An Interdisciplinary Approach to Mentoring, Reflection, and Student Engagement: Initial Findings from a Liberal Arts Pilot Study

Abstract

A Research Working Group conducted as part of an American Council on Education (ACE) Learning Laboratory (2022) concluded that “mentoring relationships are fundamentally developmental and learner-centered.” These relationships are “distinct from other meaningful relationships in that they: (1) Promote academic, social, personal, cultural, and career-focused learning and development in intentional, sustained, and integrative ways, (2) Evolve over time, becoming more reciprocal and mutually beneficial, [and] (3) Are individualized, attending to mentees’ developing strengths and shifting needs, mentors’ expertise, and all members’ identities.” In addition, application of Gallup’s “Big Six” College Experiences Linked to Life Preparedness further supports these findings. This pilot project, a collaboration between the School of Business and School of Education at a selective Liberal Arts Institution, presents the initial findings from the Instructor of Record and Peer Mentors in BUS1110: Gateway to Business courses. These initial findings might be utilized by readers as a way of augmenting and/or enhancing classroom learning applicable in their own courses with the goal of preparing students for what Ted Mitchell, President, ACE in Weaver et al. (2023), refers to as “a world of uncertainty, imperfect information,” at times, “unrelenting pressure…” The application of “real world insights” enhances students’ intellectual development and classroom pedagogical approaches.