eSource for College Transitions, Vol. 18 No. 1
September / October 2020
Transitioning to Online Mentoring and Online Mentor Selection Theresa Haug-Belvin, Assistant Professor, Department of Student Leadership & Success Studies, Utah Valley University It is widely established that peer mentors have a positive impact on the undergraduate experience, especially in relation to intellectual and moral development, academic engagement, values clarification, interpersonal skills, and determination of academic and social self-concept (Greenfield et al., 2013; Skipper & Keup, 2017). During this time of COVID-19, Utah Valley University’s Mentor Program continued to provide students with academic mentoring while also modifying the mentor selection process for the upcoming academic year. Dealing with both of these issues at the same time required creativity and flexibility, resulting in some changes that may be implemented moving forward.
About the Program Utah Valley is a public institution in Orem, Utah, with more than 40,000 students. Its Mentor Program is under the Department of Student Leadership and Success Studies, and its mission is to promote holistic student development and advance students to higher levels of academic success, professional preparation, leadership development, and lifelong learning. The Mentor Program’s motto is “Students Helping Students,” and the program hires approximately 40 mentors every year. Peer mentors are competitively selected and work with students individually and through a graded, three-hour student success course that is encouraged but not required. The program’s primary goals are for peer mentors to help students improve their ability to learn, to lead by example, to advocate for their students, to connect students with campus resources, and to be a trusted friend.
Transitioning to Online Mentoring As Utah Valley was transitioning to virtual classes and services, the first priority for the Mentor Program was to help current mentors move to an online environment. Some peer mentors were already assigned to online classes, so they were asked to share best practices with their colleagues. One positive aspect was that mentors had already established relationships with students in their face-to-face classes, and these mentors kept in touch through whatever means they had already established with their students. Some mentors used Canvas, some texted, and others used the GroupMe app. A few peer mentors created short videos to help students manage their new online classes. It was critical for the mentors to continually reach out with support as many students were dealing with the upheaval of leaving campus and switching to online learning.
Selection Process New peer mentors for the upcoming Utah Valley academic year are traditionally selected in the preceding spring semester. During this time, new lead mentors are also chosen, and plans are made for summer training. The selection process for this academic year proved more challenging as a result of the pandemic. Decisions
page 12
were swiftly made to transition from in-person, group interviews to an online format. Applicants were asked to submit a five-minute video addressing various components of the Mentor Program and to submit an essay responding to leadership prompts. The newly appointed lead mentors reviewed the videos and essays and selected applicants for virtual interviews.
Lessons Learned This revised selection process really forced a new approach to identifying desired mentor characteristics and expectations. While the goals for the Mentor Program did not change, priorities shifted to help the current mentors make the online transition while also embarking on new mentor selection. The immediate priority was to support the peer mentors who were helping students and to identify resources that would facilitate their work. It was also important to quickly communicate the revised mentor selection process to interested students. In the future, in-person and group interviews will still be the preferred method, because they provide the opportunity to see how the applicants interact in various group situations. However, Mentor Program staff are considering asking future applicants to submit a video before their interviews, because it allowed them see the applicant’s screen presence and how they engage with the camera. Overall, the pivot to online mentoring and mentor selection went well. Plans for the future include continuing to evaluate and adopt what works well, or better, in a virtual environment.
References Greenfield, G. M., Keup, J. R., & Gardner, J. N. (2013) Developing and sustaining successful first-year programs: A guide for practitioners. Jossey-Bass. Skipper, T. L., & Keup, J. R. (2017). The perceived impact of peer leadership experiences on college academic performance. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 54(1), 95-108. http://doi.org/d5qv
CONTACT Theresa Haug-Belvin theresa.belvin@uvu.edu
RETURN to Table of Contents
»
