sponsor-mentor as a student resource and university partner: a case study of experiential projects.

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20417332

A century and more of educational research and writing suggests that experiential learning and field mentorship help students gain industry context, skills, and practical training. However, opportunities for mentorship are typically viewed as standalone events, taking place following curricular training or as a capstone to academic learning. Thus, any potential for constructive feedback to the academic institution from the mentor perspective is lost. If experiential learning opportunities are to bridge the academic and industry contexts, then feedback from experiential mentors must be explored for its potential to enhance curriculum that is aimed at fostering professionalism in students. Therefore, the purpose of this case study, guided by ecological systems theory and a conceptual framework of continuous improvement, sought to answer this central research question: How can summative assessment feedback from experiential project sponsor-mentors be leveraged to make recommendations for addressing student professional development by the university? The study found that leveraging sponsor-mentor experiences with students during experiential projects embedded in coursework can enhance university academic-industry alignment by recommending evidence-based, competency-specific resources to the delivery of student professional development.--Author's abstract