Mentor Collective

Celebrate with us this Thursday as Mentor Collective's Joe Michie welcomes Hartnell College's Director of the Office of Equity Programs and Student Affairs Dr. Gabriela Lopez!

Dr. Lopez will talk about how peer mentorship is a critical facet of the Salinas Valley Promise Program, the role her institution plays in the greater Salinas Valley community, and how students receiving the multi-dimensional support are retaining at higher rates!

Register to save your seat or receive a recording following the event! https://hubs.ly/Q02t2zMF0

Exciting News! Mentor Collective announced the appointment of Christine Burse as Chief Financial Officer. Burse comes to us following an extensive, eight-year career steering the financial future of leading Faculty Information System Interfolio by Elsevier.

As Chief Finance Officer at Mentor Collective, she will serve as a financial advisor to the executive team, guiding strategic planning and optimizing operational performance.

"Working with companies like Mentor Collective that are poised for significant growth has always been where I feel most connected and engaged to the financial community," said Burse. "I'm excited to join such an innovative organization focused on enriching the human experience and to help leadership uncover untapped opportunities."

Read the full press release here: https://hubs.ly/Q02t1DDd0

Indiana University Bloomington, believes in the power of peer mentorship to help students foster a sense of belonging in their first year on campus. Learn how they're working with Mentor Collective to take actionable steps toward welcoming the next incoming cohort and how they're using logged data from peer-to-peer interactions to direct students to critical student services at the right time and make significant improvements in retention as a result.

“Academics who study sense of belonging know that when it's present, students are engaged and motivated to continue to graduation is certainly enhanced. The absence of a sense of belonging has been shown to have a profound negative effect not just on motivation and academic achievement, but also in the way that students face their adversities on campus and how they see themselves receiving support.” - Dr. David B. Johnson, Vice Provost of Enrollment Management, IU Bloomington

Threading Belonging Into the First-Year Student Experience at Indiana University, Bloomington Learn how Indiana University, Bloomington embeds belonging into the first-year experience through peer mentorship, enhancing student success and retention rates.

The NASPA Virtual Conference is today! Don't miss our session at 1:30 p.m. EST to hear from VP of Partner Success Annemieke Rice about how our scalable peer mentorship technology has been impacting first-generation students – from boosting sense of belonging to increasing resource utilization. Our presentation highlights metrics from our partners at Georgia Tech First Gen and Duke University and features commentary from University Of Wisconsin Green Bay's Kathryn Marten.

Register here and we hope to see you there! https://hubs.ly/Q02rw99l0

NEW NEWS 📣 Andrew Rosen – Co-Founder of global learning management system Blackboard and former CEO of Interfolio from Elsevier– has joined Mentor Collective's board of directors, bringing with him three decades of expertise scaling problem-solving technologies within .

Full release here https://hubs.ly/Q02rv97s0

Online student success has emerging strategies helping keep students enrolled and on-track to graduation. Don't miss hearing about how meaningful peer connections can deliver actionable insights into the online learner experience during our UPCEA session in Boston on Wednesday! Partnerships Director Eric Scheuller will show how Mentor Collective helps reimagine one of online's most untapped and underdeveloped (but powerful 💪) strategies – intentional community building – through tech-enabled peer mentorship.

Stop by our booth and ask any questions about how our unique combination of technology and exceptional service can be tailored to the unique goals of your institution.

Don't miss our panel at American Association of Colleges and Universities DESS tomorrow at 11AM! We're uplifting legacy partner San Francisco State University and their compelling story of how the Peer2Peer initiative has evolved to serve nearly 9,000 students in five years. Through institutional analysis, Peer2Peer has shown its value. First-year retention for students participating has been consistently higher, melt has been consistently lower, and when disaggregated by demographic historically resilient populations are positioned to thrive!

The session will include an engaging conversation with Marisa Jimison, Transfer Support Coordinator at SFSU and Mentor Collective's Partnership Development Director Vaishali Gahkar. There will also be an additional guest appearance and commentary from Susanna Jones, Professor and First-Year Experience Director at SFSU.

Don't miss a chance to see how your peers in higher education are getting actionable insights from meaningful peer relationship with Mentor Collective and serving their students in more thoughtful ways! Can't wait to see you there.

Don't miss our session at the Innovations Conference this weekend in Anaheim! On Sunday, Senior Partnerships Director Joe Michie will be joined by Dr. Gabriela Lopez, Director of the Office of Equity Programs at Hartnell College to discuss the growth and positive outcomes of the Salinas Valley Promise initiative.

First-time, full-time Promise participants were found to have on average a:
📈 6.7% higher course success rate in spring 2023
📈 11.4% higher course success rate in fall 2022
📈 10.9% higher persistence from fall 22’ to spring 23’

Hartnell College is the only institution of higher learning in a 100-mile radius of its location, amplifying its connection to the surrounding community. Part of the school's commitment to encouraging positive student success outcomes is providing holistic student support that fosters belonging. We're excited to dive into this conversation about our role in the Promise initiative and show how peer connections are a driving force in supporting community college students! See you there!

Don't miss Mentor Collective's new CEO Erin Mayhood on Edtech Insiders: This Week in EdTech!

https://hubs.ly/Q02nXz8p0

"Mentorship itself is an intervention that works, but when you have the power and funding of an organizational body paired alongside of that, that's when the outcomes grow exponentially. You can see it in the movement of higher education right now. Think of the changes that we're seeing in communities of practice for advising. Imagine what happens when Mentor Collective's student voice data gets into those practices. Imagine how much more student centered we can be and how we can unblock the very real blockers that many students are facing to achieving success."

A recent study from New America found that 27% of community college students who stop-out cite loss of motivation as the primary reason. Even more revealing, 73% of those surveyed said they experienced 4+ hardships while enrolled.

With the responsibility to serve students and their communities, what sustainable measures can community colleges take to ensure that students receive timely support for their challenges and have the psychosocial support to remain engaged in their chosen pathway?

We're headed to San Francisco next week for the Chief Student Services Officers Conference (CSSO) to discuss how peer-powered mentorship initiatives are blazing a pathway for student success strategies. Don't miss our session where VP of Sales Rob Montgomery and Associate Partnerships Director Jenni William, M.Ed. will share outcomes from our partners at Saddleback College and provide best practices you can bring back to your institution.

Don't miss our session next week at NASPA with UC Berkeley's Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Dr. Stephen Sutton and Florida Atlantic University's Director of Assessment and Research Dr. Rebecca Goldstein.

🤯Billions are invested annually in student services, but many students never access them. When the value of higher education is being publicly questioned, institutions can't afford to have under-utilized services. See how these prominent institutions are leveraging the power of peer relationships with Mentor Collective to break down the barriers preventing students from accessing student support.

Participate in the discussion and stop by Booth #415 to ask us questions about how peer-powered insights can accelerate your strategies.

Download our latest case study to learn how Mentor Collective informed the strategies of predictive analytics while fostering incoming student sense of belonging at University of Wisconsin Superior.

https://hubs.ly/Q02nn2JK0

Students utilizing Mentor Collective during the 2022-23 academic year:
⚡Showed an average sense of belonging increase of 5.9 percent from start to end of the program
⚡Retained at rates 7-12 percent higher than peers who did not participate

Importantly, UW-Superior gained access to peer-powered student insights – conversation topics and challenges reported via the Mentor Collective platform by trained peer mentors – and proactively addressed gaps in student support throughout the year!

Development and disbursement of student scholarships is a crucial way to support student success for many large research institutions. However, understanding the breadth of these students' needs continues to be a blind spot; as is fostering sense of belonging to encourage persistence.

Join us on Thursday, March 21st, as we welcome Indiana University's Vice Provost of Enrollment Management, Dr. David B. Johnson, for a conversation about the Hoosier Scholars program and how using peer mentorship with Mentor Collective is dismantling barriers en route to graduation.

