Harrison Kleiner, Et Al.

Making Connections

This book, Making Connections: A Handbook for Effective Formal Mentoring Programs in Academia, makes a unique and needed contribution to the mentoring field as it focuses solely on mentoring in academia. This handbook is a collaborative institutional effort between Utah State University’s (USU) Empowering Teaching Open Access Book Series and the Mentoring Institute at the University of New Mexico (UNM). This book is available through (a) an e-book through Pressbooks, (b) a downloadable PDF version on USU’s Open Access Book Series website), and (c) a print version available for purchase on the USU Empower Teaching Open Access page, and …

Chapter 12- A New Vision For Promoting Equity And Inclusion In Academic Mentoring Programs, Assata Zerai, Nancy López

Making Connections

What are the pitfalls of conventional student, faculty, and staff mentoring programs? Despite good intentions, how might they negatively impact Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), as well as other marginalized faculty who are women, LGBTQIA+, Persons with Disabilities (PWD), or first-generation college students (e.g., grew up in household where no parent/legal guardian earned a four-year college degree in the United States or abroad)? How could employing an intersectional framework—attention to the simultaneity of systems of oppression and resistance—as inquiry and praxis transform student, faculty, and staff mentoring programs? This chapter examines the challenges and possibilities for advancing equity …

Chapter 13- Improving Mentoring Relationships And Programs Through Assessment And Evaluation, Laura Gail Lunsford

Making Connections

Chapter 13, Improving Mentoring Relationships and Programs Through Assessment and Evaluation, presents frameworks for deciding how to improve mentoring experiences. Assessment activities solicit feedback from or about the participants and focus on participant learning and in situ improvement opportunities. Evaluation efforts determine if the program achieved organizational goals. The chapter has four goals. First, the chapter clarifies the difference between assessment, evaluation, and research. Second, the chapter presents frameworks to guide assessment and evaluation efforts. Third, the chapter describes tools for assessment. Fourth, the chapter describes how to evaluate mentoring programs, what data to collect, when to collect it, …

Chapter 23- Advancing Institutional Mentoring Excellence (Aime): An Institutional Inclusion Initiative, Valerie Romero-Leggott, Orrin Myers, Andrew Sussman, Rebecca Hartley

Making Connections

The Advancing Institutional Mentoring Excellence (AIME) pilot project was created at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center to address concerns by faculty of color regarding feelings of isolation, lack of representation, and suboptimal retention. The purpose of AIME was to foster an institutional culture of belonging and rigorously evaluate best practices for mentoring faculty of color toward promotion and tenure. AIME used a reciprocal mentoring model, in which both mentors and mentees increased self-efficacy and skills through a structured series of exercises and encounters. Senior faculty mentors were matched with junior faculty of color mentees through an electronic …

Chapter 29- Conclusion, David Law, Nora Domínguez

Making Connections

Too often, formal mentoring programs are started at universities without thinking through and addressing the details needed for the program to succeed. As stated at the beginning, the primary purpose of this handbook is to provide a “one-stop shop” resource that guides program coordinators to be intentional and effective in designing, implementing, evaluating, sustaining, and funding their academic mentoring program. In this concluding section, we describe how this book’s chapters and case studies connect to form a comprehensive guide for program coordinators and other stakeholders. Making the chapter’s interconnections explicit makes a needed contribution to the mentoring field, particularly as …

Series Information, David Law, Nora Domínguez

Making Connections

The Empower Teaching Open Access Book Series features a variety of peer-reviewed books focused broadly on the multi-disciplinary work of teaching in higher education. Books in the series align with the mission of Empowering Teaching Excellence (ETE) to bolster the culture of teaching excellence for students, staff, faculty and administrators. The books in this series share insightful and innovative perspectives on teaching and learning, and through a partnership with USU Libraries the books are offered in an online and open-access format to amplify the voices of authors and contributors in the series.

Chapter 2- Recognizing Mentoring Program Identity And Applying Theoretical Frameworks For Design, Support, And Research, Mark J. Hager, Kim Hales, Nora Domínguez

Making Connections

Mentoring programs in academic settings take multiple forms depending on the population being served, the context in which they develop, and the purpose and outcomes to be achieved. This chapter identifies critical variables in choosing a solid theoretical foundation for designing effective mentoring programs and interventions in academia.

