Peer mentoring programs in higher education

Mutual Force white paper on peer mentoring programs in higher education
Mutual Force
Taking Peer Mentoring for College Freshmen to the Next Level,
Using the Mutual Force Mentoring Communication Portal
May 2013
2013 Mutual Force: All rights reserved

1. Executive Summary
“Peer mentoring” in the college or university setting is not a new concept. It is one
widely found across American campuses, and its success is tied to its many benefits. Our
review of more than 30 current programs via their on-line presence and presentation
show that the features offered through the peer mentoring programs of colleges and
universities are as varied and individual as the schools, themselves.
Of particular note, however, is the irregular treatment of the communication aspect of
peer mentoring programs in the college or university setting. With the exception of one
study, described below in detail, most programs contained only vague references of how
mentors, mentees, faculty, and staff would communicate with each other to meet the
expectations set for the program and to work towards the goals of the program.
Although there is a wide array of commonly available communication platforms, use of a
specialized mentoring portal designed and supported by Mutual Force will enhance peer
mentoring programs, particularly in the college or university setting. This single
communication platform approach offered by Mutual Force allows for online secure
profiles, auto matching of mentors with mentees, evaluation, administrative oversight,
resource capture, communication facilitation, and even crisis intervention and analysis.
2. Benefits for All
A mentoring program in any setting can provide a multiplicity of benefits, to both the
mentor and the mentee, as well as to the sponsoring organization, business, or school.
In the college or university setting, the peer mentoring program among students can
achieve both immediate and long-lasting results. Research has established that there are
measurable results for college and university peer mentoring programs, including
increased grades, decreased academic probation, and reduced attrition. Other narrative
results of these programs include long-term benefits of friendships and transitions into
alumni networks.
Instead of ending this White Paper with the benefits of a peer mentoring program, we
begin with a listing of some of the many benefits for each party. The benefits list can be
broken down by mentor and by mentee, and can also include benefits to the college or
university. The benefits to the students may be the more obvious, and these benefits have

been the subject of numerous studies. The benefits to the college or university are no less
important. All of the benefits can be viewed as long-lasting.
First, let’s consider some of the benefits to new students for participating in peer
mentoring programs:
• improved grades
• decreased probability of academic probation
• reduced attrition
• making that first connection on campus
• bridging from parents to independence
• benefiting from peer advice
• gaining a role model across a span of years and into the alumni network
Benefits to the student mentors who participate in peer mentoring programs are also
substantial and include:
• leadership skills
• communication skills
• crisis intervention skills
• resume building
• intrinsic benefits that come from helping others
And, there is an equally strong list of benefits to colleges and universities that offer and
support peer mentoring programs:
• making a personal connection through mentors to new students to overcome
practical considerations that administration can’t meet and connect with every
student
• creating cross-level connections across the study body, which are more durable
and long-lasting
• establishing relationships between students and faculty/administration that are
oriented towards personal and academic development, without the pressure of
being a graded setting
Benefits of peer mentoring of new students in the college and university setting benefit
mentors, mentees, and the school on levels that are academic, institutional, and personal.
In particular, there is a significant body of research into the effects of peer mentoring in
the academic setting. There are formal as well as narrative studies, and many provide
details of the peer mentoring programs.

Perhaps the most interesting research findings relative to peer mentoring programs is that
of “significantly higher final grades” in the second semester for first year students who
were participating in year-long peer mentoring program over their classmates who did
not. A study from researchers at the University of Western Ontario in Canada1
used
grades as well as self-reported motivation to measure the impact of the peer mentoring
program upon academic achievement.
The particulars of the University of Western Ontario program were 95 Peer Mentors with
the same major as the first year students, who received both initial and on-going training.
There were additionally 21 Mentor Team Leaders in their fourth year and sharing the
same major. There were also 22 Faculty Mentors. Each Peer Mentor was assigned five
to seven students who engaged in weekly contact. There were 537 student participants in
the program out of 983 first year students.
The students with high levels of participation “…experienced significantly higher
grades…” This was true even for students described as suffering from “high anxiety.”
Another quite interesting study about peer mentoring of new students was based on the
engineering students at the University of Pittsburgh.2
The study included a detailed
description of the peer mentoring program. At the University of Pittsburgh Engineering
Department, the program included a pre-college orientation program, as well as a
blending of mentoring activities within credit courses. The mentoring component of one
course put 10-15 students per mentor into a small, weekly class setting with presentations
on topics such as resources, wellness, diversity, transitioning, time management, working
in teams, study skills, test preparation, and more. Each mentoring component was built
around a non-academic theme, whether sports, hobby, cultural, travel, or other. The
mentors were paid for their responsibilities.
The study found that “…the performance of the freshman has been greatly improved.”
The results indicated that the percentage of students on first semester honors increased by
1
Susan Rodger and Paul F. Tremblay, “The Effects of a Peer Mentoring Program on Academic
Success Among First Year University Students,” The Canadian Journal of Higher Education,
Volume XXXIII, No. 3, 2003, pp. 1-18. Accessed 04/30/2013 at
http://ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/cjhe/article/view/183438.
2
Dan Budny, Cheryl A. Paul, and Luis Bon, “Impact of Peer Mentoring on Freshman Students,”
delivered at the 9th
International Conference on Engineering Education (July 23-28, 2006),
appearing in Journal of STEM Education, Volume 11, issue 5 & 6 (October – December 2010).
Accessed 04/30/2013 at http://www.jstem.org/ojs/index.php?
journal=JSTEM&page=article&op=viewFile&path%5B%5D=1471&path%5B%5D=1325

