1. Dr. Peter Collier Portland State University Sept 2010 PSU 2010 FRINQ Mentor Orientation First Generation Students : What We Know and How to Work With Them

2. first generation students: those for whom neither parent graduated from a four-year U.S. college or university

3. 1 st Generation student characteristics linked to lower levels of persistence 1. lower levels of pre-college knowledge regarding the value of college degree and college costs 2. poorer prior preparation 3. lower likelihood of reporting feeling connected to college campus 4. poorer understanding of university culture, and “how to be a successful college student.”

4. Traditional Model of Ed achievement Understanding of Course Material Student’s Abilities Student’s Performances

5. Two Path Model Understanding of Professor’s Expectations Understanding of Course Material Student’s Abilities Student’s Performances Cultural Capital Academic Skills Actual Capacity Demonstrate d Capacity Collier & Morgan, 2007

6. Model of Student Problem-solving 1.Identify the problem / issue 2. Develop range of possible solutions 3. Select preferred solution 4. Act on choice & monitor outcomes

7. Experts are more likely to quickly recognize issue develop multiple solutions that might work generate high-success solutions evaluate solution more realistically chose a high-success solution turn chosen solution into action that works

8. Expertise development mentoring (EDM) involves mentors sharing useful information about what adjustment issues 1 st gen students may face, which strategies are effective for dealing with specific issues, and range of available resources and how to use each appropriately.

9. Underlying EDM is the idea that first generation students will first generation students will make an easier adjustment to the university if they are given opportunities to utilize the opportunities to utilize the expertise of already successful, PSU students

10. Understanding of Professor’s Expectations Understanding of Course Material Student’s Abilities Student’s Performances Cultural Capital Academic Skills Actual Capacity Demonstrate d Capacity A EDM Points of Impact B

11. A Developmental Approach to Mentoring 1 st Generation Students

12. Two Separate Aspects: 1.Match the issues you are preparing students to address with the students’ term and year in college AND 2. Tailor student success messages to match the students’ current level of expertise. 2. Tailor student success messages to match the students’ current level of expertise.

13. What issues are students likely to have to deal with early in the term?

14. Which campus resources would be useful in dealing with those issues? What issues are students likely to have to deal with early in the term?

15. novice Dreyfus model of expertise development messages for novice level students work best in the form of “context free rules”

16. novice advanced beginner Dreyfus model of expertise development messages for advanced beginner students work best in the form of “experience-based maxims”

17. novice advanced beginner competent Dreyfus model of expertise development messages for competent level students work best in the form of “if-then” contingency plans

18. Implications

19. When 1st generation students can recognize potential adjustment issues, identify appropriate campus resources, and learn effective strategies for college success, they do better in their classes and are more likely to stay in school Expertise development mentoring promotes academic success and persistence.

20. Within the framework of my research, it appeared that WHAT mentoring information was provided and who provided it were more important than HOW that Information was delivered On-line Mentoring Works.

21. Portland State University’s University Connect System http://uconnect.unst.pdx.edu

22. Uconnect is an on-line resource that you can use with your students to help use with your students to help them learn about potential college them learn about potential college adjustment issues, effective adjustment issues, effective strategies for addressing those issues, and relevant campus issues, and relevant campus resources. resources.

23. “Access without support is not opportunity” Dr. Vincent Tinto Syracuse University

24. Dr. Peter Collier Professor of Sociology Portland State University Portland, OR 97207-0751 cfpc@pdx.edu 503-725-3961