Allies Mentoring Program: Allowing Students to Help Other Students

Third Mid-Atlantic Regional Conferenceat the College of Southern MarylandOctober 23, 2009

Presented by: Shelley HintzCoordinator of Student Engagement, UMUC

Presentation Overview

• Examine potential student concerns• Overview of Allies Mentoring

Program– Benefits and challenges of program– What we’ve learned– How to move forward

• Questions• Discussion & Reflection

Our Focus: Student Success

Goal is to create programs and services for students that will help prepare them for college courses, encourage their academic success, and to ease their integration into the university.

Our Population: New Students

• Busy, adults juggling multiple responsibilities

• Attend school primarily online• First experience with online classes• First time in college-level courses• Transfer from other institutions• May not have support system

Our Concern: Student Distress

• Not sure where to go to ask questions– Unaware of UMUC Services

• Feel isolated in the online course format– Feel alone in their frustrations

• Overwhelmed with their coursework– Do not know effective study skills

• May question their motivations for returning to school

Creating a Plan: Challenges

• Students have little free time• Located around the world• Do not want initiative to be

additional burden on students• Limited funds

Solution: Peer Assistance

• Growing trend in higher education

• Goal: to help students integrate into college

Our Solution: Allies Mentoring Program

• Matches newer students with peer mentors

• E-mail is primary form of communication– Mentors also use phone, IM chats, and

skype• Contact occurs at least bi-weekly• Mentee/Mentors work together for

minimum one semester

Role of the University

• Recruiting Mentors• Conduct New Mentor Orientation• Maintains bi-weekly contact with

Mentors• Creates tip sheets• Follow-up with Mentees• Advertises Program

Support Tools: Technology

• One-week New Mentor Orientation conducted in online-course system

– Consists of Mentor Packet, 3 discussion topics, and 1 activity

• Communication between Mentors/Mentees done virtually

Personnel: Alumni and Students

• All volunteers• Welcome the opportunity to help others• Share characteristics of mentees

– Understand need to balance responsibilities– Have experience with University and the

courses– Matched by similarities (major, military

status, family status, location)

Benefits of Program• Mentees

– Comforted to have someone to turn to– Obtain helpful tips for success w/o asking– Easy way to obtain information– Creates support system for student

• Mentors– Learn how to help others during training– Opportunity to boost their own resume– Benefit from relationships– Find the tip sheets for Mentees helpful for

themselves

Mentor Feedback

“I've enjoyed this experience and have gained a good friend from the mentor program.”

“All my mentees have told me at some point that they truly appreciated having somebody to talk to, somebody who can understand them and help them.”

Mentor Feedback

“I had an individual that was having some academic issues but had not been communicating with their advisor or instructor. I was able to give some very timely advice that actually turned everything around and the person finished the semester. I really felt like I had impacted this person's academic career and really helped them in a way that created an end result that could have been much different.”

Difficulties

• Cannot keep track of communication

• Unresponsive mentees= frustrated mentors

• Hard to create relationship via e-mail

• Situations beyond Mentor ability– Personal Circumstances

What We’ve Learned• Students are a valuable resource in

helping other students• Virtual format is viable alternative to

accommodate today’s busy students• Mentors/Mentees who find a common

ground are more likely to have a successful relationship

• Importance of interaction between staff and Mentors

Moving Forward

• How else can peer assistance be applied?– Classroom

• Strengthen relationship between Mentors/Mentees– Technology, Face-to-face meeting

• Continue to examine how best to meet the needs of our student population

Discussion & Reflection

• Does your school currently offer peer assistance programs? (If not, do you think they would work at your school?)

• What are the pros and cons of peer mentoring services?

• How can you utilize peer assistance within your classroom?

• How can we use technology further to enhance mentoring and other peer assistance programs?