The Benefits of Academically Oriented Peer Mentoring for At-Risk Student Populations

Abstract

This article examines an academically oriented peer-mentoring program at St. John’s University. The program targeted at-risk first-year students who were having difficulty making the transition to college and matched them with trained student mentors within their major discipline. In addition to meeting with one another bi-weekly, all of the students came together for a series of organized events over the course of the academic year. The goals of the program were that mentees would (1) feel an increased sense of belonging at the university, (2) raise their GPAs, and (3) show improved retention to the second year. After examining how successful the program was relative to these goals, the authors recommend some best practices for peer-mentoring programs. These recommendations are based on both features of the program in the study that contributed to its success and areas where the program could have been improved based on the results.

Effectiveness of peer mentoring in the study entry phase: A systematic review

“…Research has demonstrated that participation in peer mentoring facilitates the process of meeting fellow students and forming friendships. Generally, participants in such programmes exhibit a stronger inclination towards successful social network development compared to non‐participating students (e.g., Hall et al., 2020). The second central component of social integration is contact with peer mentors.…”

“…Secondly, settling into one's degree programme was facilitated by peer mentoring, with mentors providing practical information about expectations and offering advice on specific fields of study (Davis et al., 2007; Foy & Keane, 2018). Thirdly, peer mentoring positively impacted administrative work, improving students’ understanding of university jargon and encouraging them to seek out academic support services when needed (Hall et al., 2020; Lasser & Snelsire, 1996). For example, it was found that significantly more students visited their professors during office hours when they were engaged in a peer mentoring programme (Hall et al., 2020).…”

“…programme (Hall et al, 2020). Overall, peer mentoring was found to contribute to the development of a successful student identity (Christie, 2014).…”

Coping With Covid; Understanding and Mitigating Disadvantages Experienced by First Generation Scholars Studying Online

“…Extending a student peer mentoring scheme to all students would also be highly desirable particularly during the online pivot, but, again, this requires significant staff input to run properly. A student peer mentor scheme could be tailored in such a way as to pair first year FGS with their more experienced peers, offering an important extra plank of academic and social support (Hall et al, 2020;Venegas-Muggli et al, 2021). SGIA established such a scheme for the academic year 2020-21 and is hoping to assess its impact.…”

A Constellation Model for Mentoring Undergraduates During COVID-19

“…In both structured and informal mentoring initiatives for college students, the functions of these evolving mentoring relationships may loosely follow three stages: mentoring into college life, mentoring through development of advanced skills and knowledge, and mentoring onward to life after college (McKinsey 2016). Students, staff, and faculty (i.e., academic staff) all can serve as mentors, although they may support different functions; for example, near-peers (e.g., a college senior in relation to a first-year student or a recent alumnus in relation to a college junior) often provide effective mentoring in, contributing to students' sense of belonging as they transition into college life and improving retention (Crisp et al 2017;Hall, Serafin, and Lundgren 2020).…”