Mentorship and Belonging: What Revent Evidence Reveals

Shillington, K. J., Ho, H., Kemberling, J., Kim, H.-C., Valmadrid, L. C., Eck, L., Vieten, C., & Patrick, G. N. (2026). A scoping review of compassion, empathy and belonging in undergraduate mentorship programs. Discover Education, 5, 153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00898-5

Introduction

Undergraduate students often face academic pressure, social adjustment challenges, and mental health concerns that can affect persistence in higher education. Faculty-led mentoring programs are widely used to support students academically and socially. Shillington and colleagues (2026) used a scoping review to examine how mentorship programs address compassion, empathy, and belonging. The review aimed to determine how these constructs are incorporated into faculty mentoring programs and what outcomes they produce for undergraduate students.

Methods

This scoping review, using Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, included 16 studies involving 4,293 undergraduate students, all conducted in the United States. Six databases (PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, ERIC, and Scopus) were searched between February and April 2024. The search produced 2,832 records, which were screened by title, abstract, and full text. Studies were included if they examined faculty-led mentorship programs for undergraduate students and addressed compassion, empathy, or belonging. Sixteen studies met these criteria. Researchers extracted information on study design, participant characteristics, mentorship program features, and outcomes. Qualitative content analysis was then used to identify common patterns across the studies.

Results

Four themes emerged. First, none of the programs explicitly focused on compassion or empathy; most instead addressed belonging. Second, mentoring was often embedded within broader academic or research programs. Third, nearly all studies reported that mentoring increased students’ sense of belonging, measured through surveys or interviews. Finally, the literature was geographically limited and western-centric, as all studies were conducted in the United States.

Discussion

The authors conclude that faculty mentoring programs effectively strengthen students’ sense of belonging, which supports engagement and persistence in college. However, compassion and empathy are rarely integrated into program design despite their theoretical importance in mentoring relationships. The review suggests that many programs lack clear conceptual frameworks explaining how mentoring relationships function. Additionally, the evidence base is geographically narrow, raising questions about global applicability. The authors argue that explicitly incorporating compassion and empathy into mentoring models could strengthen relationships, address student stress, and improve program outcomes.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

For mentoring practitioners, the findings highlight belonging as a central outcome of effective mentoring. Programs may benefit from intentionally designing structures that foster connection, psychological safety, and supportive relationships. Training mentors in compassionate communication and culturally responsive mentoring may further strengthen outcomes. Expanding mentoring research beyond Western contexts and improving access for first-generation and underrepresented students may also enhance program effectiveness and inclusivity.

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