| Initiative Title | 2. Provide a per semester stipend for peer mentors |
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| Submitted in Previous Year(s) | 2025 |
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| Critical Information, Notes, Justification, Rationale | Peer mentors are sophomores, responsible to assist 4-5 freshmen in their adjustment to college and honors. They ae required to assist with orientation, maintain regular contact with their mentees, plan and host events, oversee the honors lounge, and assist with recruiting events. This takes time and energy that can reduce the hours they can work outside of school. |
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| Consequences of this initiative not being funded | Some students elect not to become mentors due to the time commitment and responsibilities.
Students may not develop some of the leadership skills that we could afford to provide to them. |
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| Department Goals | Provide annual funding for students & faculty to participate in conferences and other experiential learning and community-building opportunities, Improve recruitment of quality and committed traditional, non-traditional, and under-represented student populations by offering more program-specific scholarships , Provide per semester stipend for honors peer mentors |
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| Programs | |
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| Locations | Main Campus, Newburgh Campus |
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| Estimated Completion Date | 04/30/2026 |
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| Will this initiative span multiple budget years? | No |
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| Importance | High |
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| Funding Source | Request for Prioritization |
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| Created | 11/04/2025 10:30 am |
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| Updated | 11/06/2025 1:46 pm |
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Institutional Goals
| Goal |
How will the initiative support this institutional goal? |
- MIDDLESTATES STANDARDS
- 3 Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
|
We will enhance the freshmen honors experiences by providing more dedicated peer mentors who are better trained and more available to help with the college transition and community building.
We will enhance the peer mentors experience by providing them with more focused training and experiences applicable to both transfer and work lives. |
- MIDDLESTATES STANDARDS
- 4 Support of the Student Experience
|
We will enhance the freshmen honors experiences by providing more dedicated peer mentors who are better trained and more available to help with the college transition and community building.
We will enhance the peer mentors experience by providing them with more focused training and experiences applicable to both transfer and work lives. |
- STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2028
- Priority 1: Student Support & Success
- Objective #1: Refine curriculum design, instructional practices, and learning environments to maximize academic excellence, intellectual curiosity and student success.
|
Peer mentors assist in the honors program orientation and help plan events for the academic year. With a stipend, they cold devote more time and we could provide more specialized training and support to ensure they are developing skills they will use as they transfer and/or transition into the workforce. |
- STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2028
- Priority 3: Academic & Professional Excellence
- Objective #2: Foster a positive and inclusive campus culture by strengthening internal communication, collaboration, and a shared purpose and belonging.
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Peer mentors serve a vital role in helping freshmen transition to college and the honors program. They also are a support network for said freshmen and one another. We would like them to become more involved and engaged to facilitate communication, building community, networking, and belonging. We want them to be involved in and contributing to their own and others building and maintaining of the honors community. |
Action Steps
| Action Step |
Responsible Party |
Order |
| Incorporate the stipend into the peer mentor application. Perhaps use interviews to make final selections. |
HAB |
1 |
| Create and implement a more formal training program for peer mentors: initial training in the summer and follow up over the fall and spring. |
HAB |
2 |
Expected Outcomes
| Outcome |
Order |
| Help enhance the leadership skills of peer mentors as well as their commitment to the responsibilities |
1 |
| Enhance retention of freshmen who make connections with people in the program |
2 |
Assessment Methods
| Method |
Description |
Other Method |
Responsible Party |
| Student Surveys: Satisfaction Need |
Surveys can be developed internally and administered to assess student frequency, importance, need and satisfaction institution’s staff, office and services and programming. |
|
We will add questions to a current FYE assessment to assess the freshmen reactions to mentors as well as a post survey for peer mentors. |
Resources
| INITIAL YEAR COST: |
$13,200.00 |
| RECURRING COST: |
$13,200.00 |
Equipment
| Need |
Cost (Initial/Recurring) |
Supporting Departments |
| TOTAL: |
$0.00 / $0.00 |
|
Facility
| Need |
Cost (Initial/Recurring) |
Supporting Departments |
| TOTAL: |
$0.00 / $0.00 |
|
Supply
| Need |
Cost (Initial/Recurring) |
Supporting Departments |
| TOTAL: |
$0.00 / $0.00 |
|
Staffing
| Need |
Cost (Initial/Recurring) |
Supporting Departments |
| TOTAL: |
$0.00 / $0.00 |
|
Training
| Need |
Cost (Initial/Recurring) |
Supporting Departments |
| 2-3 training sessions--one longer intial session and two follow up sessions |
$0.00
|
- Center for Teaching and Learning
- Honors Program
|
| TOTAL: |
$0.00 / $0.00 |
|
Marketing
| Need |
Cost (Initial/Recurring) |
Supporting Departments |
| TOTAL: |
$0.00 / $0.00 |
|
Other
| Need |
Cost (Initial/Recurring) |
Supporting Departments |
| 10 students at $600 per semester ($1200) |
$13200.00
/ 13200.00 (1st year)
|
|
| TOTAL: |
$13,200.00 / $13,200.00 |
|
Prioritization
This is initiative is ready for prioritization.
Assessment
| Date | Department Name | Status | Cost to Date | Funding Source | |
| No results found. |