Salem State To Use $55K Grant To Expand Inclusivity, Mentoring Program

SALEM, MA — A $55,000 state Department of Higher Education grant will help Salem State University further develop and expand a pilot program aimed at boosting inclusivity and mentoring among faculty and students on campus.

Salem State Professor of Mathematics Kathi Crow and Professor of Criminal Justice Binneh Minteh will develop mentoring pods with tools that lead to inclusive, safe, engaging and successful learning environments for faculty and students.

"The program equips professors and students with tools to nurture inclusive classroom environments that build trust, make students feel valued and empowered to take ownership, leadership, and courage in their overall educational experience," Minteh said. "The program will usher in a new era of progressive pedagogical techniques that motivates students and promotes inclusion and community in the classroom and across campus."

The grants were developed by the Massachusetts legislature in 2012 to help the Board of Higher Education achieve the strategic goals of the Massachusetts public higher education system.

"What is most powerful about this project is the co-mentoring model at its center," Interim Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Keja Valens said. "In this model, senior and junior faculty, graduate and undergraduate students mutually mentor one another. This mentoring structure realizes the premise that students and faculty at all levels have great skill and a wealth of knowledge about pedagogy, classroom dynamics, and academic communities, and also all have a great deal to learn, and need the mentoring support of one another.

"Students in this way gain pre-professional skills and faculty increase their ability to be student-centered."

This work expands on Salem State’s successful pilot program from last year.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)