ABSTRACT
Mark Sanderson, a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) dean at a state university's branch campus, wants to help community college transfer students succeed; many of them are also first-generation college students and would benefit from more intensive professional mentoring as they enter the job market. As with many faculty and administrators in STEM fields, the readers may find themself designing an initiative to improve the mentoring of college students. Perhaps they are applying for a federal research grant and want to include a compelling section about how their work will broaden the participation of STEM students. Despite having experience with teaching, conducting research, and advising in your field, you may not be acquainted with research-based best practices that contribute to student persistence in STEM fields, including ways to improve access to mentoring practices. Mentoring is a broad concept, a term that refers to many different kinds of relationships, programs, and initiatives.