38%, the number of students on academic probation decreased by 25%, and the overall
GPA was increased by almost half a point.
Both studies from the University of Western Ontario and the University of Pittsburgh are
particularly interesting to read because both papers contain a high level of data on the
mechanics of their peer mentoring programs. In addition to methodologically quantifying
tangible results of the peer mentoring programs, these papers discuss the direct
connections between program attributes and program outcomes. These two studies are
consistent with various other studies, all of which contributed towards our listing of
benefits of peer mentoring programs to the students, mentors, and colleges and
universities.
Peer mentoring programs in the college and university setting can provide a multiplicity
of benefits to mentors, mentees, and to the school. The potential benefits of the peer
mentoring program can be significant, even if we simply look at study results relative to
improved grades, decreased academic probation, and reduced attrition.
3. Mechanics of Designing and Instituting a Peer Mentoring Program
The wide array of benefits of peer mentoring reflects the vast number of options for
setting up such a program at a college or university. A college or university peer
mentoring program can be as individualized as the school, itself. The number of
considerations for the program design illustrates that the peer mentoring program can be
as personal as the particular academic setting.
To assist your approach to a peer mentoring program, we offer this outline of
considerations. The essential components are (1) program design; (2) mentor/mentee
applications, screening, and selection; (3) mentor training; and, (4) program
implementation and metrics.
Program hierarchy. A primary consideration for the program design is the hierarchy that
will be given to the program. Even with strong leaders among upper classmen serving as
mentors, the vast majority of peer mentoring programs include a staff component and
many include a faculty component. The leading reason to support this type of hierarchy
is not only training and overseeing the mentor, but, also, crisis management and
intervention. The mentor-mentee relationship can identify medical and mental health
issues, and, in that instance in particular, the student mentor will need a crisis
management protocol and experienced resource response.

Program goals. The design phase of the program is also an opportunity to determine the
goals for the program. Some peer mentoring programs are a simple weekly
communication, designed to answer basic, new student questions. Other programs are
designed with multi-level goals from raising academic performance to reducing attrition
to exposure to sub-specialties within the major field of study.
Written materials. In some cases, the goals are memorialized as part of written program
materials. The program might have goals and parameters laid out in quasi-contracts that
both the mentor and mentee sign. Other programs are less formal, providing sheets with
tips for mentors and mentees on engaging in a successful relationship. Some programs
include a larger handbook to explain the goals, along with the mechanics and additional
resources around the campus and community. There are many peer mentoring programs
with a strong on-line presence, incorporating these and other materials.
Mentor responsibilities and benefits. The part of the peer mentoring program design that
shows the most significant variation is the responsibilities of and benefits to the mentors.
The number of hours per week for mentoring activities appears to vary as widely
described as a few hours per semester to up to 12-15 hours/week. The ratio of mentors to
mentees goes from a handful of incoming students to a cluster of up to 20 students. The
question of whether mentors will receive remuneration ranges from no compensation to
course credits to $1,500/semester. And, some mentors receive perks like a dedicated
mentor lounge.
Program resources. Along with the essential job responsibilities for the mentor are the
identification of resources that will be available on campus and, potentially, in the greater
community. Most peer mentoring programs link into student life offices, which serve
generally as campus-wide resource hubs. Although a mentor would likely receive some
form of training and would work in a hierarchy that would likely include staff/faculty, the
mentor cannot be given too many resources. If the mentor is faced with an emergency or
a rapidly escalating or deteriorating situation, the ability of a mentor to reach a resource
person with superior knowledge could be crucial.
Matching Mentors and Mentees. Within the peer mentoring program design, there are
also considerations for the application process for both the mentor and mentee. Will
there be a written application? If so, what information will be helpful to matching
mentors and mentees or will they have some ability to self-select each other? In some
settings, the number of applicants for a new program may be sufficiently low that the
application process is more pro forma than not. But, in more established programs, the
application process for mentors, for example, can become competitive as to GPA,
involvement in campus life, and recommendations.

