Bronson Kieltyka

What makes an idea come to life? There have been many ideas that seem very alive when read on paper, talked about in groups, and even advertised to the masses. The problem with ideas in these stages is that they have yet to be proven, fulfilled, or even attempted. If talk is cheap and actions are expensive, then Alpha Chi Nu is ready to start dropping some serious money in order to help make a difference in the realm of student success here at SMCC.

Alpha Chi Nu, SMCC’s chapter of the national two year honors society Phi Theta Kappa, is challenged each year to do a service project on campus to make a difference in the community. The project needs to establish a supportive relationship between the chapter, the student body, and the college administration.

After meeting with President Cantor, Alpha Chi Nu decided to try and make an impact on the issue of student retention. Student retention is one of the biggest issues on college campuses nationwide, and the reasons students drop out or don’t return to school the next semester varies widely. Some of the biggest issues students face are financial struggles, a lack of personal attention needed to manage their workload, or the uncertainty that their degree program is right for them. Understanding why students are struggling to graduate is important, but the real challenge is implementing an idea to address and impact the issue; that’s where Mentor Mixers come in.

Mentor Mixers are an opportunity for students to meet peers within their degree program, interact with their departmental faculty, and are a chance for everyone to enjoy free pizza. Mentor Mixers create a welcoming, informal, yet productive environment where students have the chance to ask questions and enjoy a free meal. Creating accountability between students and professors in an educational environment is a known key to student success, and became paramount in the formation of this particular idea. If a student begins to establish connections both inside and outside the classroom then accountability is being created, which provides inspiration and incentive for the student.

Nontraditional students face many unique challenges because of their part-time status, delayed college enrollment, family situations, work commitments, or other life obligations. According to the SMCC Factbook in 2014, 58% of SMCC students were part-time which classifies more than half of our student body as nontraditional, and doesn’t include the students with the other life obligations. Because so many of our students will be facing individual issues, in order to truly make a difference when implementing an idea to assist with their success it is imperative to offer as many helping hands as possible.

One of the key differences with Mentor Mixers would be the encouragement of not only utilizing faculty as advisors and mentors, but also fellow students. A mentor is simply an experienced or trusted adviser, and can even be a second year student to a first year. Alpha Chi Nu is providing as many routes to resources as possible at each Mixer. Not only are there the students and faculty from each department, but there are representatives from the SMCC Learning Commons, Advising Office, and different success programs such as Path to Graduation and MySuccess.

Individual Mixers so far have seen more than 40 students in attendance, and both faculty and students have highlighted the opportunity that these Mixers hold. One of the Alpha Chi Nu facilitators, Tracy Calder, from the Fire Science/Criminal Justice/EMS Paramedicine Mentor Mixer shared a quote from a Fire Science student who attended, “I was thinking about dropping out of classes until today’s mixer and talking with a couple of the professors helped, I’m no longer dropping any classes.” Whether Mentor Mixers are a chance for a student to ask about internships, meet some classmates outside the classroom to make a study group, or even reinforce the notion that they want to stay in school, Alpha Chi Nu wants you to know if you go, you’ll at least get free pizza.