1. Evaluators’ Observations
Walmart MSI Mentor/Mentee Project

2. AIHEC Schools – The Context
Small Institutions
Isolated locations
Mentor/ Mentee Schools
Relationship of equals
Learning Community

3. All schools benefited from project
Increased engagement of college staff and faculty in retention
Larger more inviting learning centers
Added retention staffing and advising practices
Mentor schools – improved and tightened their current programs
Mentee schools took ideas and applied them to their own settings
Strong evidence of institutional changes, especially in mentee schools

4. What were important elements?
Site visits to mentor and mentee institutions
MSI meetings -provided planning time
Seeing the LRC as a welcoming place chocked full of small to large resources
Getting ideas to adapt to own setting
Building relationships – know who to call
Witnessing the culture of the students and people

5. Take away lessons
Learning community – not hierarchical relationships
Use different terms – perhaps Elder, rather than Mentor
TCUs value opportunity to meet peers at other schools
Heartening to see large and small schools have similar challenges
Hearing speakers, meeting others who care was inspiring and energizing
Retention efforts improving across all institutions