Some of the most important teaching moments in higher education happen outside the classroom.
At Manna University, students often reach out to faculty when they encounter academic, personal, technological, or ministry-related challenges. These conversations show why one-on-one mentoring in college can be so important to student success.
As a faculty member, I begin by listening carefully to the student’s concerns. Sometimes the need is simple: a clear answer, additional explanation, or encouragement about an assignment. At other times, the situation calls for prayer. I may ask, “Would it be okay if we prayed about this right now?” From there, I help the student identify practical next steps. Depending on the circumstances, that may include clarifying an assignment, connecting the student with the Manna U Help Desk or another resource, or following up by email so the student has a clear record of what to do next.
These conversations give faculty an opportunity to extend grace while still maintaining meaningful academic expectations. The goal is not to remove every difficulty. Some challenges are part of genuine learning. Others, however, may create unnecessary barriers that prevent students from demonstrating what they actually know and can do.
Consider some of our students living in majority-world countries. They may be completing the same coursework as other students while dealing with unreliable internet access, inconsistent electricity, limited bandwidth, or other challenges that many students never face. In those situations, a quick answer, prayer, or referral may not be enough. Faculty may need to think more carefully about how the student can meet the same academic expectations despite circumstances beyond the student’s control.
That is where personalized education and thoughtful faculty guidance become especially important.
Differentiation Begins with the Learning Outcome
One principle has become increasingly important to me: a learning activity or assignment is a means of measuring learning, not an end in itself.
The learning outcome is the goal.
The assignment is one way of determining whether the student has reached it.
For example, suppose a course outcome requires a student to analyze a theological position, engage scholarly sources, and defend a conclusion. A research paper may be an excellent way to assess that learning.
But what happens when a student suddenly has extremely limited internet access because of a family crisis, severe weather event, or national emergency? What if the student cannot consistently access the learning management system from his or her current location?
When I learn about a legitimate barrier that may interfere with a student’s ability to complete an assignment, I ask a fundamental question:
What am I actually trying to assess?
If the same learning outcome can be demonstrated through a modified activity/assignment, then an adjustment may be appropriate. The question is not whether I can make the same exception for every student. In fact, most students should complete assignments as designed. Consistent expectations provide structure, preserve fairness, and keep a course manageable.
But differentiation also requires recognizing that treating students fairly does not always mean treating every student identically. At times, I may need to make an appropriate adjustment for one student that would neither be necessary nor wise to make for the entire class.
For example, a student who cannot reliably participate in a live video presentation might submit a recorded audio presentation accompanied by written documentation. A student with limited connectivity might download course materials when internet access is available and submit coursework through another approved method.
In each case, the means of demonstrating learning changes, but the expected learning does not.
The assignment may be adjusted. The academic standard is not.
That is differentiation.
Justice Does Not Require Identical Treatment
Scripture strongly condemns partiality. Leviticus 19:15 says:
“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.”
The standard of justice remains consistent.
Yet Scripture does not require identical responses to different needs. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:14:
“Warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
Notice the differentiation.
The idle are warned.
The discouraged are encouraged.
The weak are helped.
Everyone receives patience.
The response differs because the need differs.
That same principle can shape the way faculty mentor students. One-on-one mentoring creates opportunities for teaching and encouragement that cannot always happen through a syllabus, lecture, or written assignment.
I have found that stories from ministry, leadership, higher education, and everyday life can help students grasp abstract principles in ways that definitions alone cannot.
Jesus frequently taught through memorable stories and concrete images. He spoke of farmers planting seed, shepherds searching for sheep, workers in vineyards, fathers and sons, and houses built on different foundations. His parables served purposes far beyond classroom illustration, but they also demonstrate the power of communicating truth through experiences people can understand.
Personalized education sometimes means knowing a student well enough to recognize which explanation, example, or word of encouragement may help the idea finally connect. Faculty discernment begins with prayer. God cares about our students, and prayer helps us approach each situation with humility, wisdom, and compassion. Sometimes the right response is encouragement. At other times, it may be clarification, challenge, flexibility, or a referral to additional support. In the end, one-on-one mentoring is about seeing the student in front of us, helping remove barriers that do not belong there, and calling that student toward the learning that does. The standard still matters. And so does the student.
Professor Ron McBride, Valley Site Director and Academic Consultant