Mentor Training. The other significant mechanical aspect of the peer mentoring program
is the mentor training. Nearly all peer mentoring programs reviewed had a mentor
training component that occurred before the freshmen arrived on campus. At some
schools, the training was on-going, with faculty and staff advisors covering a curriculum
like list of topics from recognizing harassment to appropriate mental health interventions
and emergency interventions. When schools expect to have an impact through peer
mentoring, the training of mentors is a thought-out and formal component of the
program.
Peer mentoring programs in the college or university settings can rapidly involve several
hundred if not more than one thousand student mentees. There are significant, proven
benefits, which make it well worth the effort to establish and maintain a peer mentoring
program. To recap, considerations for setting up the program include:
• hierarchy of the program, including staff and faculty;
• goals for the program;
• written program materials;
• responsibilities of and benefits for mentors;
• resources on a campus-wide basis;
• process of matching mentors and mentees; and,
• mentor training.
Each of these elements of the peer mentoring program design can be as individual as the
individual college and university. There is a wide range of existing program features for
each aspect of the peer mentoring program. Advance planning and knowledge of campus
resources appear to be keys to successful design and implementation of the peer
mentoring program.
4. Profiles of Current Peer Mentoring Programs at Colleges and Universities
To enhance our discussion of peer mentoring programs in the college or university
setting, let’s take our list of benefits, study results, and program elements, and consider
several current peer mentoring programs. Of the many programs with detailed on-line
information, two programs provide useful examples for our consideration. At both
Cornell University and St. Bonaventure University, the schools have developed detail-
oriented peer mentoring programs that reflect both specific goals and campus culture.
a. Profile: Cornell University College of Engineering

At the Cornell University College of Engineering, the “Engineering Mentoring
Partnership”3
is a peer mentor program that pairs new students with upperclassmen or
graduate students. The primary goal of the program is “…to support the personal and
academic development and achievement of students in the College of Engineering,
especially women and underrepresented minority students.”
The language of the program is anchored to concepts of “role models” and “protégés.” It
expresses the culture of the program as “holistic” in nature and the relationships between
peer mentors and new students as “reciprocal.” Indeed, the roles and responsibilities set
out in their “Peer Mentor & Protégé Handbook” are phrased as mutual experiences, as
follows:
“In establishing and maintaining relationships, protégés and peer mentors:
• share their particular expertise in different areas;
• listen actively to each other’s college and life experiences;
• encourage creative thinking in many areas of life;
• respect and support each other’s life and academic goals; and,
• attend regularly scheduled CU EMPower meetings and events.”
The take-away tasks are practical, including, but not limited to, course selection, time
management, and resources for classes and exams.
The Cornell University, College of Engineering peer mentoring program appears to be a
well-developed and campus-reflective program. The on-line materials include everything
from calendars of events to on-line profile forms to written materials by way of
handbooks and tips.
b. Profile: St. Bonaventure University
At St. Bonaventure University,4
all incoming freshmen students are assigned a “Peer
Coach.” The program is overseen by faculty members in Education and Sociology
Departments, plus a staff member. The University describes its Peer Coaches as follows:
3
Materials for the Cornell University, College of Engineering, Peer Mentor Program, are
available on-line, beginning with
http://www.engineering.cornell.edu/diversity/events/peer_mentor.cfm, accessed 04/30/2013.
4
Materials for the St. Bonaventure University, Peer Coaching Program, are available on-line,
beginning with http://www.sbu.edu/academic_resources.aspx?id=26042, accessed 04/30/2013.

