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As part of an NSF IUSE/PFE:RED grant, the Clemson University Glenn Department of Civil Engineering instituted a peer mentoring program, called CE-MENT to attract and support students through a key transition point in the curriculum between general engineering and entry into the major. The program name has a dual meaning, as cement is defined as a binding agent or something serving to unite firmly. As freshmen, underrepresented minorities and females are supported by the Programs for Educational Enrichment and Retention (PEER) and Women in Science and Engineering (WISE). However, these programs do not carry forward as students leave the common first year in General Engineering and move into their respective majors. Through the involvement of junior and senior engineering students as peer mentors for incoming sophomore students in the engineering department, the mentoring program provides valuable one-on-one guidance and contributes positively to the engineering community. The peer mentoring program was formulated to foster interaction role modeling and interdependencies among students. Studies show that such interactions and interdependencies foster students' positive perceptions of their future selves in the profession. The peer mentoring program provides the opportunity to create motivational preferences for collaboration, and to foster personal motivation for academic achievement. Specifically, the program sought to determine: the change in students' attitudes toward peer mentoring activities during their years of engineering study (from mentee to mentor); how participating in peer mentoring affects students' satisfaction with program experiences (i.e., transition, belonging, and academic success); and their intent to remain in the program.
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Key features of a long-standing student-led women in physics mentoring program
As members of the student-initiated and student-led Women in Physics (WiP) organization (now called “Physicists of Underrepresented Genders”) in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland College Park, we describe a mentoring program that started in 2012. The WiP group prioritizes creating a welcoming social environment for women and gender-diverse members of the physics community, as well as opportunities to network and learn about academic and career development. Each year, the long-standing mentoring program pairs interested undergraduates with graduate student or postdoc volunteers. Mentor-mentee matches commit to meeting for the academic year, but pairs often continue in following years and even after leaving the university. The WiP student organization leaders encourage pairs to meet at least three times during a 12-week semester, and group activities are organized to support this goal. Brief surveys completed by participants over the years have enabled the WiP leadership to assess and improve the program iteratively. In-depth reflections from one recent mentor-mentee pair provide insight on key elements that may have been the most beneficial to participants. Mentor-mentee interactions shifted to a virtual, long-distance environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications for starting or maintaining mentoring programs for women in physics are discussed.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1938815
- PAR ID:
- 10556655
- Publisher / Repository:
- AIP Conference Proceedings
- Date Published:
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 060008
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0176033
