The Honors Peer Mentoring Program aims to ease the transition of incoming Honors students and strengthen the sense of community within the Honors College. Students are uniquely qualified to help other students succeed; by guiding, advising, and encouraging, mentors will enhance the Honors experience for incoming students during the most critical time of their university careers.

This opportunity allows current Honors students to stay involved in the program and maintain connections with other Honors students. It will also provide leadership training and experience.

Expectations

The peer mentor must:

  1. Attend a mentoring planning meeting in the spring and a peer mentor training event before orientation in August.
  2. Make contact once with mentees over the summer by email, mail, or phone.
  3. Help facilitate Honors orientation and facilitate introductions and discussions between new Honors students.
  4. Check in with mentees regularly throughout the year to advise, guide, encourage, and address any concerns they may have about the Honors College, usually through email or phone contact.
  5. Arrange 1 planned social activity per semester for mentors/mentees to build a sense of community.
  6. Host an Honors Conversation:
    1. First-year cohort mentors: Host 1 or 2 of the Honors “Tuesday Conversation” sessions during the fall term.
    2. Lateral-entry cohort mentors: Host 1 or 2 “Wednesday Conversation” sessions during the fall term.
  7. Participate in 1–2 recruiting events during the academic year upon request—in some respects, peer mentors are the public “face” of the Honors College and start their mentoring activities during the recruiting process.
  8. Host 1–2 Nunemaker Study Nights (Sundays, 6–9 p.m.) each semester.
  9. Attend 1 check-in meeting with the assistant dean of the Honors College in the fall and spring semesters.
  10. Complete and submit a short end-of-year reflective exercise on the peer mentor's experience and performance in the role.

Time Commitment

A central feature of the peer mentoring program is the August Honors Orientation sessions from August 21–23, 2022. Please do not apply if other involvements or commitments preclude your being available for the orientation period. In addition, peer mentors host Tuesday/Wednesday Conversations throughout the fall semester and facilitate Nunemaker Study Nights throughout the academic year. During the fall and spring academic terms, the extent of the mentor-mentee relationship and time spent in mentoring activities will depend on the degree to which the first-year student seeks out mentoring.

Apply

To participate, the peer mentor must:

  1. Completed HON 201/202 or HON 203: Welcome to Thinking by the time their mentoring begins.
  2. Be in good standing in the Honors College.
  3. First-time mentors: List 1 Honors faculty member who shared classroom experience with you and can attest to your commitment and suitability to be an Honors peer mentor. The faculty member must also complete a Faculty Recommendation Form for you (a link to the electronic form will be sent to the email address you provide in the application below).
  4. Complete an application by January 24, 2022, and a brief, 15–20 minute interview with Stephanie Santarosa, assistant dean of the Honors College, by February 25, 2022.