Mentoring Underrepresented Students in Higher Education || Developing a Mentoring Program: A...

Developing a Mentoring Program: A Graduate Student's Reflection of ChangeAuthor(s): Christine RobinsonSource: Peabody Journal of Education, Vol. 74, No. 2, Mentoring Underrepresented Studentsin Higher Education (1999), pp. 119-134Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1493080 .

Accessed: 21/06/2014 01:02

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

Taylor & Francis, Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Peabody Journalof Education.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 91.229.229.49 on Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:02:58 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=taylorfrancis

http://www.jstor.org/stable/1493080?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


PEABODY JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, 74(2), 119-134 Copyright ? 1999, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Developing a Mentoring Program: A Graduate Student's Reflection of Change

Christine Robinson

The limited support and networking activities propelled me to make changes on my college campus. My experiences and perceptions in establishing a

mentoring program for minority graduate students are discussed. The purpose of this narrative is to share the challenges one faces in making change at an academic institution.

This is a story of my struggle as a Black female doctoral student attempting to adjust to a new environment. It is a story I have been waiting and wanting to tell for 5 years. This story is meant to inspire those who believe they cannot change or have an impact on their institution or environment, and it is also meant to make those interested in change aware of the obsta- cles and the tools needed to overcome them. Once, I, too, thought I was powerless to make change and was willing to accept the institutional at-

CHRISTINE ROBINSON earned her EdD in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership at Peabody Col- lege of Vanderbilt University. She is currently the Director ofAcademic Affairs at Indiana Institute of Technology.

I thank Kathy Hoover-Dempsey for her encouragement and Marcy Singer-Gabella and Michelle Stephan for their editorial comments and suggestions.

Requests for reprints should be sent to Christine Robinson, Indiana Institute of Technology, 1600 East Washington Boulevard, Fort Wayne, IN 46803.

119



C. Robinson

mosphere as it was. However, through a series of small steps and with the

help and support of committed faculty members, administrators, and students, I was able to effect change.

This narrative discusses the overarching tasks one might face in at-

tempting to make change at an institution of higher education. Articu-

lating your problem and committing to sharing it with those you perceive to have power and the ability to be change makers is the first task. The second task is attempting to investigate and develop solutions with the help of respected faculty members and administrators. Testing the acceptability of a solution and garnering verbal and monetary support is the third task. The last task is the implementation of a solution and ongoing support and feedback from constituencies. In the following pages, I elaborate on these tasks, drawing on my personal experiences for illustration.

Experiencing and Articulating the Problem

When students are faced with practices that hinder them from being socially integrated or feeling fully supported by the institution, some students may withdraw into themselves or share their feelings with family, friends, or peers. Unfortunately, and typically, intimate others or personal support systems can only be sympathetic to students' feelings, as

they are not in positions of power at the institution. It is important that students express their problems to faculty members or administrators because those affiliated with the university cannot bring about change unless they know and understand the issues minority students face. While working to improve an individual student's situation, the confi- dante should attempt to understand whether other minority students have similar problems. Although improving an individual student's ex-

perience is important, campuswide change will not likely occur based on one person's experience; corroboration from other students will be necessary. Once more information on minority students' experiences has been gathered, it should be shared with a large audience in multiple manners. The more people who know about the issues, the more likely the issues are to be solved.

Individual's Problem

I struggled through my first year of school. Although I had attended

predominantly White institutions during my baccalaureate and master's work, I had always had access to minority student organizations and aca-

120



Developing a Mentoring Program

demic and social support programs sponsored by administrators. At those institutions, special efforts were made to ensure that minority students succeeded academically and felt welcomed into the environment. How- ever, no formal or informal activities or organizations existed for minority graduate students at Peabody College. My only options were to try to develop relationships with students 2 or 3 years ahead of me who could not empathize with my adjustment difficulties, or to join a church whose con- gregation either consisted of families deeply rooted in the community or younger minority students who attended predominantly Black institutions. The lack of fit and the lack of a sense of community caused me to question my decision to earn a doctoral degree and to contemplate with- drawing on several occasions. I raised my concerns with some of my peers. Their suggestion was to talk with the Associate Dean (AD) of Graduate and Professional Studies. My situation made me wonder if other minority graduate students were having similar problems. Had other students com- plained previously, or were students complacent? Was the administration unaware of or insensitive to the issues concerning minority graduate students? With much apprehension, I set up an appointment to talk with the AD. Although two people in my program indicated that she was a nice, open, and honest person who seemed to be sensitive to students' needs, they were not sure how she would react to me and if my talk with her would negatively impact my future in the program. Given my increasingly unhappy state, I kept the appointment. However, I decided not to be accu- satory or create any conflicts, as I might be labeled a troublemaker.

