Planning and Evaluation
Program Models
Mentee Participation
Program Descriptions
Program Evaluations
Program Models
- Academic and peer mentors working as a team under the direction of a Coordinator (Model for Combining Academic and Peer Mentoring).
- Coordinator-led team of peer mentors; plan and lead activities together.
- Peer coordinated and led program, using minimal staff support.
Mentee Participation
- Opt in: specific, independent program requiring students to opt in via registrations or signing up for a peer mentor.
- Automatic inclusion: specific, independent program offering peer mentor led/involved activities to all their first year students that requires no formal commitment by new students - they either attend or don't attend!
- No allocation of students to specific peer mentors; each peer mentor's student contact details available to whole cohort if new students need to ask questions; peer mentors available to students at formal activities.
- Allocations of new students to specific peer mentors, organised randomly or based on identified criteria; predetermined by Coordinator but implemented without informing new students. Peer mentors responsible for contact with allocated group of students.
- Allocations to specific peer mentors, organised randomly or based on identified criteria, predetermined by Coordinator. New students are informed of who their specific peer mentor is. Peer mentors responsible for contacting allocated group of students.
- Merged Programs: Program not named separately to existing Program; peer mentors integrated into existing timetabled Program, e.g. First Year Experience for Science Students.
Program Descriptions
The key purpose of the Peer Networking Program Outline is to help Coordinators think through the features of their programs and to inform TAS of resources required.
The Outline information also assists TAS in planning recruitment and training for peer leaders. Outlines should be submitted to TAS by mid July for the following year's Program [link to Timelines and Templates page within Information for Coordinators].
Program Evaluations
Faculties and Schools are increasingly developing new initiatives to assist students to stay in their degree programs and succeed in their studies. It is often difficult to isolate and measure the impact of one Program from amongst the suite of services offered to students.
The following means of evaluation are possible:
- Feedback from peer mentors Sample 2009 SmoothStart Peer Mentor feedback form.
- Feedback from participating (and non participating) students Sample Peer Networking Program Survey Monkey feedback.
- Summary report of program Coordinator's Peer Networking Program Report is a good way for Coordinators to do some reflective thinking about their programs, incorporating the feedback from peer mentors and students.
