Charlene A. StinardDirectorTransfer and Transition Services

Student Development & Enrollment ServicesUniversity of Central Florida

20th National Conference onStudents in Transition October 2013

Transfer Success with Peer Mentors

Overview

Purpose• UCF model• Establishing purpose, aligning with division and

university goals Common goals

• Assist transfer students• Insure smooth transition and progress to

graduation• Improve retention

Overview (continued)

Costs and funding• Budget• Paid or unpaid, academic credit• Partnerships: creative funding

Planning• Long-/short-range purposes

- 3-year strategic plan• Intentional, focused outcomes

- Annual department/program assessments

Large Public UniversityLarge Public University

2nd largest US university 2013-14 enrollment = 60,000+

Transfer enrollment 2012-13• 11,014 new transfer students enrolled (annual)• 6,700 new freshmen enrolled (annual)

Partnership institutions – 4 primary feeder schools

UCF Model

Transfer and

• Transition Services

• Vision

UCF Model

Transfer and Transition Services3 Functional Areas

Preparation• Advise students before they transfer

Transition• Work with transfers during their first semester

Progression• Provide a solid foundation for retention and graduation

Serving Transfer Students

2012-13 academic year: UCF enrollment 59,800+

• TTS assisted more than 40,000 constituents in person, by phone, by e-mail

• TTS staff and Peer Mentors: 24,000+ student advising contacts

Award winning website http://transfer.sdes.ucf.edu • 180,000+ website hits annually• Student web developer

Participated in 20 transfer orientations

Program Goals Create new roles for students in student learning

(division strategic goal) Expand opportunities for experience-based learning

(division strategic goal) Provide quality services for increasing numbers of

students (university goal) Assist transfer students in connecting to the campus

community Inculcate the values of the institution

TTS Org Chart

Resources

University commitment of critical resources: space, funding

To pay or not to pay Partnering Organizational

structure Assessment and

improvement

Transfer Shock Survivors

… a temporary dip in GPA during the first or second semester at the new institution…

John Hills, University of Georgia, 1965

TTS Peer Mentor Program

A successful model for • Preparing students academically for transfer• Assuring a smooth transfer transition• Connecting to the campus community • Providing support for progress to graduation

Supports student leadership development Provides important professional development Helps to manage heavy advising loads Promotes retention

Ingredients for Peer Program Success

Recruitment and selection

Training Supervision Committed students University support

Recruiting Peers

Recommendations from community college advisors

E-mails to currently enrolled transfers Announcements at orientations Consider your institution’s transfer student

demographics Annual process

Variety is the spice…

Reflect your student body International students, students with

disabilities Different majors Transfers from public, private, 2-year and 4-

year Transfers from your feeder schools

Interviews

Selecting a search committee Individual interviews: presenting yourself well Group interviews: elements of team work Interview with current Peer Mentors Valuing student perceptions

Training Philosophy

Articulating institutional values• Inculcating the CREED • A commitment to shared values Peer Mentors: UCF Creed

Advocating tolerance• Diversity initiatives

Encouraging engagement• Building a sense of community, responsibility

“… provide a more positive ethical framework for college student conduct … and encourage …active student affirmation and commitment to campus moral norms.”

Training Basics

Aligned with SDES Strategic Goals Creating responsible employees, citizens of the campus

community Providing learning-based experience

Relating students’ choices and exploration of their values to who they are, who they want to be

Exploring what they stand for, what they value Learning from each other

Training Initial 6 week training program Online learning modules, weekly professional

development meetings Office practices, procedures; university

policies Academic information Campus resources

Benefits of Training

Confident, resourceful Peers Accurate information Antidote to • “My friend says…”

Peer Mentor Roles

PreparationPre-admission academic advising

• Appointments, e-mails, phone calls• General education program, common program

prerequisitesOutreach programs: workshops, panels, surveys, focus groupsStudents helping students

Orientation

Transition 20 transfer orientations, 550 to 750 transfers attend each sessionTransfer Success Program – describing The UCF Experience

• What to expect, what is expected• Introducing the CREED and campus resources

Welcome events: promote engagement

Retention

Progress to graduationAre You on the Knight Track? transfer seminar – Peer Mentor panel discuss their experiencesTransfer Success Workshop series – planned and executed by Peer MentorsCampus clubs and organizations – introducing transfer to the campus community

Engagement: Transfer Knights

Scholarship

Tau Sigma National Honor Society 3.5 GPA in first full-time semester

Peers as Advocates

Peers Mentors• Knowledgeable, confident, resourceful,

professional• Connected to the campus

Students listen to students• Importance of the transfer student “voice” on

campus

Assessment

Meeting division goals• Measuring Student Learning Outcomes

Measuring what the Peers learn• Advising rubric• Videos• Performance evaluations

Evaluating the program

Program Assessment

Annual Institutional Effective Plans• Alignment with division and university goals

Measuring the effectiveness of Peer presentations, programs, workshops

Measuring student learning• Pre-/post-tests• Survey responses• Focus groups

Planning Guide

• Needs assessment: What do you want/need in a peer mentor program?

• Considerations: institutional context, level of support, resources

• Likely partners• Peer mentors’ roles• Assessing your program and performance

QUESTIONSAND

COMMENTS

Contact InformationContact Information

Charlene A. Stinard, DirectorTransfer and Transition Services

Charlene.Stinard@ucf.edu407.823.2231

Student Development and Enrollment ServicesUniversity of Central Florida