University alumni mentoring program :|a case study in Turkey

Abstract

This qualitative case study explored the university alumni mentoring program implemented by the alumni association of one of the state universities in Turkey. The purpose of the study was to analyze the program descriptively. The following questions guided the study: (1) What are the resources of the university alumni mentoring program? (2) Who participates in the program? (3) What are the activities of the program? (4) What are the outcomes of the program? The study utilized the logic model as a theoretical framework to address research questions. The study sample included one program director, ten student mentees, and ten alumni mentors. Semi-structured interviews and documents were used as data collection methods, and thematic analysis was applied to analyze data. The research findings revealed that mentoring relationships have various positive outcomes on participants’ personal and professional lives, such as learning, self-awareness, improved skills, and gaining new perspectives. The study contributed to the literature by providing insights into the university alumni mentoring program development and implementation process. The findings highlight that the university alumni mentoring program has the potential to support lifelong learning experiences for student mentees and alumni mentors and can serve as an adult education tool.