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Faculty and staff mentors play a vital role in student performance and development while providing a solid foundation for graduates to enter the workforce after completing their degree. The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) is working to further develop its mentorship program through a project funded by the Graduate School’s Innovation and Excellence in Graduate Education (IEGE) grant program.

The program supports new initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality and effectiveness of graduate student mentorship throughout the University. The SOP initiative, “Developing an Excellent Mentor Pool,” has received $6,564 to expand and reimagine the student mentoring program within the School. Project lead Jennifer Arnoldi, PharmD, assistant director of experiential education and clinical associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, plans to strengthen the School’s current mentorship program by incorporating interested alumni and volunteer preceptors as mentors, as well as creating a mentor training and development program.

“While pharmacists receive a wealth of training in pharmaceutical knowledge and patient care skills, learning to be a good mentor is not part of the curriculum,” said Arnoldi. “This funding will allow us to recruit an extensive and diverse pool of mentors to serve pharmacy students. We will invest our resources to provide interactive and relevant training materials for our mentors, so that they can coach our students through pharmacy school and beyond.”

In 2016, the School’s accrediting body enacted standards related to personal and professional development in the areas of self-awareness, leadership, innovation and professionalism. The IEGE-supported initiative will help the SOP optimize student development in these areas and maximize program impact by utilizing faculty, alumni and preceptors as mentors.

Mentors will be trained to guide students in the areas of well-being, goal setting, leadership and co-curricular activities. Students will have access to industry mentors, allowing them an opportunity to make additional connections within the pharmacy field before graduation.

“These non-cognitive skills are an area that will set graduates apart from their peers in a competitive job market,” explained Arnoldi. “Strong mentorship and coaching at the individual student level will aid our students as they transition to practice-ready pharmacists.”

Prior to the project’s inception, a third-year pharmacy course required each student to schedule a mentoring session with a faculty or staff member. Many students expressed finding the mentoring session to be more helpful than they anticipated, and some wished they had been able to have a similar opportunity earlier in the program.

“While there is a current mentoring program in place, the optional nature allows many students to forgo participation,” added Arnoldi. “We believe that all students can benefit from working with a mentor, and perhaps those who don’t seek our mentorship are those who could benefit the most.”

The SOP aims for full implementation of the revised mentoring program in the 2021-22 academic year.

Donations and pledges made to The Rosemarie Archangel, Ellen Sappington, and Stephen L. and Julia Y. Hansen Innovation and Excellence in Graduate Education Endowment, totaling $422,153, have made this grant funding possible. The endowment’s goal is set at $500,000. To contribute, visit siue.edu/graduate/giving.

Photo: Jennifer Arnoldi, PharmD, assistant director of Experiential Education and clinical associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice.