Expanding the Help:Assessing the Effectiveness of Academic Mentors in Upper-class Residence Halls

Assessment Conducted By:Nicole Cartier & Thomas DurkeeSalem State UniversityFall 2015

background

ACADEMIC MENTOR:Academically successful upper-class student staff member employed by Residence Life to promote academic learning and success in Residence Halls.

Peabody Bowditch Marsh & VikingLocated In…

Halls

14 Students Serve As Academic Mentors (3 in Viking Hall.)

philosophy

Assessment:The AM role had not been previously assessed since its inception. The AM role had not worked directly with students during their junior year before.

AccountabilityOur project aimed to increase the accountability of Residence Life and the EMSL division by comparing the role to best practices and theory, as well

as by creating learning outcomes for the role.

EffectivenessWhat importance did the AM role play in the lives of upper-class students when it comes to academic success?

Is it meeting the needs of these students?

mission

“The mission of the Office of Residence Life at Salem State University is to provide a safe, secure, and comfortable environment that allows students the opportunity to develop within a living-learning community model that is reflective of the overall academic mission of the university. The Office of Residence Life prepares students to think globally through an intentional commitment to creating experiences that combine a diverse perspective with personal development. Throughout their residential experience, students are intentionally connected with partner offices and services on campus that promote life skills development, such as Career Services, Health Services, and Multicultural Affairs. By utilizing campus resources in conjunction with their residential experience, students will gain new skills in career preparation, mental and physical health awareness, and diversity education. It is our goal that these experiences will foster social development that encourages a lifelong commitment to leadership, diversity, and sustainability”(Adopted by Nicole Cartier and Tom Durkee on 9-18-15 from

http://www.salemstate.edu/assets/documents/Guide_to_Living_on_Campus.pdf).

goals

• Provide residents with a safe and secure living-learning environment through live in student staff members (i.e. Resident Assistants and Academic Mentors), on-call professional staff members, and 24/7 staffed desks, which require identification confirmation of every individual who enters the building.

• Foster global, forward-thinking leaders by creating an engaged, diverse, and inclusive residential community in which students foster their own and one another’s personal and holistic development.

• Support the academic mission of the university by promoting holistic student development through social, educational, and leadership experiences.

• Maximize efficiency and intentionality through the sustainable use of resources and help students understand the purpose of sustainability and how to apply their knowledge of it in everyday life.

• Continuously assess, evaluate, and enhance departmental initiatives. (Adopted by Nicole Cartier and Tom Durkee on 9-18-15 from

http://www.salemstate.edu/assets/documents/Guide_to_Living_on_Campus.pdf).

definition

“Academic mentors (AMs) are full-time, undergraduate resident students who have demonstrated strong academic performance and work to assist students with academic skills and performance in Bowditch, Marsh, Peabody, and Viking Halls. Academic Mentors promote a co-curricular environment within the residence halls which supports the residential curriculum model, ensuring a living-learning environment is in place. Academic Mentors also support the academic mission of the university by coordinating academic programming initiatives, encouraging study skills, and promoting the use of academic support services available to students. Academic Mentors work to build positive and productive relationships with campus partners in an effort to promote academic success” (Adopted by Nicole Cartier and Tom Durkee on 10-2-15 from

http://www.salemstate.edu/assets/documents/Guide_to_Living_on_Campus.pdf).

learning outcomes

• Be able to identify and articulate their primary learning styles by the end of their first engagement in either an Academic Mentor’s study group or office hours.

• Be able to write three goals for their academic development during the current academic year.

• Be able to, by the end of their first engagement in Academic Mentor office hours, discuss two actions they will take in order to achieve their academic goals for the year.

• By the end of the Academic Mentors’ first leadership development workshop or training, Academic Mentors will be able to articulate three aspects of their leadership styles which contribute to their success within their position.

• By participating in student staff training, as well as leadership ventures and experiences, Academic Mentors will be able to identify and articulate five steps towards successful programming when planning and implementing a program.

methodology

Survey:A 20 question, Likert-scale survey was created and distributed through SurveyMonkey.com. It asked questions about Academics, Relationships & Utilization.

Focus GroupAn 8 question script was designed to lead a focus group with the 3

Academic Mentors in Viking Hall. We hoped to talk with them and collect themes.

Bringing it Together

Our hope was to draw themes from each of our methods and compare them to provide a throughout view of how the Academic Mentors were working with the community.

sampling

Viking HallThe students who were selected to participate live in Viking Hall and were screened through The Housing Director (THD), a housing software.

330 Sophomores & Juniors were eligible to take the survey (with RA’s and AM’s removed.)

19 Students took the survey. 3 Academic Mentors

for Focus Group

0Academic Mentors that completed

Focus Group11Students that provided optional open-ended

responses.

results (themes)

Who are the Academic Mentors?Students felt that they were unaware of who the Academic Mentors in Viking Hall were. It seemed that a personal relationship might help the students connect.

We don’t really need them.Students felt that they had a grasp on their academics and did not feel the

need to seek out an Academic Mentor for assistance with academics.

Programming?Students expressed that the Academic Mentors in Viking Hall were not holding enough events. This could help explain the low connection and utilization.

analysis (themes)

Social Connections are HUGE:We found research to suggest that students (particularly of the technological age) often struggle with in person interactions; this could explain why they have avoided from interactions with the Academic Mentors.

Self-AuthorshipWe compared the idea of junior students not needing the Academic

Mentors assistance to Baxter-Magolda’s Theory of Self-Authorship. In it, we see that first-year and sophomores are more likely to seek support

than upper-class students who are comfortable with the academic expectations in college.

Need More Data.

We had a low return, so it affected some of the larger themes we wanted to explore.

We think this would allow us to expand even more.

implications

Who Uses The Academic Mentors?With a Low Return rate (5.8%), we feel we were unable to determine just how many students are actually using the Academic Mentors and thus it would be dangerous to use this data to implement change.

Some ConcernsData suggests that Academic Mentors are not going to the residents and

introducing them to academic supports, holding events, or attending scheduled office hours.

Changes?Based on CAS’ standards for HRLP’s and Self-Authorship, the Academic Mentors in Viking Hall may prove more effective in a completion/career coach function v. what they are now.

recommendations

New Assessment NeededConsidering this assessment project, another assessment is needed to gain enough data to effect change. We suggest even expanding to Academic Mentors in other buildings to compare developmental need of students.

Implement Learning OutcomesAs there is currently a lack of actual learning outcomes for the position, we recommend the Office of Residence Life utilize the learning outcomes

we have provided or develop new ones.

Needs Assessment

After conducting another assessment, consider implementing a needs assessment of the Academic Mentor position.

Thank You | Any Questions?