Practical Considerations in Developing Peer Advising Programs

Elizabeth E. Swisher
Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis

Volume: 15
Article first published online: March 18, 2013
DOI: 10.26209/MJ1561291

Keywords: considerations; developing; peer advising programs

Academic advising typically consists of one-on-one relationships between students and faculty or staff members. However, in response to changing student populations and institutional needs, colleges and universities are reexamining their academic advising delivery systems (Self, 2008). One way of doing so is by using peer advisers and, in fact, the use of peer advising has grown in recent years. According to a February 2004 National Academic Advising Association survey, “over 65% of institutions surveyed have peer advising or peer mentoring programs; over 36% of the institutions without formal peer-advising programs are considering implementing such a program” (Koring, 2005, ¶ 2).

Peer advising generally refers to programs in which students assist other students. Koring and Campbell (2005) offered a more formal definition: “Peer advising is an educational process in which students are intentionally connected with other students to support learning and success” (p. 11). They suggested that peer advisers “are students who have been selected and trained to offer academic advising service to their peers. These services are intentionally designed to assist in student adjustment, satisfaction, and persistence toward attainment of their educational goals” (p. 11). In addition, because students play an important role in other students’ college experiences, peer-advising programs take advantage of the benefits of peer-to-peer interaction.

This article advocates for the use of peer advising as an effective strategy in academic advising. It highlights the advantages of the practice and addresses potential concerns related to peer advising. In developing peer-advising programs, many practical considerations must be addressed, but the overall benefits far outweigh the potential drawbacks.

Advantages of Peer Advising

The advantages of utilizing peer advising as a component in academic advising systems include flexibility in delivery methods, peer-to-peer interaction, development of peer advisers, and financial benefits.

Flexibility in Delivery Methods

Peer advising is not a replacement for faculty or staff advising, but rather a supplement. While it is important for a student to have a faculty or staff adviser to provide guidance throughout the educational experience, peers can contribute to student success in ways that complement faculty/staff advising services. Because peer advising is flexible and can fit any program model, peer advising practices vary from institution to institution. For example, types of peer advising include friendly contact programs, programs that pair peer advisers and faculty or professional staff advisers, peer advisers as paraprofessionals within a centralized advising center, and peer advisers as paraprofessionals within residence halls (Koring & Campbell, 2005).

Meeting formats can include group, one-on-one, formal, informal, in-person, and online sessions. Additionally, meetings can take place outside traditional business hours and outside office settings (e.g. in coffee shops or in residence halls), which increases opportunities to connect students with advising services. Although faculty or staff advisers may also hold meetings at various times and locations, multiple responsibilities and time constraints often prevent them from implementing such practices.

Peer-to-Peer Interaction

Another advantage of peer advising is that peers may be better equipped to address certain aspects of advising than faculty or staff members who serve as advisers. Peer advisers view the institution through a different lens than do faculty/staff and are more familiar with the student experience. Likewise, peers can better relate to students’ concerns, because they likely went through the same experiences. Because of their ability to relate, peer advisers can form personal connections with other students and facilitate peer interactions. For example, peer advisers may organize group activities or introduce students to each other outside the classroom. Some students are more likely to trust information from other students, so peer advisers who are equipped with accurate information can share this knowledge, and students will trust their insights.

The importance of peer-to-peer interaction has been documented in research on peer advising. For example, Kuba (2010) found that interactions with peer advisers contributed to first-year students’ retention at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In particular, peer advisers provided useful academic support and facilitated on-campus involvement (Kuba, 2010). In an earlier study, Russel and Skinkle (1990) examined a peer-advising orientation program and found that participation in the program increased students’ sense of membership in the university community.

Development of Peer Advisers

In addition to the advantages that peer advising offers advising systems and advisees, peer advising contributes to the development of students who serve as advisers. The role of peer adviser is comparable to other paraprofessional roles in departments such as residential life, and peer advisers develop skills such as leadership, time management, and organization. Furthermore, by serving as peer advisers, students may become more committed to the institution and clarify their own goals. For example, a study conducted on peer mentors in the First-Year Interest Group Seminar (FIGS) program at Rutgers University revealed that mentors developed increased personal confidence and learned a great deal from their mentees (Boice-Pardee, 2005). Similarly, another study at the University of Tennessee demonstrated that peer advisers increased their competencies in a variety of areas such as interpersonal, planning, administrative, and technology skills (Diambra, 2003).

