Peering Into the Future:Using Peer Advisors to Assist Our

Changing Student Populations

NACADA Executive OfficeKansas State University

2323 Anderson Ave, Suite 225Manhattan, KS  66502-2912

Phone: (785) 532-5717   Fax: (785) 532-7732

e-mail: nacada@ksu.edu

© 2013 National Academic Advising Association

The contents of all material in this presentation are copyrighted by the National Academic Advising Association, unless otherwise indicated. Copyright is not claimed as to any part of an original work prepared by a U.S. or state government officer or employee as part of that person's official duties. All rights are reserved by NACADA, and content may not be reproduced, downloaded, disseminated, published, or transferred in any form or by any means, except with the prior written permission of NACADA, or as indicated below. Members of NACADA may download pages or other content for their own use, consistent with the mission and purpose of NACADA. However, no part of such content may be otherwise or subsequently be reproduced, downloaded, disseminated, published, or transferred, in any form or by any means, except with the prior written permission of, and with express attribution to NACADA. Copyright infringement is a violation of federal law and is subject to criminal and civil penalties. NACADA and National Academic Advising Association are service marks of the National Academic Advising Association.

The Global Community for Academic Advising

2013 NACADA Summer Institute

Jacksonville:Chuck Lepper

Ivy Tech Community College

Scottsdale:Kathy Stockwell

Fox Valley Technical College

Peer advisors are students who have been selected and trained to offer academic advising services to their peers.

Services provided by peer advisors are intentionally designed to assist in student adjustment, satisfaction, and persistence toward attainment of their educational goals.

Who are Peer Advisors?

The Global Community for Academic Advising

• Enhances academic advising programs

• Demonstrates that advising is taken seriously

• Demonstrates that addressing student needs is an institutional priority

• Compatible with all academic advising delivery models

• Offers versatility – can be tailored to the needs of the institution

Implemented institution-wideUsed for certain majors or sub-sets of students

Peer Advising…

The Global Community for Academic Advising

• Peer advisors are not professional advisors

• Peer advisors shouldn’t feel that they are counselors

• Peer advisors need to know their boundaries

• Peer advisors should advise, not tell advisees what they should or should not do

• Peer advisors need to refer, refer, and refer as needed!

Limitations of Peer Advisors

The Global Community for Academic Advising

• Enhance leadership skills

• Become actively engaged in the college environment

• Contribute to the intellectual and personal growth of students

• Enhance problem solving skills

• Improve communication skills

• Receive certificate of participation and letter of recommendation

• Great for the résumé

Benefits for the Peer Advisors

The Global Community for Academic Advising

• Budget constraints

• Increase in enrollment

• Increased advisor loads

• Need to maintain quality advising services

• Faculty/professional advisors not always available

• Basic questions need to be handled quickly and efficiently

Identifying the Need

The Global Community for Academic Advising

• Obtain administrative supportSponsors Cheerleaders

• Determine project leadersInclude one or two administrators when possible

• Form a steering committeeThose interested in projectAntagonists and protagonistsAdministrators within and outside of department

Developing a Framework

The Global Community for Academic Advising

Strategic Links

Link to college strategic directionsExample:

Strategic Direction: Expand innovative approaches and partnerships to leverage and enhance College resources

Link to department strategic plansExample:

Accountability Plan: To increase course completion, retention, and graduation rates of current students

Developing a Framework

The Global Community for Academic Advising

Identify realistic timeline• Develop Marketing/Recruiting plan• Schedule Peer Advisor Training• Market for Peer Advisor Applications

Determine Scope of Project• Determine target population• Identify pilot vs. full implementation• Identify key tools to be developed (i.e. training manual)

Developing a Framework

The Global Community for Academic Advising

Identify Support and Resources

• Grants

• Curriculum consultation

• Strategic initiative or similar college incentives

• NACADA Clearinghouse and Peer Advising and Mentoring Listserv

• Successful practices from other similar/peer institutions of higher education

Developing a Framework

The Global Community for Academic Advising

Determine Programmatic Outcomes

• Provide leadership development opportunities for peer advisors

• Provide professional development opportunities for peer advisors

• Increase student satisfaction with advising services

• Demonstrate institutional response based on need for increased advising services

• Increase the quality of advising services

Developing a Framework

The Global Community for Academic Advising

3-tiered approach

• Applicantsthe need, the importance, the opportunities and benefits

• Student Usersincreased availability of advising

• Faculty-Stafftrained assistance with advising, reduced case loads

Marketing

The Global Community for Academic Advising

• Expect that people will be apprehensiveChange is not easy

• Know that not everyone is going to be supportiveStudents are now performing duties historically reserved for faculty and/or professional staff

