2020 Peer Mentor Position Description

Peer Mentors will be responsible for providing guidance and mentorship to students and instructional support for faculty in one section of INTG 105: College Success Course. This course is a 1-credit course for incoming First- Year students that will meet once weekly for 55 minutes throughout the fall semester. The course aims to foster a sense of belonging, promote engagement in curricular and co-curricular campus life, articulate expectations of students, and help students continue to clarify their purpose, meaning and direction in their professional and personal lives. Peer Mentors will develop meaningful relationships with their mentees, gain practical competence to carry out duties successfully, and develop an understanding of their personal leadership style and goals.

Reports To:

This position is a multi-faceted one, requiring skills and flexibility in:

Time Management & Organization: Peer Mentors are expected to be positive examples of a CSB/SJU student, meaning your engagement in on-campus activities, experiential learning, and coursework are all important. Effective engagement means effective time management and organizational skills to ensure you are meeting expectations. PMs are expected to show up on time for INTG 105 class, out-of-class activities, and meetings; adjusting accordingly to changes in schedule; completing online training activities and email outreaches to mentees by established deadlines; and effectively balance other obligations.

Communication: Peer Mentors are expected to share information and concerns with your instructor and/or FYX staff in a timely manner; maintain confidentiality with student information; facilitate small and large group discussions around course content; possess strong one-to-one communication skills and excellent listening skills for mentor-mentee meetings; and ability to develop useful and timely written/email communication to mentees.

Inclusion and Relationship Building: respecting and celebrating the differences of mentees; creating an inclusive environment for all new students; encouraging interactions within small and large group; providing a platform for approachable, individual conversations; facilitating social connections; forming effective relationship with instructor, mentees, and FYX staff.

Knowledge of CSB/SJU & Information Sharing: sharing knowledge of resources and events as they relate to the first year students including policies, procedures, campus departments & offices, and opportunities for involvement; promoting full participation in the classroom discussions and activities; ability to communicate information in a variety of formats depending on student needs (Canvas, email, in-person); willingness to share personal experiences, tips, and tricks.

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: identifying problems or concerns and taking steps to address and/or report the issue; formulating and evaluating possible solutions to problems, with or without guidance from supervisor; working through stressful situations and handling them appropriately; responding to unclear or ambiguous situations or directions; knowledge of when to make a referral or take steps for intervention.

Teamwork & Leadership: collaborating with Instructor, fellow peer mentors, and FYX staff to reach a shared vision & goal of supporting a holistic first-year experience; mediating and addressing conflict; fostering community among mentees; serving as a positive representative of CSB/SJU; attending all trainings and workshops as required by FYX staff.

Other Requirements:

Length of Position – Interviewing, Training, and Beyond:

The Peer Mentor position runs March – December, which includes interviewing, training, and executing responsibilities.

Interview Process:

Training:

Fall Semester:

Compensation:

New Peer Mentors are eligible to receive a $100 stipend upon successfully completing spring and summer training duties, paid out in September. During Fall semester, Peer Mentors will be paid at the hourly student employment rate, submitting timecards for their regular assigned duties and ongoing training.

Application:

Applicants much complete the application available here:
The application includes a section on demographic information, three short answer questions, and a resume upload. Students should take advantage of XPD to develop a strong resume related for this position. Refer to qualifications outlined in this position description as you work on your resume and short answer questions.
Applications are due February 11th at 11:59pm.