This chapter specifically addresses four clusters of theoretical frameworks that include psychosocial supports for mentoring, mentoring as a learning partnership, mentoring as career support, and developmental network theories that can be applied to careers.

This chapter is broken into four distinct sections. The first section outlines the process of identifying key components …

Chapter 6- The Mentoring Context: Securing Institutional Support And Organizational Alignment, James Y. Taylor, Greg Dart

Making Connections

A university’s mission and vision statements are the guiding documents that create a framework by which the institution can accomplish its goals. All university initiatives are tied back to that mission and vision, and alignment is essential for university support of bottom-up initiatives. No matter how mentoring is structured, one area that is essential is proper internal institutional support and alignment with the mission of the institution. Focusing on the context in which the formal mentoring program occurs, this chapter outlines the importance of executive support, mission and vision alignment, incentivizing participation for both mentors and mentees, and how mentoring …

Chapter 7- The Crucial Role And Responsibilities Of The Mentoring Program Coordinator, Michael A. Christiansen, Don Busenbark

Making Connections

Mentoring is a crucial part of personal and professional development in practically any environment, including higher education, industry, and private institutions, though the nature and methods of such mentoring may vary as much as the organizations themselves. Because institutions differ so much in their structures and needs, it is important that a dedicated program coordinator be assigned to define mentoring and spearhead the construction, implementation, assessment, and evaluation of any institutional mentoring program. This program coordinator should have enthusiasm for mentoring, effectively communicate program goals, and provide the training and resources necessary to implement an efficient mentoring model. Coordinators should …

Chapter 9- Defining Recruitment, Selection, And Matching Strategies, Paul Hernandez, Don Busenbark, Kim Hales, David Law

Making Connections

Chapter 9, “Defining Recruitment, Selection, and Matching Strategies” guides the program coordinator in recruiting mentors and mentees, selecting who will be in the mentoring program, and matching participants. The section on recruitment begins by emphasizing how the needs assessment, university vision, and program goals and objectives should align to create a clear vision and purpose for the mentoring program. It also describes how communication practices in various university ecosystems, rewards and incentives, and activities enhance enrollment. The section on selection delineates mentors’ positive and negative characteristics, exploring in-depth critical mentor communication skills and the characteristics of successful mentees. Finally, the …

Chapter 16- Becoming Awares: Mentoring Undergraduate Women In Engineering And Sciences, Shirley L. Yu, Arianna Black, Gönül Kaletunç

Making Connections

The Aspiration for Women’s Advancement and Retention in Engineering and Sciences (AWARES) mentorship program was designed to support women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors as they transition from their undergraduate degree programs to the workforce. The AWARES program was structured around topics relevant to women in STEM careers, including but not limited to interviewing and job offer negotiation, career development, navigating social dynamics in the workplace, and establishing and growing a professional network. Based in tenets of social cognitive theory, AWARES aims to use expert and group mentorship to increase young women’s self-efficacy for career-related soft skills …

Chapter 17- Mentoring Redesigned To Attract Entry-Level Students, Timothy Schroeder, Tara S. Hackel, Yadéeh E. Sawyer

Making Connections

Competitive and highly structured mentoring relationships between undergraduate students and professional researchers are often life-changing. However, such mentoring programs often have rigid qualifications and attract students who are already advanced in their educational and professional planning. The University of New Mexico (UNM) developed a program to shift the paradigm to attract entry-level students for whom “professional research” was still a new and daunting concept. By pairing these students with engineers and scientists at the Air Force Research Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory, UNM was able to engage students in structured, low-stakes mentoring that helped shape their current understanding of research, …

Chapter 22- The Well-Prepared Adjunct: Peer Mentoring, Autonomy Supports, And Values-Based Pedagogy, Dionne Clabaugh

Making Connections

This mentoring program was developed to meet two needs in the School of Human Development: college alumni who applied for adjunct faculty positions lacked college teaching experience, and non-alumni applicants lacked pedagogical skill with nontraditional adult learners. This college is a Hispanic-serving institution with core values of inclusion, diversity, respect, and social justice. Their transformational, culture-centered pedagogy is grounded in seven faculty values that develop learner competence across five domains: development, diversity, communication, research, and growth.

