With the many and varied goals of different learning communities, it is not surprising that the staffing structure of these programs varies as well. At the student staff level, many learning community programs rely on paraprofessional staff members, often referred to in the broadest sense as "peer mentors," to provide assistance to students and address the goals of the program. According to Miller, Groccia, and Miller (2001), "peer groups play an important role in influencing adolescent motivation, beliefs, engagement, and achievement. Peers exert influence through socialization processes involving information exchange, modeling, and reinforcement of peer norms and values both inside and outside the classroom" (p. xvi). As a result, peers can have a significant impact on other students' learning experiences, making the use of peers in settings such as learning communities a logical choice.This chapter focuses on peer mentor roles, with specific attention to peer mentors in learning communities, by identifying the limited information available about such roles, highlighting examples from a sample of learning community programs, and noting commonalities as well as valuable elements from each. The information may provide new ideas for those currently utilizing peer mentors in their learning communities and may offer suggestions for those considering incorporating student mentors.
At the beginning of the first year, student affairs staff members serve as educators through special programs and activities that have an impact on students' success in college.
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