First-Year Experience

Peer Mentor Program

Please note:  Applicants interested in serving as Peer Mentors must also be Peer Leaders and participate in all aspects of the selection and training process for Peer Leaders.  For more information on the Peer Leader program, click here.

Overview

The Peer Mentor program is a collaborative effort of the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement and First-Year Experience to provide additional support for students who, because of their high school GPA, are potentially at greater risk for academic difficulty at Georgia Southern.  Peer Mentors are Peer Leaders who take on the additional responsibility of working individually and in small groups with approximately eight to ten students to increase the likelihood that these students will be academically successful.  Peer Mentors are not tutors; they might be better described as “coaches” who monitor the progress of their “mentees.”  First-year students participate in this program voluntarily, and so should be receptive to the assistance that Peer Mentors provide.

Specific Responsibilities of the Peer Mentor
  • Serve as a peer leader for FYE 1220.
  • Serve as mentor for a eight to 10 students (some of whom are in the mentor's FYE 1220) who have high school GPAs in the lower half of the incoming class (roughly below 3.10).  Specifically:
    • Assist with Operation Move-In.
    • Contact mentees prior to classes
    • Contact students bi-weekly (i.e. phone, email, in person).  This communication will be documented on contact sheets and will be turned into Student Leadership. 
    • Meet with mentees individually and in person at least once every other month.
    • Attend two semester program components (a group activity twice each semester).
    • Plan two programs each month for mentees
  • Attend monthly meetings each semester that provide on-going training and to check in and share experiences.  These are scheduled for the first Tuesday of the month at 5 p.m.
  • Promote attendance at First-Year Experience Success Series events.
  • Meet with mentees outside scheduled orientation section

For questions about the Peer Mentor program, contact Jodi Middleton at 871-1435 or jmiddleton@georgiasouthern.edu

Time Commitments
  • Attend eight hours of Peer Leader training and seven additional hours of training on Friday afternoons during Spring 2008.
  • Attend sessions of the orientation class during Fall 2008 (specific time commitments differ from section to section;
    see "Peer Leading in the New FYE 1220").
    • Meet regularly with the instructor to prepare for class
    • Respond to student email or journals
  • Mentee responsibilities described above for Fall 2008.
  • In Spring 2009, monthly contact with mentees and participation in two programs sponsored by the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement.
Compensation

In addition to the volunteer or academic credit that Peer Leaders receive, Peer Mentors will be paid a stipend of $100 in the Fall semester and $100 in the Spring semester.

Timeline for Fall 2008 Selection

Peer Mentors, Fall 2007

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