Latinos Studying Math, Science Perform Better With Faculty Mentors

There’s nothing like having a mentor to smooth your way. Whether at work or school, having someone take you under their wing can improve your fate, fortune and grade point average.

This certainly was the case for some Latino mentee college students who majored in math, the sciences and technology. They did better academically when they had faculty mentors working with them, according to a study from Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California (USC). The study is titled, "Examining the Academic Success of Latino Students in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Majors (not yet online)." It appears in the July-August issue of the Journal of College Student Development, one of many publications from Rossier's Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis.

"This shows how important it is for students to perceive they are part of the academic environment, especially for Latino students whose backgrounds may not be represented as equally in faculty numbers," says Associate Education Professor Darnell Cole, one of the authors, in a statement from USC. "Some Latino students may be spending more time with their peer groups in response to feelings of alienation and marginalization experienced within their academic programs. This doesn't mean that joining student diversity groups leads to poorer grades, but suggests that the students are seeking support and understanding that may be lacking from faculty."

The study, co-authored by graduate student Araceli Espinoza, was based on nationwide data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program at UCLA of 146 Latino students who filled out surveys as freshmen in 1999 and as seniors in 2003.