Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange

1700 Asp Ave.
Norman, OK 73072

Phone: 405-325-2158
Fax: 405-325-7309
csrde@ou.edu

Expertise-development mentoring: A case study of an intervention to improve first-generation college freshmen's academic performance and retention

presented by Peter Collier, Portland State University

Date of webinar: June 16, 2010

*Materials for this webinar are not currently available.

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Abstract

Expertise development mentoring provides new students with useful information about “what to do in order to succeed at the university”, insights into the culture of higher education, and tips on how to become “more expert” students. Incorporating concepts from developmental advising, skill acquisition, and identity development, this form of mentoring goes beyond informing students about the range of support services available on campus, providing scripts for how to use specific campus resources appropriately as well as strategies for key campus interactions. In this paper we examine the effectiveness of this approach through a case study of a U.S. Department of Education FIPSE Program-funded intervention designed to improve first-generation student academic success and retention at Portland State University, the Students First Mentoring Project (SFMP). After describing the key elements of this intervention, along with the underlying conceptual model, we present three years (2005-2008) of program results to establish that the program positively impacts first-generation student’s academic performance and persistence. We conclude by discussing the implications of this successful expertise-development mentoring program for first generation students and the colleges and universities seeking to support these students.

The Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange at the University of Oklahoma is a consortium of two-year and four-year institutions dedicated to achieving the highest levels of student success through collaboratively sharing data, knowledge, and innovation.

CSRDE is a sponsored activity of the Center for Institutional Data Exchange and Analysis at