The program meta-mentor describes how and why autonomy-supportive instruction (ASI), based on self-determination theory, is embedded into all elements of the adjunct faculty mentoring …

Chapter 26- Staff Mentoring And Development At Arizona State University, Karen Engler-Weber

Making Connections

Most university structures provide extensive mentoring and support for students and faculty, but the mentoring of university staff is often a neglected area within university systems, despite the clear need to support staff professional development, career advancement, and retention. At Arizona State University (ASU), the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) has developed an extensive university-wide staff mentoring and development program model that pairs staff mentees with mentors, providing the space and opportunity for mentees to identify their strengths and consider their long-term career trajectory at ASU. Through mentoring, participants learn more about specific skills, university areas, and career …

Chapter 28- Networked Mentoring Programs: Targeted Developmental Relationships And Building A Broader Community, Valerie Paquette, Wendy Murphy, Susan Duffy

Making Connections

We introduce a targeted approach to mentoring programs that considers students’ developmental stage and fosters an inclusive mentoring community. Using the case study of Babson College’s Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Mentoring Programs, this chapter will detail evidence-based effective practice in delivering high-quality mentoring across distinctive student populations as well as connecting students and mentor volunteers to one another to cultivate a mentoring community. We highlight three mentoring programs: the Undergraduate Near Peer, Undergraduate Professional, and Graduate mentor programs. Each program is designed to match student mentees with developmentally appropriate mentors who provide support tailored to their needs. The Undergraduate …

Part I. Mentoring Arena, David Law, Nora Domínguez

Making Connections

The four chapters in Part I of this book practitioners, researchers, and university leaders prepare a firm foundation for their formal mentoring program. Garvey begins chapter 1 with an in-depth synopsis of the origins and meaning of mentoring, beginning with the ancient Greeks and ending with modern developments. Mentoring is differentiated from other developmental relationships such as counseling, coaching, or academic advising. Of great practical importance in chapter 1, Garvey explores the difficulty of creating a singular definition of mentoring in academia and provides an alternative approach to looking at how the dimensions of mentoring can be applied to the …

Part Ii. Designing, Implementing, And Evaluating Effective Mentoring Programs, David Law, Nora Domínguez

Making Connections

The 11 chapters of Part II of this book address the “how” questions related to program design, implementation, evaluation, and funding. These questions include:

• How do I conduct a needs assessment? (Chapter 5)

• How do I secure institutional support and organizational alignment? (Chapter 6)

• How do I execute my many roles as the program coordinator? (Chapter 7)

• How do I develop the program’s activities, objectives, goals, and outcomes? (Chapter 8)

• How do I match mentors and mentees? (Chapter 9)

• How do I prepare effective mentors? (Chapter 10)

• How do I prepare effective mentees? …

Introduction, David Law, Nora Domínguez

Making Connections

This book, Making Connections: A Handbook for Effective Formal Mentoring Programs in Academia, makes a unique and needed contribution to the mentoring field as it focuses solely on mentoring in academia. This handbook is a collaborative institutional effort between Utah State University's (USU) Empowering Teaching Open Access Book Series and the Mentoring Institute at the University of New Mexico (UNM). This book is available through (a) an e-book through Pressbooks, (b) a downloadable PDF version on USU's Open Access Book Series website), and (c) a print version available for purchase on the USU Empower Teaching Open Access page, and …

Part Iv. Network Mentoring Programs, David Law, Nora Domínguez

Making Connections

When staff, faculty, and students reflect on their experiences at a university, most recognize that they have benefited from more than one mentor-type relationship. Within this handbook, we naturally think of a mentor as someone in a university. However, people often have mentors outside a university, such as alumni or practicum supervisors. Students, faculty, and staff can also benefit from mentoring relations with mentors inside and outside their respective departments or college.

