Mentoring the Next
Generation of
Student Advocates
Dr. Ralph Anttonen
Chairperson, Academic and Student Development
Director of the Exploratory Program-Millersville University
Dr. Michelle White
Director of Academic Advisement-Millersville University
Dr. Jay Chaskes
Director of the Center for the Study of Student Culture-Rowan
University
Presentation at the 25th Annual Conference of the First-Year
Experience
February 24th-28th , 2006
Intentions of Research
• Building on earlier research of Anttonen
and Chaskes (2002), the present study
sought to examine the role of mentoring in
the learning of advocacy skills.
Recognizing First-Year Experience
Programs
• Since 1989/1990, the National Resource
Center for the First-Year Experience and
Students in Transition has conferred the
“Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate
Award.”
What do these programs have in
common?
• Outstanding Leadership
• Effective Institutional Change
Advocacy and the Next Generation
• What are Advocates’ perceptions of their
own mentoring histories?
• Did the Advocates pass these skills to the
next generation of Advocates?
Anttonen/Chaskes Skill Set1 (2005)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Passion
Caring for Students
Active Listening
Creativity and Flexibility
Sense of Humor
Patience and Persistence
Rationale for Mentoring Research
• Collect Data
– Advocates’ Perceptions
• Own Mentoring Backgrounds
• Passing Advocacy and Leadership Skills on to the
Next Generation of Advocates
– Are the Advocates utilizing and passing on the
Anttonen/Chaskes skill set to their protégés?
– Is being a “Change Agent” an important
component in this process?
Participants
• National Resource Center for the FirstYear Student Advocate Award Recipients
– A List of Award Recipients from 1990-2004:
• 161 Educators
– Public Institutions
– Private Institutions
– 2-year/4-year Institutions
Materials
• Open-Ended Questionnaire
– Based on Earlier Survey of Anttonen &
Chaskes (2002)
– Developed in collaboration with:
• Dr. John Gardner
– Policy Center on the First-Year of College
• Ms. Mary Stuart Hunter
– Director of the National Resource Center for the FirstYear Experience and Students in Transition
Design and Procedure
• Utilize a Web-Based Version of Survey
– External Website Service
• Mailing and Return of Questionnaire
– Early October of 2004
• Supporting letter from Dr. John Gardner and Ms.
Mary Stuart Hunter sent with survey to identified
Advocates
Design and Procedure
• Completion of the Survey
– Cut-Off Date of mid-January 2005
– 64/134 (48.5%) of respondents completed the
survey
Respondents’ Institutions
Institutional Characteristic
f
%
47
73.4
Private
17
26.6
Two Year
47
26.6
Four Year
17
73.4
<2,000
15
23.4
3,000-3,999
6
9.4
4,000-7,999
7
10.9
8,000-11,999
9
14.1
>12,000
27
42.2
Public
No. Students
Note. N=64
Age of Respondents
Age
f
%
30-39
4
6.3
Males
0
0.0
Females
4
6.3
7
10.9
Males
2
7.4
Females
5
13.5
34
53.1
Males
14
29.7
Females
20
54.1
19
29.7
Males
11
40.7
Females
8
21.6
40-49
50-59
60+
Note. N = 64. 27 respondents were male, 37
respondents were female.
Having a Mentor
Response
f
%
45
70.3
Male
16
59.3
Female
29
78.4
19
29.7
Male
11
40.7
Female
8
21.6
Yes
No
Note. N = 64. 27 respondents were male, 37 respondents were female.
Skills, Insights, and Strategies Learned from Mentor
Skill
Insight/
Strategy
Item Learned from Mentor
f
f
Personal
27
32
Males
4
7
Females
23
25
14
7
Males
5
1
Females
9
6
35
21
Males
7
7
Females
28
14
12
2
Males
9
1
Females
3
1
Communication
Organizational/Political
Academic/Research
Note. N = 45. 16 respondents were male, 29 respondents were
female.
Being a Mentor Today
Response
Yes
f
%
55
85.9
Male
20
74.1
Female
35
94.6
9
14.1
Male
7
25.9
Female
2
5.4
No
Note. N = 64. 27 respondents were male, 37 respondents were female.
Activities Engaged
Activity
f
Personal
2
Males
0
Females
2
Communication
19
Males
6
Females
13
Organizational/Political
39
Males
17
Females
22
Academic/Research
5
Males
3
Females
2
Note. N = 55. 20 respondents were male, 35 respondents were
female.
Mentor Training
Response
Yes
f
%
14
21.9
Male
5
18.5
Female
9
24.3
43
67.2
Male
16
59.3
Female
27
73.0
No
Note. N = 64. 27 respondents were male, 37 respondents were female. 7 participants did not respond; 6 of
these were male, and 1 was female.
Anttonen/Chaskes Skill Set
Response
f
%
Yes
52
92.9
Male
19
95.0
Female
33
94.3
3
7.1
Male
1
5.0
Female
2
5.7
No
Note. N = 55. 20 respondents were male, 35 respondents were female.
Emphasized Skill Set to Protégés
Skill Set
f
%
Passion
40
76.9
Males
15
78.9
Females
25
75.8
Listening
23
44.2
Males
10
52.6
Females
13
39.4
36
69.2
Males
11
57.9
Females
25
75.8
Risk Taking
25
48.1
Males
11
57.9
Females
14
42.4
26
50.0
Males
9
47.4
Females
17
51.5
32
61.5
Males
12
63.2
Females
20
60.6
Creativity
Sense of Humor
Patient but Persistent
Note. N = 52. 19 respondents were male, 33 respondents were female.
Are Advocates Change Agents?
Response
f
%
51
100.00
Male
20
100.00
Female
31
100.00
0
0.0
Male
0
0.0
Female
0
0.0
Yes
No
Note. N = 51. 20 respondents were male, 31 respondents were female.
Change Agents Discussion with Protégé
Response
Yes
f
%
50
90.9
Male
19
95.0
Female
31
88.6
5
9.1
Male
1
5.0
Female
4
11.4
No
Note. N = 55. 20 respondents were male, 35 respondents were female.
Primary Skills Learned from Mentor
• Males
– Academic/Research Skills
• Females
– Personal
– Organizational/Political Skills
Male and Female Advocates
• Both Sexes Indicated that They Were
Mentors to Others
– Advocates are Teaching Protégés
Organizational/Political Skills and Strategies,
and Communication Skills
• Male Advocates
74.1%
• Female Advocates94.9%
Mentor Training
• Less than 25% of Advocates had any
formal mentor training
• Informal Mentor Training
– Observation of Senior Colleagues
Validation of the Anttonen/Chaskes
(2005) Skill Set
• Supported by Advocates
– Males
– Females
95.0%
94.3%
• Mentors as Change Agents?
– Yes!
100.0%
Trust as the Most
Essential Resource
• Future generations of Advocates and firstyear program builders must engender
“trust and confidence at all levels of their
institutions.”
Implications for Further Research
• Process of Mentoring
– Selection of a Mentor
– Reciprocal Teaching Between Mentor and
Protégé
– Length and Dissolution of the Relationship
– Exploring Exemplary Mentor Training
Programs
A Mentor is one who…
Has successfully
taken the journey!
Daloz (1999)
References
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