Integrating Peer Mentors Across First-Year Student Programs

Last updated April 28, 2015

Integrating Peer Mentors Across First-Year Student Programs

Last updated April 28, 2015

Overview

Empowering students to mentor and advise peers can reduce staff workload and free up resources to be leveraged elsewhere on campus. However, detailed planning is required to ensure that your peer mentor programs seamlessly integrate with your first-year student programs. Before launching a program of your own, you must learn how to effectively:

  • Identify where peer mentors can influence first-year persistence
  • Recruit and train peer mentors
  • Assess your program’s effectiveness

Join us to learn how to build a peer mentor component into your first-year student programming. Centered on Longwood University’s model, this webcast will prepare you to design a program that utilizes a team of peer mentors to engage first-year students and positively affect student persistence.

Who should attend?

Student affairs professionals responsible for orientation, the first-year student experience, or student leadership programs will benefit from this content, as will academic leaders involved in first-year student seminars.

Agenda

  • Longwood University: Incorporating peer mentors throughout first-year student programs
  • Recruiting, interviewing, and selecting peer mentors
    • Developing your philosophy and process
    • Creative interview formats
  • Training peer mentors
    • Developing your philosophy and program
    • Building your training
  • Measuring and recognizing success
    • Data gathering and reporting
    • Building and rewarding relationships
  • Putting theory into practice: institutional examples