Frequently Asked Questions

What is the value of peer mentoring?

A peer mentoring relationship can serve as an effective method to help colleges design and enhance intervention strategies and to support relationship-building among schools. A mentoring experience can promote new learning and inform the conversation around effective interventions for improving student access to, preparation for, and persistence in postsecondary education. In addition, it allows participants to benefit from expertise to which they might not otherwise have access. While peer mentoring may focus on a specific initiative, it has the potential to more broadly affect the college and its students.

Why participate as a mentee college?

There are a variety of reasons that participation in the peer mentoring project will be of benefit to your college. It provides the opportunity to work collaboratively with a mentor college and a senior consultant, in the form of a facilitator, to build strategies for the design, development, or implementation of a program or initiative and to participate in a collegial learning experience that centers on relationship-building in support of student success. Representatives from mentee schools also will visit the campus of their mentor college, observe their program in action and meet with key stakeholders. In addition, the mentoring community facilitator will visit the college to discuss the initiative with staff, faculty and administrators. As part of the project, information about the college and its initiative, as well as project activities, will be professionally disseminated to local and national news outlets to gain visibility for the mentee college�s successes.

How many colleges will be involved in the project?

A total of eighteen colleges will be involved in the project: six mentor colleges and twelve mentee colleges.

How will the peer mentoring relationships be organized?

There will be six mentoring communities in the project�s learning network, with three colleges in each community. Each mentoring community will consist of one mentor college, two mentee colleges, and a facilitator who also will share mentoring responsibilities. Each college team will be comprised of three or four members.

How long will the colleges work together?

The colleges will work together from November 2008 to December 2009.

What types of assistance will mentee colleges receive?

Mentor college team members and the facilitator will work closely to develop an active and intentional learning experience for mentee colleges, to promote idea development and capacity building and to address challenges related to the development of the mentee college�s initiative. They will provide guidance, coaching, and technical assistance.

Are there particular activities on which mentee colleges will be working with their mentor?

It is expected that mentee colleges will have activities that they would like supported by the mentoring relationship, as these activities relate to a particular program or initiative at the college. The activities will be specific to the needs of the mentee college, but may include project planning and design, integration of program activities or administrative units, curriculum development or redesign, program-related staff training and professional development, program evaluation and assessment, data collection and analysis, student recruitment and outreach, community partnering, funding strategies and resource identification, strategic communications planning and implementation, and building support from internal and external constituencies.

How will the mentee colleges be supported in their participation in the project?

Mentee colleges will be awarded a fixed price contract of $14,000, to be disbursed on a monthly basis upon receipt of acceptable monthly progress reports and invoices. JBL Associates, Inc. will be directly responsible for costs associated with the attendance of three mentee college team members at the initial and final project meetings. In addition to direct funding support, the colleges will have the opportunity to work in a collegial learning environment with peer colleges and with a facilitator who will serve as senior consultant. Other types of support may include the development of podcasts and webinars on topics relevant to members of the learning network, public relations activities, posting of information on the Community College Can! webpage, and support for conference participation.

When and where will the initiative and final peer mentoring project meetings be held?

The initial meeting will be held during the first six weeks of the project, in November or December 2008. The final meetings will be held during the last six weeks of the project, in October and November 2009. The specific dates will be decided by the mentoring community. Both of the meetings will be held on the mentor college's campus.