Palm Trees, Flip Flops and Peer Advisors

Presenters: Krysta Diehl and Emily Williams2012 Regional NACADA

ConfereneceMiami, FL

Who we are…..

• Auburn University- Auburn, AL– fall 2011 enrollment: 25,469

• College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM)– fall 2011 enrollment: 3,094– Departments: Biology,

Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics & Statistics, Geography & Geology

– Males:1,301 Females:1,793

College of Sciences and Mathematics

• 70% of college is Pre-Health as of fall 2011

• Student Services Office Structure

– Director of Pre Health Programs

– Director of Student Services

– Three professional academic advisors

• COSAM Advising Structure

– Freshman/Transfer students

– Pre-Health Students/Declared Majors

Research Supporting Peer Advising Programs

• Over the past twenty years there has been a “proliferation in the use of peer educators into nearly every aspect of college academic and student services” (Newton & Ender, 2010)

• Institutions are choosing to implement these programs because of the “versatility, compatibility with pre-existing academic advising programs, sensitivity to student needs, and the ability to extend the range and scope of advising to times and venues when advising is not available (Koring, 2005).

Research Supporting Peer Advising Programs cont’d

• According to Koring and Campbell (2005), “contacts with peer advisors can lead to increased involvement with the institution, academic success, and retention at the institutions as well as satisfaction with the process”

• “Peer advising programs have positive impact on peer advisors as well as on advisees” (Koring and Campbell, 2005).

Research Supporting Peer Advising Programs cont’d

• “ The underlying concept is that students seek advice from and are influenced by the expectations, attitudes and behaviors of their peer groups” (Newton & Ender, 2010).

• Peer influence in many situations may be stronger than that of adults such as teachers, parents and other experts (Mellanby, Rees & Tripp, 2000 as cited in Newton & Ender, 2010).

What the Students say……

Cody Jinnette FR Pre Pharmacy

Motivation to Develop Peer Advising Program

• Need to bridge communication gap with students– Peer to peer mentoring found to be effective in

communicating to students

• Advising loads– 900-1100/1 typical COSAM advising load– Advising experts recommend load of 300/1

• Dwindling budgets– Inability to hire more full time staff

Motivation to Develop Peer Advising Program Cont’d

• Increased enrollment at Auburn and within COSAM – COSAM’s

enrollment almost doubled from 2001-2010

Our Journey: The Beginning

• Initial program– Recognized our need-researched programs– Proposal for program-summer 2004– Fall 2004-launch of program– Eight COSAM students hand selected by

coordinating advisor – Main functions were assisting with each

semester registration process and with pre-health orientation class (SCMH 1890).

Where We Are Today:Our Program

• 12 COSAM Junior and Seniors

• Paid Position

• Variety of majors within COSAM

• Main duties

– Group leaders in SCMH 1890 Course

– Office Hours

– Mandatory Advising

– COSAM Open House

www.auburn.edu/cosam/peeradvisors

Selection Process for Peer Advisors

• Early Spring of each year selections begin for next academic year

• Peer Advisors serve for 1 year at a time with a maximum of 2 years total

• Rising COSAM Juniors and Seniors with minimum of 3.0 GPA

• Application and interviews

Selection Process: Application

• Comprised of personal information, **photograph, three short essays and questions about time commitments

• Reviewed by Mrs. Williams and Director of Pre Health Programs

• Chosen applicants will be notified via email to sign up for interview

• Applicants not chosen will be notified as well

**THIS will be important!

Selection Process: Interviews

• Who is Involved: Peer Advisors, Academic Advisors, Director of Pre Health Programs

• Round One– 3-5 minutes– Personality

• Round Two:– 10 minutes– Situational/COSAM and Auburn knowledge

• Characteristics of Ideal Peer Advisor

Training of Peer Advisors

• One day intensive• Mandatory• Teambuilding

– Build sense of community

• Manual– Policies– Procedures– Role Play

Responsibilities and Duties of Peer Advisors

• Weekly Office Hours

• SCMH 1890- Pre Health Orientation Course

• Registration- Mandatory Advising

• Open House/Special Projects

Weekly Office Hours

• 2-3 hours per Peer Advisor per week

• Social Media

– Blog

– Twitter

– Facebook

• Walk-in questions

• Emails

Example of typical office hour

SCMH 1890- Pre Health Orientation Course

• Fall semester- Freshman course

• Lead small groups within course

• Serve as mentors/contacts for freshman

• Assist in teaching

Semester Registration: Mandatory Advising

• All COSAM students required to meet with advisor each semester prior to registration

• Serve as first line of defense

• Assist students with questions prior to meeting with advisors

• Provide students with basic, general knowledge and advice about scheduling courses

Open House/Special Projects

• Open House– Fall semester– Welcome to Freshman

and Transfer Students– Assist in planning and

execution

• Other Duties – Any special projects

Obstacles of Peer Advising Program

• Money- budget– Paid vs. other incentives

• Space– Location/space to house program

• Time commitment to organize– Huge time commitment to keep organized

Rewards of Peer Advisor Program

• Cost efficient

• Provides students with hands on leadership opportunity

• Peer-to-peer mentoring relationships

• Personal growth for peer advisors and advisees

What the Peer Advisors Say…..

Audra Brawley SR Biomedical Sciences

Pre Physical Therapy

Meredith JonesSR Biomedical Sciences

Pre Dental

Kyle AdamsJR Biomedical Sciences

Pre Medicine

Hopes for the Future

• Continue to GROW!

– North Carolina State University

• More intensive training

– Monthly extensive training from campus programs

• Classroom presentations

Tips for Starting a Peer Advisor Program

• Solid Proposal- build a good case!

• Decide who will be the coordinator- must be passionate and willing to work hard!

• Funding/incentives- how will students be compensated for their time?!

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Things We Have Learned Along the Way!

• The Good- teambuilding and building a community

• The Bad- College students will be college students! Sometimes forgetful and are spread too thin!

• The Ugly- Personality conflicts and interview deceit- people wanting things for the wrong reasons

Questions??

Contact us!

Emily H. Williams

Auburn University

College of Sciences and Math

Academic Advisor : ehw0002@auburn.edu

Krysta Diehl

Auburn University

College of Sciences and Math

Academic Advisor: knd0001@auburn.edu

Sources

• Koring, H. (2005, June). Peer Advising: A Win-Win Intiative. In NACADA. Retrieved February 28, 2012

• Koring, H., & Campbell, S. (2005). Peer Advising: Intentional Connections to Support Student Learning [Editorial]. NACADA Monograph Series, 13.

• Newton, F. B., & Ender, S. C. (2010). Students Helping Students: A Guide for Peer Educators on College Campuses (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.