The AD was indeed as open, honest, and easy to talk to as my two colleagues had suggested she would be. She sympathized with the issues I faced and agreed that action needed to be taken to improve my situation. She indicated that she would find the money in her budget to plan an activity specifically for minority graduate students. After my meeting with the AD, several questions occurred to me: Is she sincerely committed to the issues facing minority students or is she placating me? Is she truly committed to change or was she just throwing money at the problem in hopes that it would go away? I felt a sense of frustration that she seemed dumb- founded as to the reasons why activities were not being conducted for minority students and that there was a need for them. In my opinion, she should not have to be told that minority graduate students were having problems; she should have known this by simply being on a predominantly White campus with a small number of minority students. On the other hand, I felt apologetic about blaming her because she indicated that the minority students in her department had not expressed any issues. Also, as she had only been an AD for short period of time, perhaps she was still learning her job responsibilities.

121



C. Robinson

Larger Scale Problem and Larger Audience

Invitations for a social event were sent to all Black graduate students and Black faculty members at the college. The intent of the event was to

provide an environment in which graduate students could socialize with

faculty members. The event appeared to be a success, as 25 students and

faculty members were in attendance. Many attendees indicated a need for a similar activity to occur every semester. The AD promised to coordinate another social event in the fall semester. However, I knew that a once-a-semester event by itself was not going to improve the environment. I indicated to the AD that activities other than social events needed to take

place, but I was vocally appreciative to her for this and any event that she would sponsor in the future.

Fortunately, the opportunity presented itself for me to participate as

part of a research team in a summer study. The AD had written a proposal to the dean to do a study about where to find additional sources of funding to improve the enrollment of minority graduate students at the college. The AD, her doctoral research assistant, and I worked together on this project. When I found out that I would be working with the AD's research assistant, I was not alarmed until I discovered she was White. I thought, what possible interest would she have in the subject of minorities, and what could she possibly contribute? Why was I not given a minority graduate assistant with whom to work? Was the AD trying to legitimize the

study by including her assistant? Perhaps the AD thought I could not be

objective or that others might question the validity of the study if only mi-

nority students were involved in the research.

Initially, the AD's assistant and I interviewed department chairs and asked about external funding for minority graduate students and if more

money alone would solve the enrollment problem. After the first few interviews, it was readily apparent that the respondents' primary concerns about minority graduate students did not concern obtaining more money for recruitment. The responses focused more on minority students' support systems, the campus environment, and the college's im-

age (Robinson, 1996). We discussed our preliminary findings with the AD; she thought it was a good idea to continue along the path where re-

spondents had guided us. Additional interviews were conducted with minority graduate students, minority faculty members, faculty members sensitive to minority student issues, and faculty members who did research on minority students. Although interviewees were initially reluctant to openly express their views, they were more at ease once we expressed our purposes. Interviewees offered their perspectives and suggested solutions to the limited number of minority graduate students on

122




campus. At the conclusion of the interviews, the majority of participants thanked us for talking with them about such an important topic that they were rarely asked to discuss.

The AD's assistant and I wrote separate reports from different perspectives, in different styles, and offered different recommendations. The AD made the decision to keep both reports as they were, but she added an overview of the study and an executive summary for the benefit of the re-

port's readers. Copies of the report were distributed to the deans, department chairs, and anyone who expressed an interest in receiving a copy. Although the initial feedback was that the report was well written and in-

sightful, I had two concerns. The AD no longer was in her administrative

position and had returned to her department as a faculty member. To me, this meant no one was in the position of power to advocate for change for

minority graduate students. The second concern was that the Dean, de-

partment chairs, and the new AD would file the report away without ever

reading it; this would mean that the administration would continue to be unaware of the issues concerning minority graduate students. I expressed my concerns to the former AD, and she assured me that she would press for a meeting with the deans and department chairs to formally present our findings.