Improving Access To General Education Via Co-Teaching In Secondary Mathematics Classrooms: An Evaluation Of Utah's Professional Development Initiative, Kaitlin Bundock, Kristen Rolf, Anna Hornberger, Chamy Halliday

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

Co-teaching may be a promising strategy to improve inclusive secondary mathematics education in rural schools. Professional development (PD) aids in special and general education teachers' co-teaching implementation, yet little empirical research examines how to effectively train and support co-teachers. In this study we describe one U.S. state's PD model for secondary mathematics co-teaching, evaluate outcomes of the PD on co-teachers' behaviors and beliefs, and examine the impact of co-teaching on students' mathematics achievement. We examined data from observations, surveys, and students' pre/post assessments across nine classes within seven U.S. school districts, including three rural school districts, over 3 years. We …

Integrating Content, Culture, And Language For Portuguese Dual Language Immersion Learners, Aline Reis

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is the result of the approaches to teaching I have learned through coursework, readings, class observations, and reflections during the Master of Second Language Teaching (MSLT) program. It contains my teaching philosophy, developed from my experiences in the elementary Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program and the Utah State University (USU) MSLT program, as well as examples of work produced in the MSLT program, both theoretical and practical. First, the professional environment piece provides context and background for reflections on my teaching experience and pedagogy. Second, the teaching philosophy statement (TPS) describes the main theoretical frameworks and approaches that …

Exploring Multiliteracies And Other Approaches To Second Language Teaching, Saralee Dunster

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This teaching portfolio offers a selection from the author’s graduate coursework, teaching experience, and research undertaken while enrolled in the Utah State University Master of Second Language Teaching (MSLT) program. The documents included are a reflection of her pedagogical approach and teaching practice, developed through varying contexts of professional experiences, including teaching English and French as a second language. This portfolio includes: reflections on the author’s teaching environment, a teaching philosophy statement, a professional development peer observation, a reflection paper that demonstrates the author’s experiences teaching with stories within the context of the multiliteracies framework, specifically multimodal fairy tales with …

Identifying Common Resources Teachers Use To Address Problematic And Challenging Student Behvior, Joseph Clint Nicholes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Problematic and challenging student behavior has a myriad of negative outcomes for both educators and students. Although the implementation of Evidence Based Practices for classroom management have decreased these negative outcomes, educators are not utilizing them. The purpose of this study was to investigate which resources K-6 General Educators and Special Educators access to find information on behavior management strategies and procedures, as well as, their perceptions on those resources. We surveyed teachers from fourteen states in regards to what resources they used and the level in which they trusted, could implement, could understand and could find information on behavior …

Critical Democratic Education: A Case Study On Controversy Deliberation And Its Effects Among Pre-Service Elementary Teachers, Shouqing Si

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The state of democracy facing expanding political division and pervasive racial and social inequalities. Discussing and deliberating controversial social and political issues functions help foster students' civic contribution. I conducted a qualitative case study and recruited 14 participants, with whom I conducted interviews, self-reflection, observation, and autoethnography. I targeted the primary research question: How do pre-service elementary teachers experience and get influenced by discussing social and public issues? I broke it down to six operational questions:

1. What issues are considered controversial by pre-service teachers in their future social studies classrooms?
2. What challenges do pre-service teachers perceive in controversial issues teaching? …

How Preservice Teachers Develop Awareness And Beliefs About Design Features And Academic Language Features When Choosing And Evaluating Digital Math Games For English Language Learners, Allison L. Roxburgh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This mixed methods study examined how preservice teachers developed awareness and beliefs about design features and academic language features when choosing and evaluating digital math games for English language learners. The overarching research question for this study was, “How do preservice teachers develop awareness and beliefs about design features and academic language features when choosing and evaluating digital math games for English language learners (ELLs)?” During the study, 21 elementary preservice teachers participated in online learning modules about design features and academic language features in digital math games. During the modules, preservice teachers chose and evaluated three digital math games …

Student Perceptions Of Male And Female Instructors In A Post-Secondary Welding Course, S. Kjersti R. Decker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Agricultural mechanics and welding have traditionally been perceived to be careers reserved for males, yet more females have entered professions using welding such as agricultural education. This research was developed because of the lack of gender research in welding. The purpose of this study was to examine students’ perceptions of learning from a male instructor versus a female instructor in a post-secondary welding course. We examined associations and differences between students’ preference of a male and a female welding instructor as well as individual self-efficacy and perceptions towards using welding technology. The population for this study was undergraduate students and …