A Lens With Multiple Perspectives: The Transformative Power of Higher Education in Health Promotion

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic conditions represent the largest risk to America’s health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2013). Approximately 50% of adults are affected by at least one chronic disease and 25% of adults are affected by more than two (CDC, 2013). As this health crisis expands, those who have the power to create change must utilize it to their highest capacity. While the complexities of the current state of health are challenging, higher education provides a powerful platform wherein those intricacies can be fully examined and resolutions sought through multiple lenses. This essay provides an example of how both individual and collaborative endeavors have been fostered at the University of Mississippi to generate local, national, and global transformations in health

The Relationship Between a University-Based Mentorship Program and First-Year Teachers’ Performance

Teacher attrition affects both the stability and quality of schools. Nearly 24% of teachers leave after one year, 33% leave after three years, and 40-50% leave within their first five years (Geiger & Pivovarova, 2018). Effective mentorship programs can effectively assist teachers in overcoming the challenges that lead to resignation. This study implemented a teacher mentorship program where the mentor was a teacher educator who had worked with the mentees in their undergraduate program. Utilizing a qualitative approach, the study examined first-year teachers’ performance through monthly field observations, interviews, and self-reflections. Themes emerged that are critical to a first-year teacher’s performance: (a) increased instructional effectiveness; (b) relinquish survival mode, and (c) effective management