UA News

Volunteers will help UA students become academically and socially connected to campus through a new program offered by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona.

Hoping to harness the power of face-to-face, student-driven connections, a team of volunteers wants to help its University of Arizona peers – particularly those who are new freshmen and transfers – plug into campus easier and quicker.

After a successful pilot run during the spring semester, the Associated Students of the University of Arizona's Peer Mentorship program is opening to the campus community this fall.

Intended to help students tap into needed UA resources, the student volunteers represent a collective information hub that will direct students to advisers and other resources on campus. 

"There is something to be valued about the student-to-student experience," said Tyler R. Quillin, academic affairs executive director for the student association, ASUA.

Quillin said the program was founded to help students find both their social and academic niches: "It's kind of cool to see it come to fruition."

During his time as a UA student body senator, Quillin initiated the cost-free program with help from former ASUA president Chris Nagata. 

It is now one among many offerings at the UA that are meant to aid in the academic success of students. Others include the UA's Think Tank, Writing Skills Improvement Program and the Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques Center, or SALT.

Quillin, one of 17 mentors, said the program's ultimate goal is to help students find help inside and outside of the classroom.

"As soon as you have an attachment to the campus and are involved, your success rates skyrocket," said Quillin, an Honors College student studying English and philosophy.

"Though the classroom material is important, there is a bit of social matriculation that must happen as well," he said. 

Students will be able to request face time with a mentor through the program's website. Mentors also will follow up with students after scheduled meetings. 

Chase McCurdy, a communication senior who was involved in the pilot project, said he has remained in contact with students he connected with during the spring.

"I loved it," said McCurdy, who has continued volunteering with the program. "My approach is more of a friendly approach because everyone listens better when someone is a friend." 

He said what is important is helping students find a balance between their academic work and social lives.

"When I was a younger student, I struggled academically, but it just kind of hit me and I made a better turn – practically overnight," he said. "I want to be able to help others."

Each of the peer mentors are required to maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average and are required to complete training provided by the UA's Center for Exploratory Students, the Advising Resource Center and the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership.

Also, the 17 volunteers were selected to represent a broad cross section of program offerings at the UA, including students studying business, journalism, Spanish, molecular and cellular biology, engineering and a range of other areas.

And for those students who are having difficulty finding their niche, volunteers intend to help them figure out ways to become more engaged on campus.

Michael Schaffner, a systems engineering junior and peer mentor, said after delaying college several years after graduating from high school, he found it difficult to navigate the campus.  

"I was pretty lost when I came to the University," Schaffner said, adding that he found complexity in its size, requirements and deadlines. 

"I had a hard time figuring out who to talk to," he said, adding that his earlier decision drove him to volunteer.

"The peer part is important. When you are new, I think it helps to have someone you think really understands and relates to you," Schaffner said. "I think it can foster a sense of community and change someone's perspective and experience."