Peer Mentor Program helps improve retention rates
Released: August 16, 2004
This fall, more than 80 percent of the 2003 freshman class is expected to return to the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, the highest retention rate in university history. One contributor to that success is the Peer Mentor Program, which was launched in Fall 2003 by the office of New Student Programs. The program has goals of improving retention rates of new students, smoothing the transition from home to college and helping new students feel a sense of connectivity.
“What we know is that a significant number of first-year students do not feel connected to the university and therefore don’t return for their sophomore year,” stated Kim Simes, coordinator of the Peer Mentor Program. “Resident assistants are a great resource already in place for students living in the residence halls and our hope is that the peer mentors will compliment the work they do in addition to providing a peer resource outside the living environment.”
There are 92 students participating as peer mentors this year, including ten lead peer mentors who have additional responsibilities. Each peer mentor has been assigned approximately 20 first-year students. The peer mentors receive ongoing leadership training and participate during Preview and on residence hall move-in day.
Andrea Sabelko, a junior majoring in human resource management, is a lead peer mentor this year. She considers the program as an opportunity to help incoming freshman make vital connections with university life.
“My freshmen year was a huge transition and having a peer mentor would have made it a much smoother one,” said Sabelko. “This program really makes a difference.”
The next two days after moving in will be hectic. New students will learn the campus computer system, attend a presentation by the university library, take an 18-stop campus tour and collect textbooks from the bookstore for the upcoming semester.
“Peer mentors will work to stay in touch with the students in their group throughout the entire first semester,” said Simes. “Ideally, first-year students will have such a good experience with their peer mentor that they will apply to be a peer mentor next year.”
The application process will commence in the spring semester and students may find out more information about the program by contacting the office of New Student Programs. In order to be a peer mentor, students must have completed at least one semester of work at UW-Whitewater, be in good academic standing with a 2.0 minimum grade point average, have been involved in at least one co-curricular activity on campus, demonstrate good oral and written communication skills, have at least one reference from a faculty or staff member, resident assistant, or other student leaders and be available for the full academic year.
For more information, contact Simes at (262) 472-1939 or simesk@uww.edu.
- Alenia Heisz ,heiszam21@uww.edu
