Date of Award
Summer 2022
Degree Type
Thesis
Department
Sociology
Director of Thesis
Dr. Laura Brashears
First Reader
Dr. Andrea Henderson
Second Reader
Dr. Andrea Henderson
Abstract
What do stress and burnout look like for RMs at a flagship university in the southeast during the early Covid-19 epidemic? How would the average student worker rate the RM role in terms of satisfaction, recommending the role to others, and weekly workload?
To answer these questions, I surveyed 51 Resident Mentors (RM) at the University of South Carolina (UofSC) in Spring, 2021 to gather information on their general backgrounds, workload, and overall satisfaction with the RM role. Results generally showed high workloads and stress levels. I argue that these findings may be reflective of role ambiguity and changes in RMs’ required duties during the COVID-19 pandemic and are likely not idiosyncratic to UofSC. Across the country, higher educational institutions have been re- examining how they address the role of the Resident Mentor. Using my findings, I argue that UofSC may want to pursue similar institutional changes to increase student worker satisfaction, retention, and mental health.
First Page
1
Last Page
64
Recommended Citation
Cartwright, Lauren, "Impact of the Resident Mentor Role on Student Worker Mental Health" (2022). Senior Theses. 558.
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/senior_theses/558
Rights
© 2022, Lauren Cartwright