Defining Mentoring in the First-Year Experience: One Institution's Approach to Clarifying the Meaning of Mentoring First-Year Students

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Author(s): D'Abate, C. P.

Citation: D'Abate, C. P. (2009). Defining Mentoring in the First-Year Experience: One Institution's Approach to Clarifying the Meaning of Mentoring First-Year Students. Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, 21(1), 65-91.

 

Abstract

Mentoring has emerged as an important element of programs to support the success of first-year students. However, the term mentoring is ambiguous and frequently leads to conceptual confusion, which can limit the quality of support provided to students and confuse those acting as mentors. This article offers a case study of one college's approach to defining the functions associated with mentoring. Study results reveal that, with some exceptions, faculty and peer mentors share a high level of agreement on the meaning of mentoring. Eliminating ambiguity can help administrators, faculty, and peer mentors better serve students by delivering mentoring as intended. Implications for faculty, peer mentors, administrators, assessment officers, and researchers are discussed.

 

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