Peer Advising Connection

Fox Valley Technical College

Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) is a two year technical college serving five county areas with a district population of approximately 424,000. The peer advising program at FVTC was developed in Spring 2005 in order to address budget constraints as well as meet the advising needs of a growing student population. Two NACADA members employed at FVTC adapted the work of NACADA best practices and existing four-year peer advising programs, to create a rare peer advising service at the two-year college level. The program coordinators developed training materials, curriculum, a selection process, on-line training delivery, and an evaluation process to create an effective peer advising program. The training curriculum, titled “Professional Communication in Peer Advisors,” utilizes the option of an on-line approach which is flexible to fit all student schedules and provides an ongoing discussion arena for peer advisors to grow professionally and learn from each other’s responses.
A formal evaluation of the peer advising program was conducted and provided necessary feedback to enhance the existing services and provide valuable data.

In addition to the character-building benefits, the FVTC peer advising program supports a reward system for peer advising participation, promotes an effective selection and interview process, and maintains an effective training program. The enhanced opportunity of peer advisors to apply knowledge of communication skills, legal and ethical issues, campus resources, and program specific information allows them to be valued as a comfortable, nonintrusive source of continuous contact for students.

Academic Peer Advising Program (http://advisingservices.ucdavis.edu/)

Advising Services, University of California, Davis

Directed and nominated by: Dennis Beardsley

The University of California, Davis Academic Peer Advising Program (APA) is directed with the assistance of professional staff and the APA Student Coordinator. The program is housed in Advising Services, a subunit of Student Affairs. There are 96 Peer Advisors in 65 academic departments and in each of the four College Dean's offices that comprise the University, all of whom undergo an extensive training process. Created in 1970, the APA Program was charged with the dual responsibilities of providing academic advising specific to particular majors and serving as an integrative link to promote faculty-student interaction. Student advisors were selected as the most appropriate individuals since students could be expected to communicate effectively with their peers, and are in a unique position to communicate and work closely with the faculty. Today, the APA program continues to be a strong resource for UC Davis undergraduates needing to obtain answers to questions on a wide variety of academic topics. The decentralized structure of the program, its unique financial structure of "match funding," and the opportunity it gives students to develop leadership skills are strengths that help the APA program continue to achieve its goals.

Academic Peer Advisor Program
Oral Roberts University
Nominated by Christopher Cooper

The mission of the APAP is to assist the students in improving the second facet of the "whole person" spirit, mind¸ and body. The APAP aids the students in their academic pursuits by encouraging scholastic excellence, providing academic advice and encouragement, leading study groups, teaching the principles of time management, and referrals to the various student services. The APAP devotes much of its attention to ensuring the educational enhancement of first-time freshmen. Ultimately, through prayer and the persistent efforts of those involved, the APAP seeks to create a stronger intellectual environment at ORU that facilitates the attainment of the students' goals, increases retention and promotes academic success.

The APAP subscribes to the philosophy of intrusive, developmental advising. Intrusive advising means that the APAP is actively concerned with the academic welfare of every ORU student- the peer advisors meet with each student at least three times per semester. Developmental advising, important in intrusive advising helps students clarify their short and long term goals and develop appropriate educational plans. The APAP seeks to help the students achieve their academic potential and gain success in their studies.

Academic in the Commons, Letters and Science Counseling Service
University of California-Los Angeles
Nominated by Jane Crawford

"Academics in the Commons" is an innovative academic workshop program for students by students at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA). Part of the College of Letters and Science Counseling Service, "Academics in the Commons" offers over 120 workshops per year to nearly 4,000 undergraduates on 40 topics. Workshops are presented by students who take a three-quarter course series on "Development of Peer Teaching" and then offer workshops relating to academic success skills, planning for the future and academic focus. Students design and perfect workshops while working in pairs, first with veterans of the program, then alone, and finally as mentors to new peer students, and as evaluators of the program. Workshops are both offered in a permanent facility near UCLA on-campus housing, and also "exported" to 30 campus organizations, in "customized" workshops. The 20-30 students in the program meet on retreat each year to re-tool their mission and enthusiasm. Here is their mission statement for 1997-99:

"The purpose of the Academic Workshops Program is to provide students with an understanding of skills and techniques, an awareness of campus resources and a knowledge of self, so that personal and academic success at UCLA can be achieved."

The program also marks a major cooperative programmatic effort between the College of Letters and Science (CLS) undergraduate programs and the Office of Residential Life (ORL). Most workshops are housed in Covel Commons, near academic counseling and tutorial services. CLS and ORL share resources under the Academics in the Commons rubric to provide an umbrella of academic support services to new and continuing students. The Essential Handbook for Academic Success (Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt, 1998) incorporates "the best" workshops

University of New Hampshire
Peer Advising Program
Whittemore School of Business and Economics
Submitted by: John Freear

Advising undergraduates has typically been the responsibility of faculty members in a student's designated major. At the Whittemore School of Business and Economics (WSBE) there is a centralized advising system which incorporates the expertise of professional advisors, faculty and peer advisors. The peer advisors play a key role in student development.

