Peer Mentors

Calling Prospective Peer Mentors!

• Are you looking for an opportunity to develop your leadership skills?
• Can you improve the positive experience for new Honors students?
• Do you want to learn how to effectively facilitate groups?
• Want to enhance your resume while earning upper division credits?
  

Honors ACE Peer Mentor Information

What do Honors ACE peer mentors do?

Honors peer mentors meet once a week with a group of up to 10 freshmen in a 1-credit course, entitled CAS 110: Access to the College Community. Acting as role models for and facilitators of new students' transition from high school to college, Honors peer mentors help students develop skills needed for academic excellence and personal development. The objectives of CAS 110 include:

• Support freshmen success at the University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Familiarize students with and supporting participation in the campus communities and beyond
• Share common interests with other freshmen
• Develop the critical thinking skills vital to academic and personal success
• Maximize the value of a university education
  

CAS 110 classes are scheduled around the Honors peer mentor's schedule.

Honors peer mentor minimum qualifications

Prospective Honors peer mentors must be:

• An Upper Division Honors Program student
• Junior or senior standing (55+ credits by the start of Fall 2011)
• In good academic standing with the Honors Program (preference given to applicants with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0; applicants with lower GPAs will be considered on a case-by-case basis)
• Articulate, motivated, and willing to take initiative

How are peer mentors trained and compensated?

Honors peer mentor training is covered through a semester long, 4-credit upper division course entitled CAS 301: ACE Mentoring: Facilitating Student Development. Training includes acquisition of a basic understanding of individual learning, group development and leadership theories, and practical application and techniques for classroom management. Honors peer mentors gain valuable leadership skills as well as greater appreciation for the value of their own University education. CAS 301 helps Honors peer mentors:

• Understand a variety of student development, learning style, and group dynamic theories
• Apply theory to practice
• Acquire facilitation and leadership techniques
• Self-reflect and self–assess their own personal strengths and weaknesses
• Develop as a student and leader
• Appropriately refer students to campus resources through an enhanced understanding of the campus environment
  

CAS 301 is held on Mondays OR Tuesdays, from 1:30 - 4:00 p.m. The course has been submitted for both Writing Intensive and Oral Communication designations.

Training also includes 2 mandatory sessions (Check with ACE for dates). The sessions last from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and are designed to provide peer mentors with a basic foundation for the semester and practical approaches to the first class session.