In the fall semester, the former AD was able to get the three of us on the deans' and chairs' calendar. We were allotted an hour to present our

findings and answer any questions. During the presentation, there seemed to be few friendly faces in the crowd. With the exception of the new undergraduate AD who was African American, most faces were stoic, giving me the impression that they did not want to be in the meet-

ing and had better things to do with their time. The atmosphere in the room seemed to lighten only when the former AD opened the floor for

questions. The deans and chairs asked pointed questions and engaged us in conversation. At the end of the meeting, we were assured that the recommendations would be taken under advisement and shared with other

faculty members. Unfortunately, no commitment to implement any of our recommendations was made.

With the help and influence of the former AD and my planning and or- ganization efforts, another social event was held in the fall semester. How- ever, this event, funded by the AD's office, was somewhat different than the first because there was a new AD. This time we would invite all minor-

ity students and all faculty members from the college. Also, the program would be more formal and have a purpose other than just socializing. To conform to the formality of the event, the former AD, her graduate assistant, and I discussed the findings from our recent study. The finding we spoke most about was that many students of color had feelings of social es-

123



C. Robinson

trangement and sociocultural alienation. In programs where there were few, if any, other students of color, students experienced these feelings to an even greater degree. Also, interviews with minority graduate students suggested that they had less access to faculty members than their White

counterparts, had little to no informal and supportive networks on cam-

pus, and had difficulties establishing relationships with faculty members. Because no formal support systems were in place, students developed their own support base to survive their experiences. Some developed a support system with others of similar cultural backgrounds outside their

program of study or outside the college. Although personally helpful, such external support systems may not have offered help specifically related to the student's academic and professional goals. Faculty members and students alike indicated that having a stronger support base on campus is critical to the success of minority graduate students. This lack of initiative in

making an attempt to develop support networks for minority students had

given the college the image of being insensitive to its minority graduate students. In fact, informal accounts suggested that this issue played a role in the nonenrollment and nonmatriculation of some minority applicants and students.

The three of us thought that by making more people aware of the issues in the study, more discussions would take place, more allies would be developed, and pressure would be put on the "right" people to implement our suggested recommendations. The informal presentation turned into a lengthy discussion as we fielded questions from the audience. Some in attendance expressed an interest in receiving copies of the study for their own purposes, and others were interested in helping to implement the recommendations raised in the study.

Rather than internalize my frustrations or openly criticize the institution, I expressed my issues and concerns to an administrator. I took on the responsibility of attempting to improve my environment. Unfortu- nately, I wrongly assumed that this administrator was knowledgeable about the issues concerning minority students but chose to ignore them. Although institutions have a responsibility to their students, minority students have a responsibility to create awareness surrounding the issues such as those I was raising; institutions will only respond to issues brought to their attention. However, for large-scale changes, institutions will likely respond to group experiences rather than an individual's experience; therefore, obtaining proof that a problem exists among several students is necessary. This knowledge should be shared beyond one administrator or one administrative office to include others who may support improvements but who are not aware or do not understand that there are issues with minority students.

124




Developing a Solution

Department chairs, deans, and faculty members always have a number of responsibilities and a limited amount of time with which to deal with them. Implementing the recommendations raised in the study would

likely add to their already large load. This would occur not only in the form of implementation, but also in the form of becoming knowledgeable on the issues, and this would mean taking time away from other responsibilities. A guiding force who has knowledge of the issues, a plan of action, and the support of respected colleagues is likely to be supported by faculty members and administrators. However, the proposed plan of action must also be supported by experts in the field through research.

Garnering Support

Because I had not heard about or seen the appearance of any change, I felt the study had already been forgotten. According to sources, the problem was that no one wanted to take on the responsibility of implementing the recommendations; they had neither the time nor the expertise. If someone else were to put forth a detailed plan, however, the deans and chairs would likely support it. As a student, I was not sure what I could do to make events happen, but I was not willing to let the issues die. The former AD suggested that I gather a group of concerned faculty members to work on implementing some of the recommendations raised in the study. I think she figured that if we could get support from a few faculty members and present a detailed plan or program, then we could convince the college to act. The other impetus for gathering a team was that in the spring semester, it was difficult to convince the new AD that another social event for minority graduate students was needed. She wanted a program that would draw a larger attendance and have some type of outcome.

