Section archive - Mentoring & Supervision

This article is an analysis of peer mentors, their interaction with students and instructors, the relationships that develop, and understanding the role of peer mentors in and out of the classroom. The mentor program was created in 1990 at a large public university in the western United States as a mentor leadership program under the premise of students helping students. In this study, the authors found that peer mentors identify with five roles of a peer mentor: connecting link, peer leader, learning coach, student advocate, and trusted friend. The authors conclude that two components were found in this study that offer avenues for future research. First, the amount of time in the program can affect responses. Second, gender makes a difference.

The present article examines the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, as a newly merged institution that is in the process of transforming from a formerly segregated academic context. Recently, students who come from diverse backgrounds and have diverse levels of preparedness enroll to this university. These backgrounds and levels of preparedness place unique expectations on lecturers and peer tutors. The researchers argue that without incorporating tutor development into the mainstream disciplines, peer tutors will not be able to effectively act as facilitators of subject content and discourse.

This article reports data from a 4-year longitudinal evaluation of a project from the United Kingdom. The project focused on outdoor activities as a vehicle for enhancing the personal and social development of disaffected youth. Specifically, the researchers examined the role played by volunteer learning mentors. The findings suggest the potential for mentors to function as informal educators in such youth programs. However, a lack of preparation and the considerable challenges faced in establishing and maintaining mentoring relationships with young people in schools can restrict their impact.

In this article, the authors describe four primary needs, articulated as cornerstones, comprising effective mentoring programs for educational leadership adjuncts. Four cornerstones or vitally important elements for the successful online teaching experience of adjuncts faculty members are professional development, effective communication, fostering balance and forming relationships.