Advancing Inclusive Mentoring: An Effective Mentor Training Program Across Comprehensive and R2 Public Universities

Area of Science:

• Mentoring and Education
• Undergraduate Research
• Inclusion and Diversity in STEM

Background:

• Inclusive mentoring is crucial for undergraduate research students, particularly those from historically underrepresented groups.
• Effective mentoring practices are essential for student development and retention in research settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of the Advancing Inclusive Mentoring (AIM) program in improving inclusive mentoring practices.
• To evaluate mentor self-perceptions of skill development and likelihood of practice change after AIM participation.

Main Methods:

• The AIM program was implemented and assessed across five minority-serving universities.
• Mentors' self-ratings of mentorship skills and intended practice changes were collected post-program.

Main Results:

• A 58% increase in mentors rating their skills as very or exceptionally developed was observed post-AIM.
• 93% of participants intended to change their mentoring practices, and 93% found the AIM program beneficial.
• Perceived program benefit and module pertinence showed some variation across participating campuses.

Conclusions:

• The AIM program demonstrates effectiveness in training mentors to adopt inclusive practices for undergraduate researchers.
• AIM positively impacts mentors' confidence and commitment to enhancing their mentoring approaches, particularly for underrepresented students.