A man in graduation robes and cap is shown in profile. Text overlay reads, "Was College 'Worth It'? - CEL survey of meaningful undergraduate experiences"

Meaningful Undergraduate Experiences and How They Matter Now

The Center for Engaged Learning periodically conducts surveys on students’ experiences in higher education and their application to students’ post-graduation lives. Our latest iteration surveyed 956 U.S. residents who were 18-34 years old and graduates of two- or four-year higher…

Three students are talking around computers while a professor listens and smiles.

Cultivating Vulnerability in Mentoring Relationships

Recently, I co-facilitated an undergraduate workshop about intentionally building connections with supportive faculty, staff, and peer mentors. In alignment with principles from relational mentoring, we collectively acknowledged that embracing some personal vulnerability was crucial for building meaningful interpersonal connections (Johnson…

Two women sit together at a table, deep in conversation. Text overlay reads, “Deeper life interactions have a strong potential to positively influence students, and mentoring relationships are an opportunistic space to weave in these interactions.”

Mentoring Relationships That Go “Beneath the Surface”

Over the past few decades, numerous scholars have conducted research on mentoring relationships in college (Crisp and Cruz 2009; Jacobi 1991). Although much has been explored and written about mentoring undergraduates, Vandermaas-Peeler and Moore (2022) recently articulated a summative and…