The challenges faced by first-generation students in navigating the academic landscape of higher education are well-documented. Many lack the experience and confidence to engage with faculty or explore opportunities beyond their immediate environment, which can hinder their access to educational enrichment activities such as undergraduate research. Even if 1st generation students do find their way to participating in research activities, they could benefit from targeted mentorship from individuals who share similar backgrounds and life experiences.
To address this issue, we propose developing a mentoring program geared toward 1st generation students interested in or participating in research activities. This program would pair first-generation college students with current RHB program doctoral students or post-docs from the who share similar demographic backgrounds and lived experiences, and/or who have a strong interest in supporting underrepresented students. Doctoral students and post-docs are well-suited for this mentoring role due to their relative proximity in age to undergraduates, their deep experience with the research process, and their practical need to develop mentorship skills for their future careers in academia.
We plan to recruit up to 10 current doctoral students and/or post-docs to form a working cohort from which mentors will be selected and assigned to first-generation students who choose to participate in the program. Participation by both doctoral/post-doc and undergraduate students is voluntary. Doctoral/post-doc mentors who opt to take part in the mentorship program must commit to working with their assigned student for one academic year, with two to three meetings per semester. As an incentive, mentors will receive a $500 stipend from the Office of Research and Scholarship (ORS) office to cover expenses related to their mentorship activities. If the mentorship relationship begins mid-semester or only encompasses one semester, the stipend will be prorated accordingly.
Procedure:
- First-generation students participating in research or who have expressed interest in UG research will be identified each semester, asked if they wish to participate, and matched to a mentor.
- A pool of approximately 10 doctoral students and post-docs will be recruited from CHS to act as a ready cohort of mentors. Each person who volunteers to participate will be asked to prepare a short bio and personal statement about mentorship.
- When a 1st generation undergrad student expresses interest in the program and a willingness to participate, they will have the opportunity to review the bios of the mentor pool and select one to “meet and greet.”
- After an initial meeting, if both the mentor and mentee are pleased with the relationship, they will develop a meeting schedule and exchange contact information to stay in touch.
- After the initial meeting, if either the mentor or mentee expresses uncertainty about the relationship, the mentee will review the bios again and select another individual to “meet and greet.”
- Once a relationship is established, the mentor will let the director of the UGR Office know who will put them in touch with both the ADR and business officer in charge of ORS to set up an account from which to access a $500 discretionary fund for mentoring expenses and/or to be used for research-related expenses.
- At the end of the mentoring experience, the doctoral student/postdoc and their mentee will complete a short survey describing their experiences, the benefits of the mentoring relationship, and any aspects that could have been better managed. This information will be used to validate the program and provide a means to improve our procedure for future iterations. Information to capture includes frequency of meetings, discussion topics, tangible outcomes or products from the interaction, etc. We will also attempt to poll students after graduation to obtain a picture of the long-term value of the targeted mentorship.