The former AD and I brainstormed about who should be asked to serve on the team. We chose faculty with whom I was acquainted and felt com- fortable, as I would be the one to work with them. Reluctantly, I took the lead because it was a minority graduate student issue, and the former AD no longer had the time or authority to implement a program. The team included the following: (a) a Black female faculty member with whom I had developed a relationship when I contemplated changing my major, (b) a Mexican American female faculty member who was concerned with student issues as they related to Latina and Latino students, (c) a White male faculty member whose research concerned minority students' experiences on predominantly White campuses, (d) a White female faculty member

125



C. Robinson

who was genuinely interested in minority issues when I raised them in her class and her office, (e) a Black woman who was the new AD for under-

graduate students, and (f) the former AD because of her prior involvement and commitment to the issues. The team met on a weekly basis to discuss which recommendations to focus on and how to implement them.

The Need for Research

There was much frustration on my part during the meeting process because I thought that the members of the team were more knowledgeable, experienced, and insightful about what to do and would take over and im-

plement the ideas we discussed. Instead, they discussed various ideas at

length, leaving me to make the final decision and do the implementation. I

got the feeling that they thought these things were my responsibility because the outcomes would directly benefit me. However, the only thing I knew to do was to set the weekly agendas and keep a record of all meet-

ings; I was a supporter, not a leader. Even though this was a student issue, I

thought the college needed to take the lead, and that meant faculty member implementation. I neither had faculty status nor was I empowered or authorized by the institution through a job title or monetary funds to make

changes. Finally, after reading research concerning minority graduate students' experiences (see Blackwell, 1983,1989; Smith & Davidson, 1992; Van Stone, Nelson, & Niemann, 1994; Willie, Grady, & Hope, 1991) and view-

ing a video in which several Black female professors and administrators discussed the importance of minority students having mentors and indicated that mentors were critical to the success of future minority faculty members and administrators, I suggested that the group focus its efforts on mentoring. It seemed to be the one thing that could solve many issues raised in the study. Mentoring would address recruitment because it could be used as a tool to attract students to the school and because it offered support services to students on campus. Mentoring would also offer network-

ing with faculty members to students who indicated that they were not

given opportunities for professional development in their department. My team encouraged me to further pursue research on this topic to become the expert because no one on campus was knowledgeable about mentoring.

As a lone graduate student, I felt I could not push for change by myself, no matter how necessary it was. The development of an advisory board that consisted of faculty members and administrators was important for several reasons. One is that the group members' research, personal, and administrative knowledge could be used in developing a plan of action. Second, this group would be more influential with colleagues, administra-

126




tors, and department chairs than a student. Last, members of the advisory group could seek support for change by actively promoting programs in their department and by serving as models to colleagues who revered them. Unfortunately, I learned that members of the advisory group could not be as committed as I was to making improvements because of their limited time and expertise. I assumed the leadership role. The only thing I knew to do was to research a solution that proved successful because forthcoming support is more likely if research accompanies it.

Obtaining Broader Support for the Solution

Once a plan of action has been decided on, it is necessary to test its viability and sell it to the appropriate people. With the development of any new program, those who will be asked to participate and support it must have the opportunity to give their input. Not only must this input be used to help design the program, but future participants and supporters should be made aware that their input will be used, making them more likely to support a program. Support from future program participants is likely to convince administrators to be supportive of the program. However, verbal support and commitment from administrators may not be viable in the long term. Monetary support establishes a program and gives an indica- tion of the commitment of administrators.

Testing the Mentoring Concept

Before we invested time and money into a program, we first had to prove to the new AD that mentoring was a viable solution. A brainstorm- ing session with the explicit purpose of obtaining feedback about interest and the importance of a mentoring program was planned. All faculty members and all minority graduate students were invited to the session. On the day of the event, the room was filled to capacity. Forty people were in attendance; it was the largest gathering of faculty members and students anyone had ever witnessed. The first half-hour, faculty members and students socialized and got acquainted. After this exchange, each person in the advisory group was assigned to engage the audience about the mean- ing of mentoring, qualities of a good mentor, and needs of mentees. As the questions were asked of the group, it became apparent that faculty members were making most of the contributions and students were reluctant to speak. I shared my thoughts and experiences in an attempt to show other students that it was a safe environment. It was perhaps the case that stu-

127



C. Robinson

dents feared being honest or making complaints, as they could risk upset- ting advisors, instructors, or department heads, negatively affecting their school experiences. Based on the students who did speak, the feedback was positive about the idea of starting a mentoring program at the college.

Securing Funds

Now that we had positive feedback from faculty members and graduate students about developing a mentoring program, all that was needed was to implement it. The lack of expertise and the onset of summer break meant that no one on the team was willing to take the lead. I realized that if a mentoring program was going to get up and running, I had to be in charge of it. I had 3 months to put the proposal together and get it approved so that a program could be implemented by the start of the fall semester. I used journal articles, books, faculty member and student feedback at the college, and my previous experiences to develop the objectives, operations, and guide- lines for the program. Before the end of the summer, I had put together a draft proposal for the new AD. The proposal included why a mentoring program should be established, how it would operate, and a list of goals and activities to be carried out. The new AD wanted to institute the program but needed the support of the dean; therefore, she encouraged me to provide a budget for the program and ajob description for the person that was to head the program. As it turned out, the final proposal was made into a handbook for distribution to mentoring program participants. It was reproduced just in time for the fall semester and the introduction of the program. The handbook would be a guide so that students would understand the purposes of the program and what it was attempting to accomplish.

Even though I thought that the idea of a mentoring program was a good one in which I would participate, I was unsure whether others would agree with me or not. I understood that we needed feedback from potential participants before implementation could take place. Potential participants were made to understand that a mentoring program was only an idea and not a completed project and that they had a hand in designing it. Support from them would be more likely if they felt ownership of the program. It was communicated to administrators that potential participants were supportive of a mentoring program. This brought about verbal support and commitment from administrators for a new program. However, past experience told me that verbal support without monetary support is only "lip service." Mere verbal support might suggest to future participants that administrators were not serious about solving the issues. In addition, a change in administrators and administrative philosophies could

128




mean the disappearance of a program with only verbal support. As a re- sult, a draft proposal that included the program's operations and a proposed budget was assembled and sent to administrators for approval.

Starting Up and Making a Difference

A successful program requires a good start. It is easier to sell a program that has initial support from participants, verbal and monetary support from administrators, and ongoing support and commitment from an advisory group. In addition, future participants understand whether a program is well put together or not by the preparations that have been made for their participation. Furthermore, communication with and from knowledgeable and committed leadership is critical for participants to have confidence in the program's viability. Although a good start is necessary for programmatic success, the program must have a positive impact on its participants if it is to remain in operation; therefore, obtaining information about the program's effect on participants is critical.

A New Position

At the time I started working on the proposal, I heard that two of our study's recommendations would be carried out. First, the dean was searching for a faculty member to fill a minority student affairs position. This person would be in charge of recruiting and retaining minority students and providing administrative support and services to them. If the mentoring program was approved, another responsibility of this new person would be to provide its leadership. It was my intent to work closely with this person by providing him or her with the necessary support for a successful program. Although the support I gave would be voluntary and require more of my time, I felt the program was my "baby," and I wanted to see it get off the ground. Unfortunately, the new position was never filled. Instead, I received a graduate assistantship in place of the appointment. I was told that I was put in charge because the project was to be established immediately, and I was considered the expert on mentoring.

Another study recommendation to be carried out was an orientation for minority graduate students; I-along with other minority graduate students and minority faculty members-was responsible for planning the event. At the start of the fall semester, the first minority graduate student orientation took place. All faculty members, continuing students, and new students were invited to the orientation. The program was designed to be

129



C. Robinson

an information session as well as a social exchange. We wanted students to find it useful and different from the traditional graduate student orientation. I introduced the mentoring program and how and why it was started-I included reference to my personal experiences, and these reso- nated with some students. In preparation for the orientation, I had

mentoring booklets available, a participant sign-up list, and a date for the first meeting of interested faculty members and students. I did a major pro- motion of the program to get students interested in participating, because

although some students signed up to have mentors, there were several un- matched mentors. I was aware of this because before the orientation I sent

introductory letters to faculty members, and 30 of them signed up to participate in the program. I think students were being very cautious of this new program. Some students might have held out because the program was just beginning. Others might not have understood why the program applied to them at the time.

I was nervous about starting the new position, because I was now considered the expert and would have to plan the year's activities. Luckily, the same advisory group who helped support the mentoring idea agreed to continue as part of an advisory committee for the program. We met every 2 weeks to discuss the activities we would sponsor. I was in charge of pre- senting the ideas and implementing them while the committee acted as a think tank. This was the first time I started to feel like an equal; I felt I had a voice, was empowered to make decisions, and was viewed as having knowledge that others did not.

Participants' Experiences

To date, the program has been in operation for more than 3 years and has had more than 20 mentor-mentee pairs participate each year. My intent was that through this program minority students would develop a

caring and personalized support network, increase communication and interactions with faculty members, be provided the encouragement and

guidance needed to complete the degree program, and be offered information about scholarly activities and career planning. For some program participants this was realized.

Feedback about the development and progress of mentor-mentee relationships was sought early on in the program. An interim evaluation form

assessing the program's effectiveness was mailed to all participants in Jan- uary 1996. Feedback from returned evaluation forms suggested that the nature of interactions between mentors and mentees was personal and professional. Many mentees and mentors developed friendships, whereas

130




others focused more on academic, educational, and career goals. Mentees indicated that they had been able to be open and honest with their faculty mentors and could trust that they were being sincere. Mentors commented that they enjoyed helping mentees with their goals and passing on advice; they also suggested that they gained a sense of self-worth and developed relationships with graduate students with whom they would not have oth- erwise interacted. Respondents indicated that monthly program activities were beneficial in that participants had the opportunity to have contact with other mentors and mentees in the program.

A survey of Peabody College graduate students was conducted in Fall 1995 by administrators of the college and a higher education consulting firm. The purpose of the survey was to obtain information about how students perceived their graduate program at the college. It was suggested that the results of the survey would be used to evaluate and develop the college's recruitment activities, informational brochures, and other com- munications. Employees from the higher education consulting firm returned to campus in February 1996 to conduct follow-up one-on-one interviews and focus groups with students, faculty members, and administrators. The new AD asked me to gather mentors and mentees together for a focus-group discussion about the mentoring program. I assembled a list of questions for consultants to ask those who attended the meeting. My intent was to gain more in-depth information about how participants' relationships were progressing and whether or not the program was meeting their expectations. Although an invitation was sent to all program participants, only 3 participants appeared. One interviewee was a third-year doctoral student who had attended the college 10 years earlier. The other two interviewees were a first-year doctoral student and a first-year faculty member. It was insightful to hear their responses to the questions posed.

The third-year doctoral student described feeling isolated and lacking a support network when she had been on Peabody's campus 10 years ago. Although I felt her prior experiences mirrored my recent experiences, she indicated that the college had evolved since that time. More minority students were enrolled on campus, and the college seemed concerned about retaining minority students, as exemplified by their support of the mentoring program. At a later time, I reflected on her comments about the campus environment and was better able to appreciate the changes that were presently occurring.

I was very interested to hear from the first-year doctoral student because she was matched with a White man as a mentor. Findings from previous studies indicated that matches were more successful if mentors and mentees were of the same race or sex (Tidball, 1986). However, this appeared to be a successful relationship in spite of the difference in sex and race. Her mentor

131



C. Robinson

provided her with support and encouragement and shared information about his research interests and his dissertation survival techniques. Even

though she was just a first-year student enrolled in course work, it seemed that she valued the information he gave and was storing it for later use.

Given that some studies suggested that White men prefer to work with mentees who look like them (Kanter, 1977), I was curious to understand the faculty member's motivations for being involved in a program for mi-

nority students. He shared that one motivation for his involvement was that it was a student initiative and that faculty members have a responsibility to support this type of effort. Another motivation for his involvement was to meet someone he did not already know with whom he could discuss his field of interest. I was struck by his motivations because of his genuine concern for students. I was also struck by his sincerity when he indicated that he considered his mentee to be a friend and a colleague. Even

though I knew it was an unrealistic goal, this was the type of relationship I wanted other mentor-mentee pairs to develop and experience.

Although minority students gave positive feedback during the concept phase about the mentoring program, I knew I was still going to have to sell the program. Minority students would be skeptical about the new program because it might merely be used for the self-serving purposes of the college. That is, the college might use the program to exhibit to the academic community and potential students how progressive it was. How- ever, I think my appointment, the more than adequate participation of faculty members, the monetary support from the administration, the preparation for programmatic activities, and the support of an advisory group convinced some students that this program really existed for them. Al-

though informal feedback from participants was positive, administrators wanted proof that this was a viable program that warranted continued support. Surveys and interviews with faculty members and students indicated that the program was useful to participants and successful in accom- plishing some of its goals.

