On-Line Summer Peer Mentoring : g Keeping the Connection from - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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On-Line Summer Peer Mentoring : g Keeping the Connection from - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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On-Line Summer Peer Mentoring : g Keeping the Connection from Summer Orientation to Welcome Weekend Presented at the Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience Orlando, FL ~ February 9, 2009 F From new student d to successful

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On-Line Summer Peer Mentoring: g

Keeping the Connection from Summer Orientation to Welcome Weekend

Presented at the Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience Orlando, FL ~ February 9, 2009

F d From new student… …to successful graduate.

Presented by: Christy Metzger In collaboration with: Sarah Maurer

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Introductions

Ch i t M t Christy Metzger Associate Director First Year Initiatives First Year Initiatives cametz03@louisville.edu 502-852-3200 Sarah Maurer Graduate Student Graduate Student CAPS Leader Program Intern, Summer 2008 sbmaur01@louisville.edu

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Why create a summertime peer mentor program? What is the CAPS Leader Mentor Program? Why create a summertime peer mentor program? How have we assessed the program? What lessons did we learn? What lessons did we learn?

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Why create a summertime peer mentor program? peer mentor program?

– 4 year metropolitan research – 22 000 students total 22,000 students total

~ 2,600 First Time Freshmen ~ 23% minority population y p p

– 15% residential (63% FYS) – Decentralized – Mandatory orientation course

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S O i t ti (J ) Summer Orientation (June)

  • Excitement
  • Nervousness
  • Ending the cycle of contact

d g e cyc e o co ac

  • Information overload

Then we send them on their way…

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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but do they really know …but do they really know where they’re headed?

Student Experience

  • Incomplete
  • Inconsistent
  • Inconsistent
  • Disjointed

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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SLIDE 7

Grounding a Solution in Research g

  • Tinto (1993) Student Departure Theory
  • Timing is everything! (Kuh, et al., Student Success in

College)

  • Importance of peer support in transition

(Upcraft, Gardner, & Assoc., The Freshman Year Experience)

  • Student commitment to the institution (Wallace

et al., 2000)

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SLIDE 8

Diversity and community

ivic cademic

Traditions, expectations, and opportunities

ersonal

Individual development and well-being

  • cial

Meet, develop, and maintain relationships with students, faculty, and staff

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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SLIDE 9

Take what we know and point them in the right direction…

+

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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SLIDE 10
  • Bridging the gap

Bridging the gap

  • Forging student connections
  • New students learn more

about the university

  • Bottom Line:
  • Strengthen ties and create new ones
  • Better prepared = ease their transition
  • Hasten integration into academic/social life
  • Hasten integration into academic/social life

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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The Mentors

  • Utilizing existing resources

(mentor programs) to recruit (mentor programs) to recruit

  • Paid $252 for the 7-week program

– For credit? Co-curricular credit? Volunteer? – For credit? Co-curricular credit? Volunteer?

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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The Platform

  • Utilizing existing resources (Blackboard)

– Email & Discussion Board – Tab to house resources

  • Almost all incoming students enrolled in

an orientation course with Blackboard an orientation course with Blackboard shell

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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The Platform

  • Assign 1 CAPS Leader to two

Blackboard orientation courses

Avg course = 25 30 students – Avg. course = 25-30 students – Try to assign like-majored Leaders with courses – Fall 2008: 72 sections – CAPS Leader has “Instructor” level access access

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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SLIDE 14
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The Structure

Themed content each week: CAPS

  • Themed content each week: CAPS

– Introductions – Civic – Academic – Personal – Social Social – Other Mentor Programs at UofL – Final Words of Wisdom

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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The Program

Weekly Lesson Plans

g

  • Weekly Lesson Plans

– Group Email (Monday/Tuesday) – Cardinal Clue Email (Wednesday/Thursday) ( y y) – Discussion Board Activity – Resource List – Extras Extras

  • Weeks 1 & 2: How to access Blackboard (mandatory), Making

Facebook contact (optional)

  • Week 3: Personalized emails to non-participants

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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SLIDE 18
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SLIDE 19
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SLIDE 20
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The Program

Oth ibiliti f CAPS L d

g

  • Other responsibilities of CAPS Leaders

– Promptly responding to emails/inquiries C l ti d i i t ti t k – Completing administrative tasks

  • Usage reports
  • Contact Log
  • Contact Log
  • Timesheet

– Mid-Point Check-in

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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Meet Your Mentor Lunch

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Marketing

  • Summer Orientation
  • Postcard delivered just

Postcard delivered just after program starts W l W k d

  • Welcome Weekend promo

(Mentor Lunch)

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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Supporting the Leaders - Training

  • Leader Manual

pp g g

Leader Manual

– Mentoring 101 – How the program works – Resources for UofL – Resources for UofL – Report running – Expectations and code of conduct

  • Computer lab for practice
  • Computer lab for practice
  • Problem scenario
  • Tips from returners

p

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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SLIDE 26
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Supporting the Leaders - June pp g

  • In-person refresher sessions
  • On-line Q&A
  • Students prep shells and first email early

for intern check (imperative!)

