Impact of an OT Mentorship Program on Student Success in Higher Education

PURPOSE: There is a steady increase in diverse student enrollment in college including first-generation and neurodivergent students. However, research shows that there is a lack of support in higher education in meeting the needs of these diverse populations. The purpose of the study is to examine if participating in an occupational therapy mentorship program (Re-Charge) supports student success for students on academic probation. DESIGN: This is an exploratory retrospective design. Data was collected from two cohorts of students in the Re-charge program (n=41). METHOD: Outcome measures used were the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), a self-efficacy questionnaire, and GPA scores. Qualitative data was collected with a post-program survey. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to look at the differences in occupational performance, occupational satisfaction and self-efficacy and GPA, pre and post test. RESULTS: Findings showed that there were statistically significant increases in occupational performance (z =5.306, p < 0.001) and occupational satisfaction (z =5.273, p < 0.001) as well as self- efficacy (z =3.211, p < 0.001) and GPA (z =3.285, p < 0.001) after participation in the Re-Charge program. The findings from the post-wrap up survey revealed that students had a positive experience towards the Re-Charge program. Overall, students felt that the program helped them achieve their goals, build supportive relationships, learn about new strategies and learning styles. One response from a student read that 'They [staff members] were very helpful with everything. When it came to schoolwork, and emotional support, they were really here to guide us into a better path to succeed in school.' CONCLUSION: The findings of this study support the notion that an OT- based mentorship program can support student success and lends credence to the idea that OTPs can play a unique and valuable role in supporting student success and well-being in higher education.