Want to become a US 101US Peer Mentor?

Apply to be a US 101US Peer Mentor

 

Nominate a Student to be a US 101US Peer Mentor

Overview of Peer Mentorship: 

  • Peer Mentorship provides an exciting and challenging opportunity for experienced students who are interested in mentoring freshmen as they transition to college 
  • Your role is to work with your assigned instructor to help US 101US students: 
    • Grasp and connect to readings 
    • Understand campus and community resources available to them 
    • Discuss, analyze, present on, and write about course texts, which cover a wide range of topics, such as transition, identity, diversity, social injustice, etc. 
    • Offer moral support, when needed, and direct struggling students to MSU resources 
  • Peer Mentors will be partnered with a section of US 101US-First Year Seminar
    • Mentors will attend every class meeting of their partnered US 101US class, as well as engage their mentees in out of class activities (see further below for more detail on this) 
    • Selections of partnered US courses will be assigned based on your preferences and time availability
  • Peer Mentors enroll in US 460- Peer Leadership (3 cr.) for weekly training and support

You are the facilitator for involving new students in university life and in college level learning through reading, thinking, and dialogue. You, alongside the instructor, will help challenge students to think and communicate in a small group setting while developing critical listening skills and honing their writing abilities.  

Requirements to be a Peer Mentor: 

  • Be an MSU student in their 2nd year or higher  
  • Successfully completed US Core course (Completion of any US Core course is sufficient, you do not have to have taken US 101US)  
  • Good academic standing 
  • Completion of online application which includes contact info of two (2) references from the MSU community

*Note: Mentors do not enroll in the US 101US course they are a Mentor for, but they do attend every class meeting for their designated section of the seminar.  

Benefits of being a Mentor: 

  • Be part of a team of program facilitators and fellow mentors who will offer guidance and support for your learning and endeavors  -- network and make new friends!
  • An opportunity to help new freshman navigate the transition to college -- gain satisfaction from helping others and contribute to the university community!
  • Mentoring and leadership training that you can apply to many professional careers  -- experience that looks good on a resume!
  • Earn upper-division credits (for US460) that count towards your 42 upper-division course degree requirements

Time commitment and expectations of Mentors: 

The Peer Mentor time commitment is about 6 hours per week. That is:

  • 3 hours each week in your paired US 101US class
  • 2 hours each week in US 460/492
  • Between 30 min to an hour each week of prep-time
  • Some weeks it may be 7 or 8 hours, if it is a week you are meeting with your students outside of class or there is an extracurricular activity you want to attend with your students. But, on the whole, we try to keep it closer to the 6 hour mark, since we know you are also busy students.

Some other considerations- Peer mentors are required to: 

  • Attend a pre-semester training in August before the start of Fall classes
  • Enroll in US 460 Peer Leadership in the Fall semester for weekly training and support  
  • Attend every class meeting of the US 101US seminar course they are paired with 
  • Meet one-on-one with mentees during the first 3-4 weeks of the semester  
  • Reach out to mentees who are struggling and offer ongoing support throughout the semester 
  • Occasional out of class activities (University Studies events, Major Madness, other campus events etc.)
  • In the US 101US classroom (training for these requirements provided in US 460 course): 

    • Take the lead in icebreakers and other activities  

    • Announce and encourage campus and community events and engagement opportunities 

    • Refer students to key MSU services (library, counseling, academic advising, tutoring, learning strategies, etc.)  

    • Act as general student support for academic systems, such as D2L 

    • Offer guidance and support through US course curriculum and class discussions 

    • Support critical thinking, learning, and understanding in a supportive and collegial environment

Overall, serve as a good example of a successful MSU student 

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