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For any college or university, the first year of college is the most critical in ensuring a student continues their education and graduates.
McPherson College’s retention of its freshmen currently tracks with the national average among similar institutions. But a new program is aiming to help the college go beyond average and help the first-year freshmen students who are most likely to leave college.
Serve 2 Succeed Corps, or S2S, will match them to a peer mentor who can help them connect in academics, social life and service learning. With students more than five times more likely to stop their education in their first year than at any other time in their college career, the program targets a critical time to help students succeed and graduate. S2S is being made possible starting in the fall of 2011 with a grant from Kansas Campus Compact, funded by AmeriCorps.
“We believe in you as students, but not all of us have the same position of privilege when we start,” said Dr. Kent Eaton, provost. “The program increases the likelihood that students who begin behind the starting line can run the race and run the race well.”
The grant provides funding for up to 12 student mentors to receive an annual stipend of up to $1,500 for the 300 hours expected from them every year in the program, as well as a scholarship award of up to $1,175. Each mentor will be matched with up to four freshmen, allowing 48 students to receive the kind of help and guidance that will help them succeed at McPherson College. The mentees will be identified by admissions information, such as ACT score, first-generation college students and information on the FAFSA; the College Student Inventory, which identifies multiple areas that affect student success; and students’ performance in college classes.
Matthew Lindsey, executive director of Kansas Campus Compact, said McPherson College stood out because of its detailed plans of how to identify students for mentoring.
“It showed that McPherson College is already invested in tools to help student retention,” Lindsey said.
The mentors will provide tutoring, ensure that mentees are involved in at least one co-curricular or extra-curricular activity — such as clubs, athletics, performing arts, service clubs or a study group — get the students involved in a service project, and help the mentee develop an academic plan.
For any college or university, the first year of college is the most critical in ensuring a student continues their education and graduates.
McPherson College’s retention of its freshmen currently tracks with the national average among similar institutions. But a new program is aiming to help the college go beyond average and help the first-year freshmen students who are most likely to leave college.
Serve 2 Succeed Corps, or S2S, will match them to a peer mentor who can help them connect in academics, social life and service learning. With students more than five times more likely to stop their education in their first year than at any other time in their college career, the program targets a critical time to help students succeed and graduate. S2S is being made possible starting in the fall of 2011 with a grant from Kansas Campus Compact, funded by AmeriCorps.
“We believe in you as students, but not all of us have the same position of privilege when we start,” said Dr. Kent Eaton, provost. “The program increases the likelihood that students who begin behind the starting line can run the race and run the race well.”
The grant provides funding for up to 12 student mentors to receive an annual stipend of up to $1,500 for the 300 hours expected from them every year in the program, as well as a scholarship award of up to $1,175. Each mentor will be matched with up to four freshmen, allowing 48 students to receive the kind of help and guidance that will help them succeed at McPherson College. The mentees will be identified by admissions information, such as ACT score, first-generation college students and information on the FAFSA; the College Student Inventory, which identifies multiple areas that affect student success; and students’ performance in college classes.
Matthew Lindsey, executive director of Kansas Campus Compact, said McPherson College stood out because of its detailed plans of how to identify students for mentoring.
“It showed that McPherson College is already invested in tools to help student retention,” Lindsey said.
The mentors will provide tutoring, ensure that mentees are involved in at least one co-curricular or extra-curricular activity — such as clubs, athletics, performing arts, service clubs or a study group — get the students involved in a service project, and help the mentee develop an academic plan.
