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Case study · Partner data

First-year retention moved from 76 percent to 82 percent after adopting goal-directed mentoring.

Salem State UniversitySalem, Massachusetts

Salem State University logo
By the numbers
198

Students in the 2026-27 program year

PLATFORM DATA 138 first-year and 60 transfer students.
+57%

Growth in students served, year over year

PLATFORM DATA 126 students in 2025-26, 198 in 2026-27.
76% to 82%

First-year retention, first year of goal-directed mentoring

PROGRAM REPORTED Calculated and reported by Salem State University.

Salem State adopted MentorPRO alongside an intentional shift toward goal-directed peer mentoring. Program leaders report that first-year retention, which had averaged 76 percent, reached 82 percent in the first year of the new model. Retention is associated with many factors, and these figures are the program's own reporting.

Program facts
Organization
Salem State University, Bertolon School of Business
Segment
Higher education, AACSB-accredited business school, Hispanic-Serving Institution
Program
MentorLink: Helping Students Succeed Academically and Personally
Population
First-year business students, extended to transfer students in 2026
Cohort
126 students and 10 peer mentors in year one. 198 students in year two across two cohorts.
Model
Goal-directed peer mentoring, with a career mentoring track
Live since
2025-26 academic year
Measurement window
Academic years 2025-26 and 2026-27
Comparison group
None. Retention compared against the program's own multi-year average.
Analysis
Retention calculated and reported by Salem State. An independent evaluation is underway with Dr. Elizabeth Raposa.
Our first-year retention had been averaging 76 percent. This year, using MentorPRO and adopting intentional goal-directed mentoring, we retained 82 percent.
Don White, Assistant Dean, Salem State University
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