Empowering Student Success: The Faculty Role in Peer Mentoring and Tutoring Programs

• In Event: Roundtable: Supporting Student Success: Reflections from Peer Mentors/Tutors in a Criminology and Justice Studies Department

Abstract

The session will explore the key responsibilities and experiences of faculty in fostering an effective mentoring and tutoring program, focusing on both the successes and the challenges encountered. It will highlight how the faculty coordinator facilitates the training, support, and supervision of peer mentors, who support first-year students’ transition to college, and peer tutors, who assist fellow students in mastering concepts in statistics, research methods, writing, and theory. The session will discuss institutional and external barriers that can impede the effectiveness of these peer support programs, such as resource limitations, scheduling conflicts, differences between instructors, and varying levels of student engagement. Additionally, it will celebrate success stories that illustrate significant improvements in student learning and program growth. We will also discuss insights from faculty whose students served as mentees in their first year and the perceived impact of the mentoring experience on their students.

Authors

• Nayan G. Ramirez, California State University, Northridge

• Marc Glidden, California State University, Northridge