Register to save your seat or receive a recording post-event!
https://hubs.ly/Q02n2vfK0

📣 BIG NEWS! Mentor Collective’s founding CEO Jackson Boyar will transition to an Executive Chairman role and has appointed Erin Mayhood, the current Chief Product Officer, to the role of Chief Executive Officer.

Mayhood is a seasoned edtech leader and former higher ed administrator. who brings a wealth of experience to the role.

"Mentor Collective would not be half the company it is today without Erin’s dynamic leadership across product, engineering, marketing, and operations. Erin is an exceptional leader, and human, who has a deep connection to the exact issues Mentor Collective enables institutions to solve and an impressive track record of helping high-impact companies to scale.” – Jackson Boyar

Read Erin's open letter to the higher ed community here
https://hubs.ly/Q02lFbsb0

What does it take to make students feel at home in an unfamiliar environment? 🏠 In part 1 of this blog series, we compared it to finding your way around a friend's new place. But it's more than that. It's about creating an inclusive community that supports their needs.

For students like Chris D., having the right resources is key. 💻 "Berklee Online's advisor helped me discover student deals. Instead of paying a monthly subscription, I got the whole ProTools pack at a great discount!" 🎵

Resource utilization plays a significant role in fostering belonging, as seen at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. With a focus on transfer students, UNCG's mentorship program helps newcomers find their place. 🎓

Dr. Samantha Raynor shares, "Tutoring and resource utilization are part of our campus culture. They help students navigate their courses and feel a strong connection to our community."

At Mentor Collective, we understand the value of resources. That's why we've introduced Flags, a tool that connects mentors and mentees to available support when challenges arise.

https://hubs.ly/Q02lxtHd0

Don't miss our session at this year's NISTS Conference in St. Louis to learn from Partnership Development Director Emily Barrett how the complexities of being a transfer student become more navigable with the support of a trusted peer mentor and the technology that empowers those relationships!

Transfer students benefit greatly from well-designed and intentionally implemented peer mentorship strategies – from encouraging greater sense of belonging to increases in resource utilization and retention.

In fact, transfer students participating in Mentor Collective-powered initiatives experienced an overall 8 percent improvement in sense of belonging from the start to end of their program. Even more impactful, those who initially self-reported low sense of belonging responses saw a 20 percent improvement. 🤯🚀

Are you getting excited for this year's DREAM Conference? The only thing more inspiring than this conference itself, are the Achieving the Dream leaders responsible for delivering such outstanding and informative conversations surrounding community college student success. We were delighted last December to have Dr. Monica Parrish Trent join Mentor Collective Co-Founder Jackson Boyar for an open fireside chat about how two-year institutions are woven into the fabric of local communities. Dr. Trent spoke passionately about the ways in which leaders can adopt strategies that proactively address equity gaps and move from simply getting students in the door to getting them past the finish line.

https://hubs.ly/Q02kVv_90

Are you attending this year's DREAM Conference in Orlando? Stop by Booth 13! ⚡😎

We would love to see you and discuss how peer mentorship can contribute to your institutional strategy and meet the unique needs of your community and technical college students!

This year, we're delighted to have Partnerships Development Director Eric Schueller, VP of Partner Success Annemieke Rice ,and Director of Campaigns Alexandria Glaize in attendance to answer all of your questions about what our technology can do for you. These MC-ers have a wealth of experience across higher education and facilitate meaningful relationships between thought leaders in the sector nearly every day.

Stop by for some swag and a conversation about deepening your understanding of student belonging and retention!

Institutions play a vital role in supporting students' success. But how can we ensure that students know about the available resources and feel comfortable using them?

In a home, it could be as simple as knowing where to find the trash can or the WiFi password. Similarly, on a campus, resources like counseling centers, student health services, and tutoring support are essential.

