IMPACT Mentoring Program

The IMPACT Mentoring Program (Intentional Mentoring Partnerships Across Cohort Teams) extends beyond traditional peer mentoring to cultivate mentoring as a lifelong leadership competency. Through intentional, cross-cohort mentoring experiences, EdD-LOCL students gain firsthand experience as both mentors and mentees, developing the knowledge, skills, and confidence to foster meaningful mentoring relationships. With hundreds of students participating since its launch in 2023, IMPACT has become an integral part of the EdD-LOCL experience. Its influence, however, extends well beyond Baylor. By equipping students with the competencies to mentor others and design, implement, and lead effective mentoring programs, IMPACT prepares graduates to strengthen mentoring cultures within their organizations, professions, and communities.

Purpose Statement

The IMPACT (Intentional Mentoring Partnerships Across Cohort Teams) Mentoring Program serves students across Baylor University’s EdD Program in Learning and Organizational Change Leadership (EdD-LOCL), which prepares students to lead and manage change related to real-world challenges in education, business, nonprofit, healthcare, military, and other sectors. Utilizing small-group peer mentoring circles, the program pairs mentors enrolled in their capstone term with mentees developing their Problem of Practice (PoP) dissertation. During Mentoring Circle Sessions, mentors will share pragmatic insights on the PoP process and doctoral persistence, ensuring mentees are fully prepared for their dissertation journey. By focusing on dissertation readiness, the program creates cross-cohort connections that foster a stronger sense of community, belonging, networking, and support within the EdD-LOCL program. Ultimately, experiencing the full mentoring cycle equips both mentees and mentors with the skills to establish successful mentoring programs and drive positive change in their respective professional fields.

Objectives

• To provide cross-cohort connection opportunities to further community, belonging, networking and support within the EdD-LOCL program
• To support emerging scholars' readiness in the Problem of Practice dissertation process
• To provide a practical experiential application opportunity for EDC 6346 students to develop their mentoring skills and their personal model of mentoring
• To provide students the opportunity to exit the EdD-LOCL program having experienced the full mentorship cycle, starting as mentees and graduating having become experienced mentors
• To equip students to create successful mentoring programs and manage positive change in their field

Research Team

Amy Sloan, co-founder and co-director Impact Mentoring Program
Erin O'Connor Marsano, co-director Impact Mentoring Program
Barbara Purdum-Cassidy, co-founder Impact Mentoring Program

Funding

Baylor University Teaching Exploration Grant 

Scholarship

Sloan, A.M., & O’Connor-Marsano, E. (2023, October 6). IMPACTing EdD Student Success through a Peer-Mentoring Program. CPED Convening 2023. Pensacola, FL.

Sloan, A.M. & Purdom-Cassidy, B. (2023, May 22). IMPACTing Student Success Through Experiential Learning in a Mentoring Course. ITC-Lily 2023. Austin, TX.

Sloan, A.M. & Purdum-Cassidy, B. (2023, April 19). IMPACTing Online Student Success through a Peer-Mentoring Program. OLC Innovate Conference. Nashville, TN.

Sloan, A. M., & O’Connor Marsano, E. (2025, October 21). You do belong: The reciprocal IMPACT of peer mentoring in an online doctoral program. UNM 18th Annual Mentoring Conference, Albuquerque, NM.

Sloan, A. M., & O’Connor Marsano, E. (2025). You do belong: The reciprocal IMPACT of peer mentoring in an online doctoral program. The Chronicle of Mentoring and Coaching, 9(3), 448–453.https://doi.org/10.62935/s2405p

O’Connor Marsano, E., & Sloan, A. M. (2026, October 20). The mentoring MATCHES framework: Intentional mentor–mentee matching strategies. UNM 19th Annual Mentoring Conference, Albuquerque, NM. FORTHCOMING.

O’Connor Marsano, E., & Sloan, A. M. (2026). The mentoring MATCHES framework: Intentional mentor–mentee matching strategies. The Chronicle of Mentoring and Coaching. FORTHCOMING.