Meaning making of mentorship for the tuition-free student

Abstract

PurposeThe study aimed to explore how student recipients of a full-tuition scholarship envision, define and experience mentorship and the types of relationships they have and expect from mentors. The study adds to the growing body of literature on mentorship as supplemental support for college student success.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews of 20 first-year college students in the Mid-West United States were collected as a part of a more extensive mixed-methods study. The authors used a four-phase process to refine, derive meaning and develop themes. Kegan's orders of consciousness explain how students make meaning of mentorship.FindingsStudents described mentoring as a service that could provide specific transactional features. Ten participants were unable to acknowledge a mentoring relationship at all, despite describing mentoring experiences and opportunities. Students often align with Kegan's second order, which focuses on self and valuing transactional, short-term relationships. Adjusting approaches to explaining mentorship and the value of building relationships appear to be an opportunity for research and practice.Originality/valueThis study illustrates an apparent disconnect between the intent of mentorship and the experiences of mentees. The students' experiences add a valuable perspective that supports the need to further refine mentoring practices in meaningful ways to impact student success, persistence and retention.

A promise kept for whom? College access, success, and the limits of race-neutral tuition-free programs.

“…Educational pursuits by BIPOC communities have a long history of barriers impeding access such as tracking, counselor, and teacher perceptions; college costs and financial aid access; and college information barriers, among other interrelated factors (J. D. Anderson, 1988;Comeaux et al, 2020;Harper et al, 2009;Kim et al, 2009;Lewis & Diamond, 2015;Martinez-Cola, 2022;Perna et al, 2008). KPromise has demonstrated the potential to ameliorate some of these access barriers through enhanced fiscal capacity and social and academic influences on the KPS district (Bartik et al, 2019;Parnther & Collier, 2022). However, as a raceneutral policy, KPromise remains limited in scope and target, requiring further examination of its potential impact beyond addressing socioeconomic disparities to also those resulting from racial stratification as noted in past KPromise-focused research (Collier et al, 2019;Collier & McMullen, 2023;Collier & Parnther, 2021;W.E.…”

The leadership style of women of color in college presidencies: a content analysis of their leadership communications

“…Students should continue to feel supported by a community to increase their chances of completing a college degree (Millea et al, 2018). One-on-one mentorship with community members and alumni that can support BIPOC students in navigating their paths will open students to networks and assist in creating vision for their future (Parnther & Collier, 2022;Hamilton et al, 2019).…”