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PEER MENTOR PROGRAMCAL STATE EAST BAY
SALLY MURPHY, SR. DIR., UNDERGRAD STUDIES AND GENERAL EDUCATION
PEER MENTORS: A BRIEF HISTORY• Fall 1998: mandatory, year-long freshman learning
communities for freshmen
• Comprised of 3 discipline courses (science, humanities, social sciences), all levels of composition, public speaking, information literacy, and freshman seminar (aka GS).
• Frosh seminars for the LCs are support courses—both academic and social support and students take this one-unit class each quarter of their frosh year
• Minimum LC enrollment = 5 units/term: discipline (4) + GS (1)
• Maximum LC enrollment = 11 units/term: dev. comp (4), discipline (4), GS (1), information literacy (2)
MORE BRIEF HISTORYMid 2000s the size of our freshman class changed quickly and dramatically
• 678 students in fall 1998 & stable through 2005• 1019 in 2007 • 1342 in 2008• 1420 in 2009
Mid 2000s the composition of our freshman class changed quickly and dramatically
• Increasingly diverse: now both an AANAPISI- and an Hispanic-serving institution
• Top 5 US universities in diversity of students• 56% Pell grant recipients• 60% first generation• >30% without internet access except on campus or at work• 2008—40% exception admit rate
WHY PEER MENTORS?We knew that we needed to provide more support for our freshmen
Tried to start a Peer Mentor program for several years prior to 2008
• Our freshmen have always been a very diverse class, more diverse than the student population as a whole
• Our freshmen are just out of high school—traditionally aged• We were and are a mostly transfer campus with an adult
student population (average age ~28 until the growth of the frosh class; now ~26)
• Our freshmen needed to see someone like themselves being successful in the university
• Retention dropped from 80% 2005-6 to 71% 2008-9
WHY PEER MENTORS?The crisis of 2008: 40% exception admit rate; ~80% in remedial math or composition or both!
Falling retention rates: 2005-6 80% 2008-9 71%
Student issues were so far beyond what we had dealt with
academic issues
financial issues
family issues
attitudinal issues
health issues
social skills issues
THE BEGINNING Fall 2009 - 10: The Stealth Year!
• First class of peer mentors: 7 second-year students
• Met regularly with the PM Director
• No systematic training
• No funding
Plenty for Peer Mentors to do. Student needs were high:
• Students in academic crisis
• Students in emotional crisis
• Students in financial crisis
• Students struggling to believe they belonged at the university
WHO ARE OUR PEER MENTORS & HOW ARE THEY PREPARED?
They are second year (and some third year) students who have been successful in their first year.
They are carefully selected
Fall term: Nominated by their GS faculty
Complete and submit their application
Winter term: Participate in group interviews
If successful, invited to a spring Leadership course
Spring term: take the Leadership class
Summer term: those who perform at highest level are invited to be Peer Mentors in the fall
Fall term: weekend before start of classes, students participate in 3-day intensive workshop to get them ready for their work
HOW ARE THEY PREPARED?1. During the year of Peer Mentoring, students continue to
take a 2 unit/term course each term to strengthen the skills and dispositions taught in spring
2. PMs are applying those new skills to real life situations
3. They bring to class case studies for discussions about what the situation is, how the PM can support the student, what the PM could/should do about the situation, what support the PM recommends, when to alert the GS faculty. . . .
4. Emotional intelligence instruction, practice, and development is a key component of the class
5. Continuing training so they feel supported in working with their students, their faculty, etc.
THE MODEL NOW
Peer Mentor Services Director (SSP-AR)
Program Coordinator (FT) & Sr. Staff Peer Mentor (PT)
Senior Peer Mentors (3rd & 4th year students)
Peer Mentors (2nd & 3rd year students)
~~~~~~~
Working now on creating a transfer peer mentor program
THE MODEL
Peer mentors work with individual faculty (graduate students and lecturers) in the Freshman Seminar
Instructor’s determine how peer mentors work in the class—they have discretion to shape the classroom roles based on PM readiness and fit with their own styles of teaching.
• PMs assist the faculty in the classroom; they bring the faculty ideas for activities; sometimes they help oversee group work or lead discussion or present a lesson.
• They bring the faculty topics that they believe the students need to discuss.
• They do NOT hold classes and are NOT available to “cover” class when the instructor is absent.
THE MODEL
Outside the classroom, peer mentors remain active with their students
• Peer mentors hold one-on-one half hour meetings with their ~30 students to establish relationships and identify potential issues that may arise during the year
• Peer mentors hold office hours in the Peer Mentor office to meet with their students.
• They work in groups on specific activities, they host any students who arrive at the PM door and answer questions.
• They raise money for end of the year celebrations for their students and for themselves
THE MODEL
Peer mentors are meant to
Act as models of good student behavior in the classroom and beyond the classroom
Be our canaries because they are more likely to hear of a situation facing a student that the faculty won’t know
of at all or only at the student’s breaking point
Be first hearers; they may be first responders
Support their faculty in the classroom and assist where possible
Work with ASI, Student Life, Residential Life to sponsor and support “Study Smart” activities at mid-term and finals
WHAT WE ASK OF THE PEER MENTORS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM?
They all sponsor study groups for their students at any time of the term when required but especially right before mid-terms and finals
They all engage in projects as members of peer mentor groups with some of the following activities:
Outreach to help identify students who may be interested in becoming transfer peer mentors
Work with Res Life, Student Life, the Library, the Student Center for Academic Achievement and student groups to sponsor Study Smart activities across campus
Create “stress-reliever packs” for mid-terms and finals weeks
THIS YEAR’S PEER MENTORS
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED1. Peer mentors need support and instruction to be successful
with their mentees.
2. The students who apply to be mentors are the “helpers” and may not be able to recognize
1. When their help is inappropriate – they should be supporting students in finding their own solutions to situations, needs
2. When their need to hold onto their own boundaries—mentors should not be taking on responsibility for the other
3. When to tell someone in higher authority about a situation
4. When privacy is not appropriate, despite any FERPA training
5. When they must tell the Director about another mentor’s behavior
IF MENTORS ARE MEANT TO ALSO TUTOR
Then they need even more support. Student mentors/tutors/SI instructors do not
know what the faculty know and plan for the students in the class
how to teach for learning
how to support developing study skills/behaviors
know the differences between telling and doing
A program that works well is one that provides the mentors/tutors with significant and continuing support that is a required part of the program. The budget needs to build in time and funding to make this work
