Formal Mentoring: Increasing Academic Performance, Retention, and Graduation Rates at CSUSB

RM 215-218

The purpose of this research was to evaluate a formal mentoring program at California State University, San Bernardino with regards to its mission statement of “fostering the retention, academic success, and graduation of students”. Archival data between the 2003-04 and 2012-13 academic years was examined to identify 1,032 students who received formal mentoring (identified as protégés) from this specific program. A matched-pairs design was then utilized to match protégés with 1,032 non-mentored students on the basis of gender, ethnicity, matriculation in same year and quarter, first-time freshman status, high school GPA, and remediation status. Statistical analyses showed protégés had significantly higher grade point averages, retention rates, and graduation rates.