Summary and Lessons for Graduate Students

In summary, my experience suggests that there are several major issues one must confront when attempting to develop support structures for minority students in higher education. First, persons such as faculty members and administrators need to be made aware of minority students' issues. This may start out as a one-on-one conversation but should progress to another level. That is, other students may have the same experiences as an individual student, but they may not have shared them with anyone. An investigation into how widespread the problem is will be nec-

132




essary if changes are needed and if they are to be supported on a broad scale. Once findings have been obtained, they must be shared with every- one and should not remain in one office or in the hands of one person. Sec- ond, a solution to the problem(s) must be developed with the support of knowledgeable, respected, and committed faculty members and administrators, who are willing to serve in an advisory capacity. This advisory group's support can help mobilize the support of other administrators and

faculty members. A proposed solution must also have research support as

proof that it is likely to be a success. A third issue is one of garnering broader support from those constituencies affected by the proposed solution. One important constituency is the participants in the programmatic solution. They must have the opportunity to share their views about the solution because they are more likely to participate in a program for which

they feel ownership; the establishment of a program is dependent on their

participation. It is more likely that verbal and monetary support from administrators can be secured if positive feedback and enthusiasm from potential participants occur. The last issue to be concered about in bringing about change is making sure the program is off to a good start and is mak-

ing a difference in participants' lives. Committed and sincere personnel and well-planned preparations are not only necessary but may also be sell-

ing points of the program. Continued success of a program relies on ongoing support from participants. This occurs when the program positively influences participants' environments; program evaluations are necessary to discern this. The evaluation results should be communicated to administrators for continued monetary support.

For me, these broader issues have included more about the process of

trying to bring about institutional change for myself and other minority students than the change itself. I believe this information will be beneficial for any student who finds himself or herself in a similar situation and who feels that he or she cannot make change or that change is insurmountable. I conclude by sharing the lessons I learned during the change process. The lessons are as follows:

1. Remember the old adage, "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

2. Do not think of yourself as just a graduate student who cannot have an impact and who has no voice.

3. Do not look to faculty members and administrators for all the answers and do not assume that they know or understand the problems.

4. Find out who your allies are and who can and is willing to affect institutional change. This includes administrators, staff, faculty members, and students.

133



C. Robinson

5. Money is not everything. Initiative counts for a lot. Be willing to sac- rifice some time for what you believe.

6. Be persistent even if your efforts seem to outweigh your accomplishments. 7. Be ready to assume any type of responsibility no matter how small

and insignificant you think it might be. 8. Be willing to stand up for what you believe, but bring along research

as proof. There will always be a "doubting Thomas." 9. Be willing to be flexible when it makes sense to do so. Negotiate with

the person holding the purse strings. 10. Keep the programs fresh and up to date and incorporate some fun.

References

Blackwell, J. (1983). Networking and mentoring: A study of cross-generational experiences of Blacks in graduate and professional schools. Atlanta, GA: Southern Education Foundation.

Blackwell, J. (1989). Mentoring: An action strategy for increasing minority faculty. Academe, 75, 8-14.

Kanter, R. (1977). Men and women of the corporation. New York: Basic Books. Robinson, C. (1996, April). One solution to minority graduate students' discontent at Peabody Col-

lege. Roundtable presentation at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York.

Smith, E., & Davidson, W. (1992). Mentoring and the development of African-American graduate students. Journal of College Student Development, 33, 531-539.

Tidball, M. (1986). Baccalaureate origins of recent natural science doctorates. Journal of Higher Education, 57, 604-620.

Van Stone, N., Nelson, J., & Niemann, J. (1994). Poor single-mother college students' views on the effect of some primary sociological and psychological belief factors on their academic success. Journal of Higher Education, 65, 571-584.

Willie, C., Grady, M., & Hope, R. (1991). African-Americans and the doctoral experience: Implica- tions for policy. New York: Columbia University Teachers College.

134



Date post:	12-Jan-2017
Category:	Documents
Upload:	christine-robinson
View:	213 times
Download:	0 times

Mentoring Underrepresented Students in Higher Education || Developing a Mentoring Program: A...

Documents