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Reassessing Faculty Mentorship (Savannah State University-2024)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Reassessing Faculty Mentorship
Momentum Area: 
Pathways
Category: 
Career/Major Exploration
Faculty Development
High Impact Practices
Other/Undefined
Strategy/Project Description: 

Develop the faculty mentorship program. This program assists students with career exploration, selecting and aligning major electives with their career aspirations, participation with High Impact Practices such as: scholarships, internships, study abroad

Activity Status: 
Piloting
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

Evaluation Plan and measures:

  1. Develop baseline of faculty champions in each College to be trained in Spring 2025
  2. Secure funding for Faculty Mentorship Program and establish the number of faculty that participated
  3. Survey for SSU freshman students participating in the mentoring program. (Career exploration and potential High Impact Practices [HIPS]) Exit Survey will be developed and conducted in 12/2024.
  4. Develop baseline of faculty champions in each college
  5. Develop baseline of number of students mentored by the end of Spring 2025 (EAB data collection)

KPIs:

  1. Number of students participating
  2. Baseline number of first-time freshmen in the Fall 2024 (Exit Survey)
  3. Number of faculty participating
  4. Baseline current number of faculty champions and mentors
  5. Minimum of one training per semester for faculty
  6. 90-100% of FA24 incoming students enrolled in the term will be coded with a faculty mentor and meet with them at least 1x per term
Progress and Adjustments: 
  1. Deans identified 11 faculty mentors for a pilot across the 3 larger colleges
  2. Funding has been secured to provide NACADA (National Academic Advising Association) memberships for the cohort as well as attendance at upcoming professional development conferences
  3. Pilot cohort assessment developed and will have the first meeting to discuss training opportunities (12/2024)
  4. Some colleges have coded all of their students with Faculty mentors in Banner
Plan for the Year Ahead: 
  1. Create a handbook for faculty mentors. This should be similar in nature to the professional advisor handbook. Should include the role, any training opportunities and any platforms they will be required to use. (Upscaling faculty training)
  2. Upscale faculty training and develop a schedule for faculty mentors. Training should include Degree Works and note-taking, EAB Navigate scheduling, note-taking and cases.
  3. Create a survey instrument to allow students to provide feedback on their faculty mentor experience to be used for continued professional development training.
  4. Ensure all students (new and current) enrolled each term has an updated and active faculty mentor coded in Banner. (Streamline process of assigning faculty mentor for all colleges)
  5. Ensure every student is meeting with their faculty mentor at least once per term during Faculty Mentor Period.
  6. Revival of the academic advising council to assist in further developing the communication between faculty mentors, students and advisors
Challenges and Support: 
  1. Student engagement with faculty mentor
  2. Scale up (in a short time) faculty to be effective with mentoring.
Contact email: 
lindenn@savannahstate.edu
Primary Contact: 
Nancy Linden