FRIENDLY MENTORS Upperclassmen help with freshman Bible classes through Peer Guides program Campus could be confusing for freshman who were unacquainted with the extensive buildings, programs and activities. The Peer Guides program was designed to help freshmen make a smoother transition into college life and plug into the university more quickly. Dr. Kevin Kehl, director of First Year Experience, piloted the program. The one class that was required for all freshmen was Bible; therefore, that seemed to be the best place to implement such a program. In the fall of 20121 Kehl approached Dean of the College of Bible and Ministry Dr. Monte Cox about his interest in having a peer-mentoring program in the freshman Bible classes. Cox told Kehl that having a program like that was already a part of the COBAM strategic plan, though COBAM had not yet discovered a successful way to implement it. The plan involved choosing a male and female upperclassman to sit in on each Bible class as peer guides three times a week. The peer guides also mentored the students and answered any questions they had. The Bible faculty acted as mentors to the peer guides. The hiring process started in the spring. Six Bible faculty members nominated students they were acquainted with and who they thought would do well as peer guides. The professors proposed the idea to the students who then had the option to apply and become involved in the program. By fall, there were 26 peer guides across seven sections of Bible classes. Assistant Professor of Bible Mac Sandlin implemented the Peer Guides program in his classroom. He said he used his guides to help keep discussion flowing in his class when there might be a lapse in discussion. He also asked his guides to show students various resources around campus. Sandlin's guides hosted study groups for the freshmen. Though it was not required of the guides, they took on the project on their own. Sandlin said he thought the freshmen liked the peer guides because there was no student-teacher barrier between them. "We've done a really good job of selecting good people to be peer guides,'' Sandlin said. "We all love them, and so the students love them too." Junior Hayley Smith, a peer guide for Sandlin, was first asked to be a peer guide during the summer. She viewed herself as more of a social guide than an academic one. One of her main goals was to make people feel welcome. "When you're a freshman, you feel so alone and like nobody knows you," Smith said. "It was cool when any upperclassmen said, 'Hey, this Hayley, she's cool.' I would feel really great, like I mattered, and I hope that's how the freshmen in my class feel." Senior Weston Jameson was a peer guide in Associate Professor of Bible Dr. Scott Adair's classroom. He viewed the Peer Guides program as a way to build relationships with people. Jameson studied under Adair in freshman Bible and enjoyed spending time with a man he respected. "It's also been great sitting in with Dr. Adair because he's awesome," Jameson said. "And then we meet with him after class too, and we talk about things and how it's going. We're kind of mentoring the freshmen, and he's mentoring us, so it's great." Kehl's goal for the Peer Guides program was to have upperclassmen mentor the freshmen and to have Bible faculty mentor the peer guides, a goal he said would remain constant. "There are more intentional opportunities for service,'' Kehl said."A lot of the students have interest and desire as a peer guide because they felt challenged as a freshman, so they're getting that satisfaction." Kristin Baldwin 50 FRESHMAN BIBLE CLASSES 7 faculty mentors 26 peer guides 1,041 incoming freshmen in the fall
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