The Whittemore School's Peer Advising system, established in 1984, was created for the purpose of familiarizing freshmen to the college experience. The goals are to provide a year long orientation program that will familiarize students with their major, college, and the University; to support students in their personal growth; develop personal responsibility; and to encourage freshmen to use the advising services on campus. The Undergraduate Programs Office is staffed with professional Advisors and upperclass Peer Advisors. There are a total of approximately 1,300 undergraduates ranging from freshmen to seniors in three majors: Business Administration, Economics, and Hospitality Management.

The Whittemore School's Peer Advising Program is viewed very positively by those who have participated in it, either as a student or as an advisor. Often, a student's freshman year is one of the most challenging in terms of academics and personal growth. The Whittemore School believes that one of the best resources for those who are facing these challenges are individuals who have also faced them, and are willing to share their knowledge and experiences.

University of Missouri-Columbia
Career Center Paraprofessionals
Nominated by: Jennifer K. Carter

Your campus already has one of the most important resources for creating an optimal environment--students. A climate that nutures and enhances the talents and diverse styles of paraprofessionals motivates them to perform extensive functions beyond those of the professional staff. In addition, their enthusiasm, creativity, and idealism generates an uniquely dynamic climate.

At the University of Missouri Career Center in Columbia, the four critical reasons for utilizing paraprofessional staff are: 1) contributions to service delivery, 2) impact on the center environment, 3) financial considerations, and 4) student growth and learning gained by being a paraprofessional. Students (undergraduate and graduate) are responsible for all of the day-to-day operations of our CPPC programs and are supervised by a professional staff member. The myriad of functions they perform provides evidence for the extensive capabilities of paraprofessionals. These include providing guidance and assisting students in the career exploration process; staffing an expansive computerized career assessment lab and resource library; developing comprehensive manuals for selection, training and various programs; conducting workshops for students about the world of work; and coordinating major CPPC programs for approximately 25,000 students annually.

The paraprofessional program at this career center has been in existence for 20 years and is often used as an unique model for other colleges and universities. By developing selection, training and supervisory components within your operations, your office can take advantage of this invaluable resource and provide an additional learning environment for students.

University of Pittsburgh, School of Engineering
Freshman Engineering Leadership Team: Student Mentors for Recruitment and Retention
Nominated by: Sandra Bishop and Ronald Jankowski

Peer mentoring is commonly used in universities for a variety of student services and instructional activities. However, use of mentors in independent instruction is relatively untried in engineering education. The student-peer relationship is unique and can capitalize on certain traits such as honesty, approachability, and empathy. This potentially surpasses that of the faculty-student relationship. Capturing these elements and implementing them into the Freshman Engineering experience requires commitment and resources; however, in specific application to recruitment and retention the numerous benefits easily outweigh this initial investment.

The University of Pittsburgh has implemented the use of student mentors for the recruitment and advising of incoming freshman, as well as in conducting weekly seminars. A mentor team consisting of twelve engineering students at the sophomore, junior, and senior levels were carefully selected in the Spring of 1995. The mentors were trained in team building and small group intervention as well as recruitment related responsibilities. Mentors meet weekly with their respective freshmen to discuss being successful as an engineering student and challenge their current coping skills.

The process focused on how mentors were selected and trained, their use in recruitment, and the creation and implementation of the Freshman Success Seminar. Assessment of this new venture has been measured via retention in the freshman program, attitudes of both participating freshman and their respective mentors as well as time and fiscal savings. This program can be transported to other institutions.

Wheaton College
Preceptor Program/FYS Advising Teams
Nominated by: Victoria McGillin

In 1992, Wheaton College re-introduced Preceptors, peer advisors, to the First Year Seminar Advising Teams. Evolving over the following nine years, the program emerged as a sophisticated set of supports and resources to new students, delivered through the peer members of the Teams. Paired with a faculty advisor, an academic dean and a life/career counselor, the Preceptors emerged as the web that held these teams together. Their critical role has resulted in a reorganization of Orientation, a re-definition of advising as a process promoting reflective learning and an expansion in the academic and support available to new students.

The structure of the program offers unparalleled leadership opportunities to students. The academic dean and her undergraduate intern supervise 10 "Senior Preceptors" who have been trained to supervise their peers. The Senior Preceptor pairs, in turn, supervise 10 or more Preceptors. Pairs of Preceptors are assigned to work with each seminar Advising Team, with each student responsible for eight new students. Preceptors educate their teams on learning styles, standards and expectations, the meaning of living/learning communities, the art of reflection, and the responsibilities of an advisee. They also serve as Study Strategy Tutors for the campus as a whole. Since inception, every institutional initiative has called for their input. By every evaluation, they have made a permanent and powerful impact on the entire campus. Given this sophisticated structure, we have been able to accomplish an extraordinary transformation at minimal cost to the college.