Exploring Servingness for Low-Income Academically Talented Students (LIATS) Through Individual Development Plans (IDPs)

This paper analyzes, from a servingness perspective, the experiences of students in a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) implementing personalized mentoring strategies as part of an NSF-funded, S-STEM program. The program objective was to increase the retention and success of low-income academically talented students. We discuss the results of using Individual Development Plans (IDP) to help students establish post-graduation goals and action plans to reach them. The IDPs also maintained a flexible structure that allowed students for morphing both their plans and envisioned outcomes, as they progressed in their chosen academic programs. Student outcome expectations were assessed at three stages of their development: in their first year, as juniors in what can be considered a mid-point of their development, and during their fourth year of program participation.