The BASE Mentorship: Components of Mentorship for Black Students at Humber

Alyssa Austin, Sanjana Eswar, Igho Itebu, Techan Kemp, Richard Laurente, Rushann Smith

Abstract

Mentorship for Black students is not only crucial for academic success, but also for social connections, and personal and professional development. Mentorship is even more crucial within Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). The aim of this Participatory Action Research (PAR) project was to identify the need for, and to explore components of effective mentorship for Black students, to ensure success within PWIs. The project was done in partnership with The BASE (Black Academic Success and Engagement) program at Humber College. Using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, 30 students who identified as Black/African/Caribbean (BAC) were surveyed and interviewed. The following themes emerged: guidance and support, shared knowledge and understanding, access (or lack-there-of) to resources, representation and sense of belonging, and racial discrimination/incidents and mental health support. Concluding that mentorship is in fact a necessity for Black students attending PWIs, with particular attention to ensuring representation and relatability, to the specific needs of Black students within the institution.

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Students at a Black History Month Open Mic & Poetry Slam event co-produced by the (student led) Speak BLAC Collective and the BASE & FYE programs at Humber.

Introduction

This research project was done in partnership with The BASE (Black Academic Success and Engagement) program at Humber College. The main objective was to identify the need for and to explore components of effective mentorship for Black students, to ensure that they succeed and feel comfortable within Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Mentorship is significant to the work The BASE does, as well as the Community Development sector. The literature review showed that there are not enough peer-reviewed research articles in the Canadian database on mentorship for Black students. This research now contributes to literature on this topic, in the Canadian context. Students voiced the following concerns: lack of access to culturally relevant on-campus support, a disconnect from the college experience, racial discrimination, and a general lack of adequate support from the institution’s higher ups, such as faculty, and others in positions of power.

Research Methods

This research was carried out through an interpretive epistemological perspective. Particularly, utilizing a narrative, storytelling approach; to document the lived experiences of Black students who have either had access to mentorship or sought mentorship. The following methods were used for data collection: surveys, one-on-one interviews and focus groups. The survey questionnaire was intended to collect quantitative data on student demographic, awareness of services and general thoughts on mentorship. Focus groups/in-depth interviews gathered further information on lived experiences of students. The main method of analysis was thematic analysis, using the systemic coding procedure. The following tools were also utilized for data reduction and content analysis: google forms’ analysis features, otter.ai for interview transcriptions and identifying keywords, and voyant-tools for labelling and identifying connections to keywords and phrases. After utilizing the aforementioned tools, data was then analyzed manually, to identify specific emergent themes.

Results

30 students who identified as Black/African/Caribbean (BAC) were surveyed and interviewed. 95% agreed that mentorship should be available for Black students, 60% agreed Humber lacks a range of services/resources, and 25% were unaware of the BASE and its service. The following themes emerged: guidance and support, shared knowledge and understanding, resources, representation, racial discrimination and mental health.

Discussions and Conclusions

The results show that mentorship is essential for academic success, personal and professional development, and overall well being With a need for BAC Mentors that are either current students, alumni, and/or business professionals. Student concerns included: lack of access to culturally relevant & adequate support, disconnect from college experience & racial discrimination. Students were more interested in career related mentorship infused into programs, training, services. Some suggested that The BASE programs and services should be more widely advertised.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our community partner: The BASE program at Humber College for the opportunity and support in carrying out this research. Specifically, Monique Chambers (Program Coordinator), Efe Chehore (Student Support Advisor), the student staff, and the participants. We would also like to thank Linda Hill, Community Development Program Coordinator and Professor, for the guidance and resources offered throughout the project.