Quality Peer Advising—Getting a Return on Your Investment

Quality Peer Advising-Getting a

Return on Your Investment

Presented by: Kim Rambo-Reinitz, Academic Advisor

2012 NACADA Region 8 ConferencePortland, OR

Quality Peer Advising—Getting a Return on Your Investment

Overview

• Background and explanation• Program structure and logistics• Training model • Peer perspective• Elements of success• Q& A and sharing of best practices

Quality Peer Advising—Getting a Return on Your Investment

Background

• Reduce wait-time• Answer navigation

questions• Opportunity for

student involvement

Quality Peer Advising—Getting a Return on Your Investment

Structure & Logistics

• Peer manager & coordinator

• Shared training responsibility

• Peer area within office• Open-door policy• One year

commitment• Five hours per week

Quality Peer Advising—Getting a Return on Your Investment

Winter—Training with experienced peers

Spring—Continued training

Fall – Refresher training, advising and recruiting

Winter—Training new peer advisors

Quality Peer Advising—Getting a Return on Your Investment

Winter 2012Mon/Wed Tues/Thurs

10:00-12:00 Exp. Peer 1/Exp. Peer 2New Peer 1/New Peer 2

Exp. Peer 3/Exp. Peer 4New Peer 3/New Peer 4

12:00-2:00 Exp. Peer 5/Exp. Peer 6New Peer 5/New Peer 6

Exp. Peer 7/Exp. Peer 8New Peer 7/New Peer 8

2:00-4:00 Exp. Peer 9/Exp. Peer 10New Peer 9/New Peer 10

Exp. Peer 11/Exp. Peer 12New Peer 11/New Peer 12

Sample Schedule

Quality Peer Advising—Getting a Return on Your Investment

Winter Term• Training & team-building retreat• Weekly in-office assignments & role

plays• Observe & learn during first 5 weeks• Supervised advising last 5 weeks• Evaluation• Final exam

Quality Peer Advising—Getting a Return on Your Investment

Example Role Play:You are a freshman in your first term. You would like the pre-business

requirements explained to you. You are currently taking BA 101, Math 111, WR 121 and PSY 202.

Did the advisor . . .

• Explain which classes count in the PBA Core GPA and that it needs to be a minimum of 2.75? • Explain that all pre-business courses must be taken graded? • Explain that while BA 240 is required, it is not part of the PBA core? • Advise you on the 2.9 cumulative GPA requirement and inform you that any transfer work is

included in that? • Advise you to wait until your sophomore year to take ACTG 211 & 213 and BA 240?

• Clarify that while group requirements and multicultural courses are not required to be done before admission to the major, 90 credits are.

 • “Take care of you” and ask enough questions to accurately understand the problem? Did they

make sure your first term was going OK?

Quality Peer Advising—Getting a Return on Your Investment

Spring Term• Guest Speakers—faculty & campus

partners• Additional resources

Fall Term• Review• Recruit, interview and hire new peers

Quality Peer Advising—Getting a Return on Your Investment

Training Topics• FERPA & confidentiality• Professionalism & rapport building• Minor program• Pre-business, business and accounting• General education, BA/BS,

multicultural• Transfer students• International students

Quality Peer Advising—Getting a Return on Your Investment

Elements for success• Training is a shared responsibility• Open-door policy• Teambuilding retreat• Role-plays• Opportunities for the team to take

ownership

Quality Peer Advising—Getting a Return on Your Investment

Questions?

Copies of training schedules other

examples:

krambo@uoregon.edu

Quality Peer Advising—Getting a Return on Your Investment

Time commitment• Winter: 6-8 hours per week• Spring: 3 hours per week• Fall: 5 hours per week