• Expect that there will be glitchesNew programs need to be pilotedEven existing programs have difficulties and issues

• Let the students be your informal advisory committeeBoth the PAs and the student advisees

Getting Started

The Global Community for Academic Advising

• Formal applications

• Letters of recommendation

• Reviewed by steering committee members

• Group interviews

• Individual interviews

Selecting the Peer Advisors

The Global Community for Academic Advising

• Initial one day retreat

• Peer Advisor Manual/web site

• Log book of issues and ideas kept in peer advising office

• Continuing monthly meetingsOn demand topicsPeer advisors and student diverse needs drive agenda

itemsStudent Success related concerns

• Luncheons/Potlucks

PA Training

The Global Community for Academic Advising

• As with any advisor training, focus on

Informational componentsprograms, policies, procedures, resources, etc.

Conceptual componentsdefinition and role of advising, advisor and advisee

expectations, etc.

Relational componentscommunication skills, referral skills, rapport

building, etc.

PA Training

The Global Community for Academic Advising

• Identify PA program goals• Identify desired process/delivery outcomes• Identify desired student learning outcomes• Map desired outcomes• Identify multiple measures for each desired outcome• Gather data• Determine whether desired outcomes have been met• Report the data• Act upon the data• Continue assessment of desired outcomes• Implement assessment of any changes

Assessing the Effectiveness of Peer Advising

The Global Community for Academic Advising

Assessing the Effectiveness of Peer Advising

Student Learning OutcomesCognitive, Psychomotor, AffectiveProcess/Delivery Outcomes

Mapping the ExperienceWhat experiences?When or by when?

Gathering EvidenceWhen gathered?Where gathered?

How often gathered?From whom gathered?

How gathered?Minimum performance criteria for success?

ValuesVision

MissionGoals

Programmatic Outcomes

Sharing and Acting Upon the ResultsInterpret how results inform practice

How and with whom to share interpretationFollow up on implemented changes

Start the process all over again!

(adapted from Darling, 2005, 2010)

The Global Community for Academic Advising

The Global Community for Academic Advising

Peer Advisors vs. Peer Mentors:What is the Difference?

• Peer advisors typically provide advising services in a variety of formats to the general student population; no assignments are made.

• Peer mentors are paired in a mentor-mentee relationship with a student or students from a particular student group (incoming freshmen, at-risk, dislocated worker, etc.).

The Global Community for Academic Advising

Peer Advisors vs. Peer Mentors:What is the Difference?

• Peer mentors “follow” their mentees for a pre-determined amount of time

• Peer mentors are proactive in their work with their mentee/s

• Peer mentors provide a consistent and reliable source of support, direction and inspiration for other students

The Global Community for Academic Advising

Peer Advisors vs. Peer Mentors:What is the Difference?

• Peer mentors provide resources that will link academics, career development, and the quality of student engagement during the college experience

The Global Community for Academic Advising

Using Technology for Peer Advising

• Course management system (Blackboard)• Livebinder.com• Pinterest• Facebook• Twitter• Blogs• Other?

The Global Community for Academic Advising

FVTC Peer Advisor Connection Training and Hiring Materials can be accessed as follows:

• www.fvtc.edu• Select Blackboard on the left• Username – advise• Password – advise• Select peeradvise: Professional Communications for Peer Advisors• Click on Course Documents• Pertinent documents located under 1st item – PAC Hiring and Training

Materials• Click on link for document you would like to review; if asked for login and

password, click on “cancel” and document will open.

THANK YOU!

Peering into the Future:

NACADA Executive OfficeKansas State University

2323 Anderson Ave, Suite 225Manhattan, KS  66502-2912

Phone: (785) 532-5717   Fax: (785) 532-7732

e-mail: nacada@ksu.edu

© 2012 National Academic Advising Association

The contents of all material in this presentation are copyrighted by the National Academic Advising Association, unless otherwise indicated. Copyright is not claimed as to any part of an original work prepared by a U.S. or state government officer or employee as part of that person's official duties. All rights are reserved by NACADA, and content may not be reproduced, downloaded, disseminated, published, or transferred in any form or by any means, except with the prior written permission of NACADA, or as indicated below. Members of NACADA may download pages or other content for their own use, consistent with the mission and purpose of NACADA. However, no part of such content may be otherwise or subsequently be reproduced, downloaded, disseminated, published, or transferred, in any form or by any means, except with the prior written permission of, and with express attribution to NACADA. Copyright infringement is a violation of federal law and is subject to criminal and civil penalties. NACADA and National Academic Advising Association are service marks of the National Academic Advising Association.

Using Peer Advisors to Assist Our Changing Student

Populations

2012 NACADA Summer Institute

The Global Community for Academic Advising