June 2024 Monthly Digest

Last month, we encouraged you to explore how to use your Partner Dashboard to leverage key insights that promote data-driven mentorship. This month, we’re zeroing in on one of the best ways to glean such insights from your Dashboard – flags.

 What Are Flags? 

A flag is a challenge that a participant in your program is currently facing as reported by their mentor. Mentors can submit a flag highlighting the concern, notifying the program administrator and surfacing targeted resources. Flags that have been reported show up right in your Partner Dashboard! Learn more about flag topics and how mentors report flags in our quick FAQ video, or read all the details here.

💡 Using Flag Insights

We recently polled partners to hear how you use, or want to use, the data available to you through your Dashboard. A top response was incorporating participant concerns into another system used across your institution, such as Maxient or Navigate. You can do this with flag insights!

• Share aggregate flag data with other offices at your institution who could be more effective with access to peer-driven information.
• Export data with the click of a button to share with other offices, or automate the transfer of data into a system your institution already leverages with SFTP.
• Review trending flag topics to make interventions based on seasonality. Add targeted resources from across your institution to address these topics.

✅ In Practice

A great example of this in practice is in addressing a topic that often impacts student retention – financial concerns. In 2023, 10% of 9K+ flags were finance-related. This number is up to 12% of 2.8K flags since the start of 2024. Especially given this year’s FAFSA delays, it is likely that there are students in your program who may be struggling to finance their education.

Here’s what happens when a mentor flags that their mentee is facing financial challenges:

1. The mentee and mentor see targeted resources that can support a conversation about this challenge. Our program resources are up-to-date with the latest FAFSA news, and you are also able to add your own custom resources pointing students to helpful resources at your specific institution.
2. Your program administrator receives a notification about the flag. They can reach out individually to the student to offer support.
3. After reviewing your Partner Dashboard, you notice several flags popping up from first-generation students about the same topic. You export this data and share it with the Financial Aid Office, who is then able to reach out with resources to this segment of your institution’s student population.

Flags are a critical part of your overall student success strategy and a great way to promote a culture of mentorship. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how!

📚 Upcoming Education

Stay tuned for more education on flags: Our July webinar will be about integrating flag data with other systems. Invitation to come!

• Join us on July 17 to hear how San Francisco State University’s Peer2Peer program has grown in participation by 440%, significantly contributing to the institution’s retention goals and particularly impacting their Latinx students. Register today!
• Thinking about how to engage alumni in your program? Join a conversation with your peers at our virtual meetup on July 22 at 1:00 PM ET. Sign-up here!

Mentor Collective will be closed in observance of Independence Day July 4-5. If you have an urgent need, please reach out to Partner Support at partnersupport@mentorcollective.org.