Alumni Mentoring Research Articles

Assessment and development of coachability in entrepreneurship education

As coaching and alumni mentoring are used to develop student startup talent the coachability of students becomes an enabling factor for reflection- and action-based learning methods in entrepreneurship education. There is limited research on how to assess and develop coachability, especially in entrepreneurship education. This paper aims to narrow the gap. This study adopts a competency-based approach by devising competency assessment tools, undertaking a coachability survey and using Behavioral Event Interviews. It thus adopts a mixed method design, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques.Our exploratory research shows that coachability has a positive relationship with educational outcomes and that coachability competencies, such as self-awareness and flexibility, are important. We show that coachability can be developed through experiential learning and that such learning enables the acquisition of competencies, such as transferring learning into action and taking initiative. The opportunity to develop coachability through entrepreneurship education fosters the design of experiential learning and strengthens students' coachability competencies, thereby aiding graduates’ capacity to attract venture funding. We make an original contribution to assessing coachability by adopting a multi-method and multi-perspective approach and provide a way of creating greater impact when assessing and developing coachability.

A model for enhancing creativity, collaboration and pre-professional identities in technology-supported cross-organizational communities of practice

This research proposes that technology-supported cross-organizational (university-industry) Communities of Practice (CoPs), which are integrated into the Design Studies curriculum in Higher Education, can foster robust university-industry collaborations. These can help bridge the reported gap between the actual versus the expected soft skills and personae of young graduates transitioning to the creative industries today. CoPs are groups of people who share a common interest in an area of ‘endeavor’ and connect to co-create competence in that area through their practice.This paper makes two overarching research contributions. First, it informs about the design, enactment, and evaluation of a student CoP in an undergraduate Design course which was expanded to include members from the industry as clients, alumni mentors, and expert evaluators. Drawing from rich empirical data, the paper explains the designed and emergent learning phenomena of CoP participation and its effects on the students’ creative and socio-epistemic outcomes, as well as their pre-professional identities. Second, it presents a governance model with three sets of actionable guidelines, namely the Set (technology), the Social (collaborative), and the Epistemic (learning) components. The entire body of work validates the critical interlocking of these components to form a robust social learning model that appropriates the complex practices of cross-organizational CoPs in Higher Education Design studies.

Alumni mentoring: An approach to build community of learners

Mentors play a vital role in students' academic journey by providing guidance and encouragement to achieve ambitions and educational goals in future. What if the mentor is an alumnus? In this article, a case study of alumni mentoring in Postgraduate Studies at Middle East College, Sultanate of Oman is presented and proposes an alumnus mentoring framework with three major phases for a systematic implementation across the institution. The practice was implemented in a phased approach, starting with 1stsemester modules, and further extended to higher semester modules based on student feedback. The survey conducted to review the effectiveness of alumni mentoring sessions confirms that the alumni mentoring practice contributes significantly to shaping students' journey to academic success and supports in creating a community of learners.

A virtual peer mentoring intervention for baccalaureate nursing students: A mixed-methods study.

Final-year baccalaureate nursing students can experience a significant amount of stress that negatively impacts their well-being, academic performance, and transition to professional practice. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the impact of a Virtual Peer Mentoring (VPM) program using alumni mentors in addressing mental well-being, self-compassion, and professional development needs of final-year baccalaureate nursing students. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. The quantitative research used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design and quantitative data was collected using three validated instruments to assess mental well-being and self-compassion. The qualitative research used an individual and focus group interview design. Twenty-three mentees and eight mentors participated in the VPM program during the 2018-2019 academic year. Quantitative results showed that while mental well-being and self-compassion scores improved post-intervention, the change was not statistically significant. Qualitative analysis uncovered new insights into the participants' experiences and revealed three categories: (1) Continuation of the Mentoring Relationship; (2) Growth as a Recipient of Mentorship; and (3) Continual Development by Being a Mentor. The categories illustrate how mentees perceived benefits to their professional socialization, academic expectations, and well-being while mentors similarly expressed enrichment with their personal growth and professional development as a result of VPM. VPM was well-received by participants and show promise in supporting nursing students to manage academic, practice, and socialization challenges. Both mentors and mentees described gaining mutual benefits and professional and personal growth.

Triadic partnerships: Evaluation of a group mentorship scheme

We synthesised views and experiences of three teams (student mentees, alumni mentors, and staff) in our pilot mentorship scheme within a distance learning MSc, evaluated the scheme, and developed a conceptual model of “triadic partnerships.” Thematic analysis of our qualitative data revealed a strong consensus across all teams. The triadic partnerships were reported to help reduce the feeling of “distance” in distance learning. Through developing triadic partnerships, our mentorship scheme provided added value beyond that offered previously by staff alone: credible and relatable authenticity within supportive mentoring by alumni. Since the scheme’s launch, student engagement has increased, with high levels of reported satisfaction and positive feedback and greater confidence among all teams. Our research connects the framework developed by Healey et al. (2014, 2016) to the literature on mentoring, offering a conceptual model on triadic partnerships. We encourage readers to consider the different relationships within multidimensional student partnerships in their own contexts.