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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Supporting the Leaders - Program pp g g

  • Intern handles administrative tasks
  • Intern/Assoc. Director available for Q&A
  • Regular emails to Leaders with updates

and announcements and announcements

  • Mid-Point check in with Leaders

Prompt questions in advance – Prompt questions in advance

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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What are the elements of assessment?

  • Blackboard Reports

– Usage by first year students – CAPS Leader activity

  • First Year Student Survey
  • First Year Student Survey
  • CAPS Leader Mentor Survey
  • Sophomore survey developed

(not yet implemented)

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First Year Student Survey

  • Influences to participate

– Learning UofL technology – Staying connected to UofL – Meet other new students in their section – Seemed like an important part of their transition

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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  • What are they getting out of it?

What are they getting out of it?

– Increased knowledge of campus and community resources community resources – Understanding more about CAPS aspects of UofL – Making a positive connection with a CAPS Leader F li d t t t U fL – Feeling more prepared to start UofL

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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Timing is Everything! g y g

“It helped me “It helped me transition to UofL life transition to UofL life

  • ver th

r the summ summer.” r.”

  • e
  • e

e e “It “It v i f tiv tiv d d h l d d “It “It was was v ver ery i y informa

  • rmativ

tive an and h d helpe ped d me transition me transition very quickly and very quickly and ffi ffi i tl i i t ll ll lif lif ” effi fficien ently i tly into co coll llege ege lif life. e.”

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Importance of Peer Connections p

“It allowed me “It allowed me to prepare for to prepare for college by college by my CAPS Leader sending emails to my CAPS Leader sending emails to my CAPS Leader sending emails to my CAPS Leader sending emails to me about me about any issues she faced as an any issues she faced as an incoming incoming college college freshman and a lot freshman and a lot incoming incoming college college freshman and a lot freshman and a lot

  • f the issues I could relate with and it
  • f the issues I could relate with and it

made me feel more comfortable coming made me feel more comfortable coming made me feel more comfortable coming made me feel more comfortable coming to college.” to college.”

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Institutional Support pp

“The CAPS Leader program showed “The CAPS Leader program showed that Uo that UofL reall L really does care does care for its

  • r its

f y f y f students.” students.” “With the program, UofL is being “With the program, UofL is being proactive and proactive and there there’s a feeling that s a feeling that proactive proactive and there and there s a feeling a feeling that that people on people on campus are campus are waiting for the waiting for the new students to arrive. new students to arrive.” new students to arrive. new students to arrive.

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First Year Student Survey

Wh t th i i ?

  • What are they missing?

– Didn’t understand how the program worked – Didn’t make a strong enough connection with their Leader/with their classmates I f ti ’t f l h/ t l – Information wasn’t useful enough/was too general – Didn’t hear often enough from Leader/heard too much

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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CAPS Leader Mentor Survey

  • What are they getting out of it?
  • What are they getting out of it?

– 100% Agree/Strongly Agree

  • Being a CAPS Leader was a positive experience
  • They strengthened their mentor skills

– Almost 75% learned something new about UofL Almost 75% learned something new about UofL – Almost 70% made a connection they will continue after the program ends – 85% made a positive connection with faculty/staff

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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SLIDE 37
  • What Worked

– Individualized emails – Prompt replies – Fun emails and icebreakers – Sharing their personal experience – Consistency H t d “k i it l” – Honesty and “keeping it real” – The Meet Your Mentor Lunch

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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SLIDE 38

CAPS Leader Survey

  • Challenges

– Knowing about the academic unit-specific information, g p , especially if they were working outside of their major – Unresponsive mentees – Making a REAL connection over email

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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Lessons Learned

  • Work with existing resources
  • Incoming student familiarity with technology

g y gy

  • Pre-loading course material
  • Restricting activity to the CAPS Leader tab
  • Restricting activity to the CAPS Leader tab
  • Toning down Leader expectations for

participation participation

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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  • Hold summer refresher sessions
  • Encourage Leader creativity and focus on

their experiences their experiences

  • Great opportunity for an intern

Stress that leaders ask program

  • Stress that leaders ask program

coordinators with questions/concerns

  • CAPS Leaders should be careful giving out

phone numbers/personal info

Why ▪ What ▪ Assessment ▪ Lessons

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Changes for 2009 g

  • Refresher videos for Leaders
  • Continuing the relationship beyond our

program

  • Adding an undergraduate Student Lead
  • Intern hours – needs more toward the end

te

  • u s

eeds

  • e to a d t e e d
  • More discussions about when our incoming

students are our students students are our students

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What would you need? y

  • Online platform
  • Coordinator or Intern
  • Coordinator or Intern
  • Mentors
  • Identify most important content
  • Buy-in from other mentor programs

y p g

  • Money… how much?
  • Patience!
  • Patience!
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SLIDE 43

Thank you! y

Questions? Questions?