Financial Benefits

From a financial standpoint, peer advising can be a cost-effective addition to an academic advising program. Depending on the responsibilities of a peer adviser, the role may be a volunteer position. Using volunteers would work best if the time commitment is relatively small and the position is in line with other unpaid student roles at the institution. In this case, benefits to peer advisers would be mostly intangible. For example, peer advisers could gain transferable skills that would help them in the future. The Department of History at the University of Oregon highlights this in an online advertisement for potential peer advisers: “Besides helping your fellow man or woman, Peer Advising also looks good on resumes” (UO, n.d.).  In this example, the program is relatively small and is for for a specific department, so using volunteers is feasible.

At most institutions, implementing peer advising programs will require hiring paid staff members, but it is still a cost-effective move for an institution. Hiring student staff is less expensive than hiring additional full-time employees, especially considering the cost of benefits. Peer advisers can take on certain tasks such as paperwork and communications to reduce the workload of faculty and staff advisers, thus increasing efficiency. Furthermore, Federal Work Study dollars may help to offset the cost of student salaries within a department or institution.

Potential Concerns

The advantages of using peer advising are clear, but several concerns must also be addressed, including ethical and legal issues, time and energy requirements, and turnover of peer advisers.

Ethical and Legal Issues

One area of concern relates to ethical and legal issues in academic advising. For example, potential issues include breach of confidentiality and the potential for peer advisers to give bad advice or information (Smith, 2004). In response, professional staff members must establish clear expectations and ensure effective training and supervision of peer advisers. For example, a document that outlines the responsibilities of the faculty/staff adviser, peer adviser, and student could be a helpful resource for all parties involved in advising. Also, peer advisers’ training should include information on interpersonal communication skills, campus policies and procedures, and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations.

Time and Energy Required

Another concern is the time and energy required to implement a peer advising program (Self, 2008). Granted, any new program requires time and energy expenditure, but ultimately peer advising can improve advising practices and support the mission of the department and institution. To ensure that peer advising is effective and tied to the organization’s mission, planning is highly important, and ongoing assessment can help to determine if a program is worthwhile. Many institutions and departments that have implemented peer advising programs cite the positive results of peer advising (Boice-Pardee, 2005; Diambra, 2003), which implies that the programs are worth the investment of time and energy.

Turnover of Peer Advisers

Another possible concern is the turnover of peer advisers and subsequent training burden for the department or institution. While this is an issue for any student position, it does not negate the benefits of a peer advising model. Peer advisers can potentially serve up to three years (sophomore through senior year) and can help to train new peer advisers after their first year, thereby mitigating some of the training burden for faculty/staff. Also, effective training and support can increase retention rates of peer advisers from year to year.

Conclusion

Peer advising is an effective strategy in academic advising. While it does not replace faculty/staff advising, peer advising can complement other advising services. The advantages of using peer advising include flexibility in delivery methods, peer-to-peer interaction, development of peer advisers, and financial benefits. In developing peer-advising programs, administrators must address many practical considerations, such as ethical and legal issues, time and energy requirements, and turnover of peer advisers. Despite these concerns, the overall benefits of peer advising far outweigh the potential drawbacks. As institutions strive to improve retention rates and enhance the student experience, peer advising is an important strategy to consider.

REFERENCES

Boice-Pardee, H. (2005). Assessing peer education: What can we learn? Retrieved from http://www.sc.edu/fye/resources/assessment/essays/Boice-Pardee-3.10.05.html

Diambra, J. F. (2003). Peer advising: An opportunity for leadership and competency development. Human Service Education, 23(1), 25–37.

Koring, H. (2005). Peer advising: A win-win initiative. Academic Advising Today, 28(2). Retrieved from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Portals/0/ePub/documents/28-2%20June%202005.pdf

Koring, H., & Campbell, S. (2005). An introduction to peer advising. In H. Koring & S. Campbell (Eds.), Peer advising: Intentional connections to support student learning (Monograph No. 13) (pp. 9–19). Manhattan, KS: National Academic Advising Association.

Kuba, S. E. (2010). The role of peer advising in the first-year experience. Doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED522152)

University of Oregon (UO) (n.d.) Peer Advising in History. Retrieved from http://history.uoregon.edu/undergraduate/peer-advising

Russel, J. H., & Skinkle, R. R. (1990). Evaluation of peer-adviser effectiveness. Journal of College Student Development, 31(5), 388–394.

Self, C. (2008). Advising delivery: Professional advisors, counselors, and other staff. In V. N. Gordon, W. R. Habley, T. J. Grites, & Associates (Eds.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook (pp. 142–156). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Smith, L. W. (2004, April 2004). “PAT on the back”: Developing and implementing a peer advising team. The Mentor: An Academice Advising Journal.  Retrieved from http://dus.psu.edu/mentor

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)

Elizabeth E. Swisher is a graduate student in Indiana University’s Higher Education and Student Affairs program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis in Indiana. She is also a graduate assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN. She can be reached at eswisher@indiana.edu.