• “…academically successful, involved in the university and want to help others
succeed.”
• “…empowering, positive, academically savvy, mature, responsible, engaged within
the university, open and honest.”
• “…committed to helping all freshmen have a great first year experience.”
The Peer Coaches are featured on the “Peer Coaching” webpages, including year of
study, major, reason for being a Peer Coach. Reasons cited by the Peer Coaches for their
interest in providing a peer mentoring experience include:
• “I want to give freshmen the easy and fun transition that I had when I first started.”
• “I want to share my experiences with incoming freshman (sic) so they can have a
successful transition into Bonas!”
• “I became a peer coach because I want to help/welcome the incoming freshmen as
they settle in with their start of their college career and make them feel a part of the
SBU family.”
The program matches mentors and mentees during the summer and includes “Welcome
Days” to meet the Peer Coach in person. The range of activities between freshmen and
their Peer Coaches ranges from having someone with whom to each lunch for the first
few days to suggesting activities to responding to resource questions.
The peer mentoring program at St. Bonaventure University goes the extra step of putting
a personal face on the peer mentoring program, expressing both the readiness of the peer
coaches and the greater warmth of the campus community. Through its on-line presence,
the St. Bonaventure University peer mentoring program reflects a design that shows its
spirit to the incoming freshmen.
5. How Mutual Force Can Enhance Peer Mentoring Programs at Colleges and
Universities
Mutual Force mentoring platform can help student services team create, manage, evaluate
and run a peer mentoring program easily. Online applications, secure online profiles, auto
matching of mentors with mentees, communication platform with web and mobile
interface, evaluation in the form of surveys and comprehensive reporting are all part of
this platform.

Several of the peer mentoring programs featured on college and university websites
describe communication in person, via phone, e-mail, text messaging, Twitter, Facebook,
and Facebook group pages. While these are common communication platforms, this
scattered approach can lead to the same problems we experience in our personal and
business lives with having so many available platforms. At some point, one forgets
where communication started, threads are dropped, and weeks later someone says,
“Weren’t we going to get together?”
There’s a reason the current trend is towards single applications or platforms within
organizations and businesses, and it is a helpful direction for student peer mentoring in
the college or university setting. When there is one portal for all like communication,
participants know where to go to communicate and where to look for communication.
The single portal approach allows group participants to enjoy more communication and
fewer struggles with communication management.
Using Mutual Force as the common platform for peer mentoring communication
eliminates any confusion among your participants on where and how to communicate
with each other. With Mutual Force, mentoring programs don’t have to worry about lost
communications or an inability to restart communication. The communications are
grounded into a single portal and the administrator can both monitor and preserve the
communications. In fact, the administrator can function as a communication facilitator,
being as visibly involved (or not) as participants request.
Some of the peer mentoring programs spoke to “regular interaction” as part of the success
of the peer relationship. Others expressed an expectation of weekly communication.
Still others simply describe contact at the start of the fall semester and then in responsive
communication throughout the year.
When you use Mutual Force to facilitate communication for your peer mentoring
program, administrators have the ability to review the history of communication and get
participants through any problems. Some participants may not communicate as regularly
as expected. Using Mutual Force, the administrator can review the communication
exchanges and provide supervisory coaching to the mentee and/or the mentor to keep
both as active, satisfied participants.
And, there was one aspect of peer mentoring programs that was not discussed in the
literature, and that was creating, sharing, and preserving knowledge. Mentors, along with
staff and faculty advisors, exchange a significant amount of information during a peer
mentoring relationship. Many of the questions they will answer from mentees are
duplicitous.

Using Mutual Force allows program administrators to create transcripts of
communication between mentees, mentors, staff, and faculty, building an encyclopedia of
knowledge. These transcripts can be compiled into .pdfs that can be shared by
participants in the peer mentoring program. These same written materials can assist the
administrator in refining and upgrading written program materials. And, the transcripts
of communication can help the program administrator identify any critical gaps in the
program design.
In addition, and perhaps most specifically in the college or university setting, the Mutual
Force platform allows administrators to review communication of crisis scenarios. This
can assist the administrator in appropriately intervening, understanding which resources
may be required, and how to connect with the mentee at risk. This aspect of crisis
intervention for college students – though not discussed in as much detail relative to peer
mentoring programs as one might expect – is one for which our society is becoming
increasingly aware. The Mutual Force communication portal with administrator
oversight and transcript capability is a unique tool, which is natural for crisis
management intervention and analysis.
6. Conclusion
Peer mentoring programs at colleges and universities can have significant benefits for
mentees, mentors, and the academic institution. A well-designed and administered peer
mentoring program can create benefits that range from increased academic performance
in freshmen to leadership building skills in mentors to reduced attrition rates for the
school.
When colleges and universities add a specialty communications portal to their peer
mentoring program as designed and provided by Mutual Force, all participants enjoy
enhanced communication. In addition, the college and university pick up the added value
of administrator oversight, communication preservation, resource building, and crisis
intervention and analysis.
The peer mentoring program, coupled with a group communications platform designed
and supported by Mutual Force, can take the peer mentoring program to its next level of
achievement.

Peer mentoring programs in higher education

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