Building a Peer Mentoring Program For Transfer Students

From the Ground Up

Presented by Mary Von Kaenel, Associate Director for Transfer Academic Programs Clemson University

Charlotte Jenkins, Transfer Council DirectorHannah Newton, Transfer Council Assistant Director

Today’s session Welcome and Introductions

Overview of Campus Mentoring Programs

T2T Transfer to Tigers

New Approach: Academic Course as

Framework

Timeline: Development to Present

Course Information

Undergraduate Research

Preliminary Data

Clemson University4-Year Public Research Institution

15,000 undergraduates

70+ undergraduate majors

3,500+ graduate students

1500 new transfer students each

year

3300 new freshmen each year

T2T Mentoring Program

Transfers to Tigers

Transfer Council Student

Government

Broad program focused on email

connections to new transfers

Minimal peer interaction

Basic Training

Why A Peer Mentoring Program?

Research suggests peer interactions

important for student success

Peer mentors = popular support for

new student programs

Benefits new students: more direct

connections to peers

Ease transition issues

Campus Mentoring Programs

Program overlap – multiple programs

on campus

Each program independent

No standard mentor training—each

program responsible for their own

Ground-Up ApproachDesign a new method for

developing peer mentors

Undergraduate Research

Component

Teach students effective peer to

peer mentoring techniques

Collaborate instead of compete

Academic Framework: Creative inquiry

Creative Inquiry academic course

Already established rubrics

7 Mentoring Programs Collaborated

Two-semester sequence

Undergraduate Research

Over 300 CI projects currently at

Clemson

Creative Inquiry

Timeline: Development ProcessFall 2011 Initial Interest

Meeting

Spring 2012 First

Course Taught

Fall 2012 Research Course Sequence Begins

Spring 2013 Research

Completed

Fall 2011 Dr. Speziale CI Program Director

Hosted 1st Interest meeting ~ 12

programs interested

7 Mentor Programs collaborated

Developed curriculum and

syllabus for 1st course

Spring 2012

First Mentor Training Course taught

6 week session in the Spring semester

15 mentors for transfer students

Total class all mentors ~ 50+

Face to Face class meeting each week

Fall 2012 Students from the training course

Spring 2012

Beginning research course

Mentoring activities focused on

connecting to new transfers

Spring 20132nd Semester research on transfer

studentsAcademic Course will include

conducting Focus Groups

Roles within Focus Groups: Note-taker Attendance Room set-up Food and incentives Technical support and recorder Final Project on Display at April Event for

CI Projects

Course MaterialsTextbook Students Helping

StudentsA Guide for Peer Educators on College Campuses

2nd Edition

Newton & Ender

Research MaterialsFocus Group Kit Series

6 Books on Qualitative

Research

Mentors

Academic Work Peer Mentor for new Transfer Students

Qualitative Research on

Transfer Student Group

Contact logs with data

Undergraduate Research

Academic Assignments centered around research

Completed Human Subjects Research Training

Course online

Literature Review

Focus Group Questions

IRB draft

Mock Focus Group

Observations of Mentees

Student MentorsCharlotte Jenkins

Director Transfer Council

Senior, Secondary Education Math

Hannah Newton

Assistant Director Transfer Council

Senior, Wildlife and Fisheries Biology

Preliminary Observations Mentors in CI Course had more

consistent contact with new students Log data indicate the most popular

methods of communication were:

Email

Text

Facebook

Twitter

Peer to Peer interactions

varied due to mentor, mentee

schedules

Variations also within mentors

Some more persistent

Anecdotal feedback from

mentees positive

Qualitative responses to be

included in final project Spring

2013

CI Course Results All Transfer Mentors completed and

passed

Developed skills in these areas:

Group interactions via course assignments

Writing: preliminary interview protocol

for focus groups

Problem solving: working to make

connections to new students

Next Steps IRB submission February 2013

Student mentors conduct Focus Groups

March 2013

Data analysis March 2013

Final Presentation April 2013

Mentors continuing to work with mentees

New group of students taking 1st course

February 2013 8 week session

Questions?