Abstract
This paper presents an overview of the options available to universities to employ mentoring by academics for the successful academic transition of students to university. Much has been written about the use of peer mentors to assist with the personal transition to university however students crave personal contact with their professors. We review the literature on mentoring; the social and institutional factors that impact upon first year attrition, the merits of mentoring interventions and the impact these have on a student’s sense of belonging and ultimately retention. We describe a pilot implementation of First STEP Mentoring in a large Australian business school.
Highlights
The focus of this paper is on a formalized Academic to Student Mentoring Program piloted in a large Australian business school at Macquarie University (“Macquarie”)
This paper presents an overview of the options available to universities to employ mentoring by academics for the successful academic transition of students to university
Macquarie University has experimented over the years with a number of different peer mentoring interventions as a way to assist first year students as they transition into the University
Summary
The focus of this paper is on a formalized Academic to Student Mentoring Program piloted in a large Australian business school at Macquarie University (“Macquarie”). The Faculty of Business and Economics’ mission includes investing in the experience of students and staff. Achievement of these strategies/aims is dependent on the implementation of development programs. The research shows that mentoring programs have a positive effect on students’ transition to university, sense of belonging, retention and skill development (Galser, Hall, & Halperin, 2006).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