But for many students, seeking help can be challenging. The stigma, ambiguity, and hidden nature of these resources can prevent them from reaching out. Our latest research spotlight delves into this vital topic, exploring the correlation between students' comfort in utilizing campus resources and their sense of belonging on campus.

From UNCG's outstanding efforts driving resource utilization to the definition of belonging according to Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, insights from Dr. Regina McCoy, Associate Vice Provost for Retention and Student Success, and findings from the Tyton Partners report - it's all covered.

We also look into proactive strategies that institutions should adopt to ensure students are aware and comfortable with available support services, highlighting the importance of peer mentorship in normalizing help-seeking behaviors.

Join us in creating a culture of connection, where every student feels they belong and succeeds. Check out the blog post👉 https://hubs.ly/Q02kzSdj0

Having an intrinsic motivation to guide others is the perfect foundation to be a successful mentor, but formal training is necessary to create a meaningful experience for mentees and mentors. Mentor Collective's objective-based and data-driven training provides mentors with the skills necessary to tackle any challenge in their mentorship - whether that means problem-solving a hardship the mentee is going through or setting expectations for consistent engagement.

Learn more about Mentor Collective's proprietary training from Product Manager and curriculum designer Jennifer Kious, M.Ed.

"Providing mentors with the tools to thrive in their mentorships has been proven to yield impactful results on student undergraduate and graduate program success. It also ensures mentors feel confident in their choices, are able to add their own voice to the process, and know they have a community supporting them."

https://hubs.ly/Q02kx_v00

We're delighted to announce our newest Mentorship Champion...Provost/Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at the University of Wisconsin Superior Dr. Maria Cuzzo.

In reimagining UW-Superior's student success strategy, Dr. Cuzzo recognized the importance of peer connections in developing sense of belonging, a critical factor in the likelihood of student persistence in higher education.

Within the scaffolding of holistic support, she emphasized peer mentorship as the string that's able to align the vast array of campus services and resources; or as she describes it "taking a bag of individually beautiful marbles and making beautiful string of pearls".

In this addition to discussing how both mentors and mentees can show up within a mentorship, Dr. Cuzzo and Mentor Collective’s Director of Marketing Campaigns Alexandria Glaize talk about the use of mentorship as a means of building critical soft skills and using it as a doorway to have transformative conversations.

Listen to the interview here!

https://hubs.ly/Q02kbGvy0

Strada Education Foundation's HBCU Initiative is a tour de force in driving student success through strategic philanthropy and reimagined partnerships. We were honored to host Daryl A. Graham last year for a fireside chat with Mentor Collective Co-Founder Jackson Boyar in which Daryl gave us a window into the ways that philanthropy can work harder and generate an impact felt for generations.

Watch this uplifting conversation to learn about Strada's 7-month listening tour to learn the true challenges and opportunities of HBCU leaders and how the organizations focus on factors like economic mobility and leadership development are transforming the lives of HBCU students.

https://hubs.ly/Q02jK4MC0

Whether you're the first or the 100th person to sign up for a Mentor Collective mentorship program, our matching algorithm has your back! 💪 Our technology takes into account 80+ dimensions of identity, affinity, and life experience AND prioritizes what you feel is most important.

So if you're a transfer student majoring in education, but it's more important for you to have a mentor who also grew up in a bilingual household or who understands what it's like to work part-time while in school, we've got you! Learn more about how we match and why the messenger matters in higher education.

The Right Mentor at the Right Time - Every Time Learn more about Mentor Collective's refined matching practice enhanced by a Pulitzer Prize-winning algorithm.

To boost student retention and student success, institutions across the country have identified decentralized data collection and siloed resources as areas for improvement. Predictive analytics software can be incredibly powerful in anticipating student need, but can also miss accounting for students that look high-performing on paper, but are dealing with non-academic challenges.

Read the recap or watch our latest impact webinar with University of Wisconsin Superior discussing how peer mentorship has been employed at the large, public institution to understand complex student challenges affecting sense of belonging and create a feedback look that expands the boundaries of what predictive analytics can see and learn.