Abstract 11108: Association of a Virtual Career Development Forum with Confidence and Presentation Performance in Early-Career Academic Cardiologists During Covid-19

Introduction: Academic cardiology continues to face significant challenges in retaining physician-scientists with attrition occurring at key steps in career development progression, particularly in the transition from fellow to faculty. Available data demonstrate that factors that may promote retention and support success for early-stage investigators (ESIs) include structured mentorship, networking and peer collaboration, and didactics on scientific writing. However, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on career development activities, such as the Northwestern Cardiovascular Young Investigators’ Forum (NCYIF), is not known. Hypothesis: An adaptive, virtual NCYIF format, delivered on a remote basis, can still achieve important educational and career development outcomes metrics, including confidence and performance by ESIs. Methods: In 2020, the NCYIF pivoted its in-person content to an online, virtual delivery using the following elements: pre-meeting technical skills and Zoom trainings, virtual presentation coaching sessions, interactive Zoom breakouts for mentoring (including near-peer alumni mentoring), and a downloadable mobile app. We conducted a pre- and post-meeting survey-based analysis to examine outcomes for ESIs who attended the virtual NCYIF meeting, including confidence in presentation skills and responding to questions by meeting judges (5-point Likert scale). All participants had an opportunity to meet 1:1 with a pre-meeting public speaking coach. Results: Of 31 attendees, 44% were fellows, 20% were women, and 61% were non-White. From pre- to post-meeting assessment, change in confidence increased significantly for presentation skills (3.07 vs. 3.46, p=0.009) and for ability to respond to questions and comments during the judging session (2.76 vs. 3.17, p=0.025). 68% of individuals completed pre-meeting coaching. Performance improvements were significant regardless of use of pre-meeting coaching support. Conclusions: Online-based delivery of a multi-day professional skills and career development forum for ESIs in academic cardiology resulted in significant improvements in confidence and presentation performance and supports the scalability of future content through a virtual platform.

Formalizing Alumni Mentoring in Social Work Education: Lessons Learned From a Three-Year Program Evaluation

ABSTRACT Alumni mentoring in social work allows students to connect with experienced practitioners in a nonevaluative context and for alumni to strengthen university connections. This study describes and evaluates one established student–alumni mentoring program. Pretest (n=277) and posttest (n=153) data were collected from participants across 3 years. Results indicated that the mentoring relationship between alumni and students was most often fulfilled through informal meetings and the teaching of life skills, followed by professional and career development. More than one-third of students identified the program as helpful to their academic success, while the majority of alumni felt the program had potential for strengthening school–community relationships. Lessons learned and implications of alumni mentoring programs in social work education are discussed.

An application of the mentoring framework to investigate the effectiveness of mentoring programs between industry mentors and student mentees in hospitality

This research examines the perceptions of alumni mentors working in the hospitality industry, along with hospitality students as mentees, through a four-stage mentoring program framework: initiation; goals and action plans; cultivating the relationship; and evaluating the relationship. Industry alumni mentors and student mentees from a leading hotel management school at an Australian university were selected to provide a rich illustration of the mentoring program. Data were collected through interviews of 48 mentees and 14 industry mentors (response rate of 45%). The findings illustrate that mentoring relationships enable mentees to build knowledge and skills, develop networking opportunities and build confidence. The application of the four-stage mentoring program framework provides several theoretical and applied contributions. Namely, a formal matching process enhances the initiation of a mentoring program, preparation and goal setting sets the stage for positive relationships, emotional and professional support cultivates commitment to mentoring relationships, and a mentoring program allows for valuable self-reflection.

Graduates giving back – a mentoring program for MBA students

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges and obstacles encountered in the implementation of a mentoring program for Master of Business Administration (MBA) students at the University of South Australia (UniSA) Business School. The paper starts with an exploration into the need for a mentoring program, the trial and subsequent four years of implementation. The paper also explores the network model of mentoring and the reasons why this, rather than a more traditional model, was chosen for the program’s implementation.Design/methodology/approach– This exploratory case study uses data from over 600 students and their alumni mentors over a five-year period to evaluate and improve the program as well as cultivating a critical community of adult learners.Findings– Feedback from students indicates that the mentoring program is regarded by most as a value-added feature of their early learning as it offers support, if and when it is required, from those who have been there before.Research limitations/implications– Results are limited to one institution. However, as research into mentoring for higher education students is thin on the ground, this study contributes to our understanding of the positive impacts of mentoring on student success.Practical implications– This paper emphasizes the importance of business leaders giving back to their alma mater through mentoring current MBA students. It shows how mentoring can support learning and management development.Originality/value– This is an original study which explores ways to increase the learning of higher education students for positive social outcomes.

Developing Career Skills of Professional Students Through Student Mentees - Alumni Mentoring Program

The present research explores to develop career skills of professional students through student mentees-alumni mentoring relationship program. In the study, 15 student mentees of engineering, 10 student mentees of management institutions and 5 of alumni mentors participated. A questionnaire was prepared with open and closed questions separately for the students on their feedback and alumni on their facilitations. Researchers conducted series of two semi-structured interviews and the results indicated that the students enhanced career skills and they acquired guidance and support from the alumni mentors and had the industry exposure. The mentors had satisfaction in guiding the students and this program helped them to refresh their technical and soft skills and in turn they demonstrate to their students. The findings and suggestions to be incorporated into the professional education institutions.

Nursing alumni as student mentors: nurturing professional growth

Mentorship is a commonly used strategy for role and career development that has potential benefits for students in undergraduate nursing programs. In contrast to preceptorship, which generally involves clinical supervision and performance evaluation, mentorship is more focused on sharing and nurturing to promote personal and professional growth. This article describes a mentoring program at McMaster University School of Nursing in Canada in which baccalaureate nursing students are mentored by alumni from the same nursing program. Following a successful pilot project with level one students, the program was expanded to include nursing students in all levels who were interested in having a mentor. Both student mentees and alumni mentors have reported positive outcomes. Students felt supported in making personal, academic and career decisions whereas alumni found satisfaction in providing this supportive function, having re-connection with their alma matter, and sharing their professional experience and knowledge. Given the prospective gains not only for the individuals who take part in mentorship programs but also for the profession and beyond, consideration should be given to providing opportunities for nursing students to be mentored during their formative years.