Peer Leaders

Freshmen relate well to outstanding students who have overcome barriers and achieved success academically. FYE Peer Leaders are a resource and a role model other than the instructor. Sometimes, students feel more comfortable with peers and use them as a bridge for asking questions and expressing needs. Leaders encourage class members to excel in the classroom and be active on campus and in the community. Moreover, those students who participate as peer leaders reinforce their writing and communication skills and have a valuable experience to add to their resumes.

Role of a Peer Leader

Before selecting peer leaders, it is important to understand what their role is in the FYE classroom and to know what characteristics help students be successful in this function.

Roles of a Peer Leader

Peer Leader Recruiting

Although we have found it helps to know peer leaders personally as students from our own courses, we still need to recruit leaders for some FYE classes. Toward the end of each semester, we ask the division chairperson to send the following email to all faculty in that area:

Leader Referral

Once we have a list of names of potential peer leaders, we send out the following letter:

Dear FYE Leader

Peer Leaders - Training

Based on Gardner’s Guidelines for Designing Instructor Training Workshops,
It is necessary to achieve the following four phases in a peer leader training workshop:

Build group/ Sense of community
Identify learner characteristics
Identify resources
Bridge/Transition

Peer Leader Training Workshop

During training, leaders sign an agreement to show their commitment.

Peer Leader Agreement

Peer Leader Evaluation

Although peer leaders may be a part of the general evaluation that faculty and students do, we use other surveys as a means of collecting information. The responses help us to adjust training for student leaders, give ideas to faculty, and build support for our program.

Faculty Evaluation of Peer Leaders

Peer Leader Experience Evaluation