Bridging the Predictive Analytics Data Gap with Peer Mentorship for Higher Retention See how the University of Wisconsin-Superior is using data from peer mentorships to focus predictive analytics and improve retention outcomes.

When Congress passed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Simplification Act, it dramatically simplified the process of applying for financial aid. By simplifying the application, it is hoped that many of the millions of students who don’t complete the form each year will be able to make their educational dreams a reality.

Of course, paying for college is only one step in a long journey. Once students arrive on campus, they must navigate an unfamiliar landscape filled with challenges and obstacles they may not be prepared to meet. Peer mentorship can help.

https://hubs.ly/Q02hvkzl0

Investing in Potential: FAFSA and Mentor Collective’s Roles in Bridging Education Gaps Changes to the FAFSA are a good first step toward increased access to higher education. Peer mentorship can be the next to ensuring these students succeed.

We're honored to be included in Built In's 2024 100 Best Remote Places to Work. Check out Mentor Collective and the full list of honorees here: https://hubs.ly/Q02fRK-N0

P.S. We're hiring! Come join our team and make an impact in higher education as an Account Director on our sales team! https://hubs.ly/Q02fRsBv0

Mentor Collective partners have programs as unique as the students they serve, because from day one they're working with an onboarding and services team to configure our platform to meet their sense of belonging and retention goals.

From filtering engagement data by student groups identified by predictive analytics to customizing matching surveys and assessment timing, you have the ability to design a program that provides the data you need to make progress.

With our mentoring platform and services you can:
✅ Target specific student populations
✅ Differentiate curriculum based on student cohort
✅ Consult on design and assessment
✅ Integrate seamlessly with SIS, CRM, and other systems
✅ Receive ongoing support from your service team

Contact us to see how it works and get a product demo! https://hubs.ly/Q02ft3Yh0

Mentor Collective works for you while you enjoy well-deserved time off!

Our platform allows students to continue communicating with relevant peer mentors during academic breaks, which means less anxiety during periods of rest and a more focused approach for students who may be uncertain about their place and performance at your institution.

Here's what we've learned from administrator activity in our dashboard just after the winter break.

Administrators...
🤳 Logged in on their first day back for timely student updates and data

🚀 Spent a portion of what was likely a busy first day back nurturing their institution's mentorship strategy

🥳 Realized their mentorship program kept going and kept returning value while they were on vacation

🥰 Took the time to say good things to us, because they were able to hit the ground running when they returned to school

📚 Can focus on intentional student follow-ups with the relevant information the Mentor Collective platform collected on student challenges while they were away

Learn more about how to make mentorship part of your student success strategy for fostering sense of belonging and increasing retention at https://hubs.ly/Q02fl64h0

In a recent Course Hero survey of over 1,000 educators in higher ed, 46% said students come to them multiple times a month with mental health concerns. This, along with last year's Surgeon General report on America's loneliness epidemic are continued reinforcement for interventions that help students build meaningful connections in college and guide them toward mental health and wellness resources critical to their success.

We know from the more than 73,000 mentorships we created in 2023, that peer mentorship is a proven driver of sense of belonging and help-seeking behaviors.

Learn more about the Surgeon General's recommendations and how mentorship fits within that strategy.

https://hubs.ly/Q02dZ3Cb0

Combating the Loneliness Epidemic The US is facing a loneliness epidemic. Learn how mentorship can support social connection and foster belonging at colleges and universities

It's National Mentoring Month, which means a chance to celebrate all the ways that mentorship enriches the human experience. As a company founded on making mentorship accessible for the students who need it most and actionable for colleges and universities, we are honored to uplift partners, students, organizations, and thought leaders using this practice to make an impact.

Join us in celebrating all month by sharing stories and engaging in conversations that help direct awareness to mentorship as a mechanism of meaningful change.

For more resources on how you can participate in Mentoring Month, check out MENTOR (https://hubs.ly/Q02dZ3Xd0).