Stony Brook University has been awarded a grant from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) to enhance its peer mentorship program for international students. The grant is part of the Mentorship for Academic & Personalized Student Success (MAPSS) Initiative, which aims to improve student success through enhanced peer mentoring.
Karen Vignare, vice president of Digital Transformation for Student Success at APLU, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: “We’re thrilled to partner with six public universities to pilot new peer mentoring efforts, track impact, and refine programs.” She emphasized that peer mentoring helps students navigate college challenges effectively.
The International Student Success Office at Stony Brook will use the grant to expand its International Peer Mentoring Program (IPM). This initiative supports international students in their transition to college life in the United States. Michelle Schenke and Trista Lu, assistant directors for International Student Success, developed and submitted the grant proposal.
The IPM program connects new international undergraduates with experienced mentors who provide guidance and support. Despite initial success, participation has declined post-pandemic. Schenke stated that they aim to reinvigorate the program with APLU's help: “Ultimately, we expect to scale up IPM to positively impact the success and retention of even more of our international undergraduate students.”
Currently serving 58 mentees out of an intended cohort, IPM faces challenges due to its internally developed structure. Schenke noted difficulties in mentor engagement: “Our internally developed system using Qualtrics forms has made it difficult for mentors to engage with more than a handful of students.”
With the APLU grant, Stony Brook plans to integrate the Mentor Collective platform for better pairing based on interests and biographical information. This platform will facilitate regular engagement and data collection for program improvements.
Stony Brook aims to expand mentorship opportunities beyond first-year undergraduates. Schenke highlighted collaboration benefits: “The ability to collaborate with APLU and other institutions in the Community of Practice to determine best practices in peer mentorship is invaluable.”
This initiative aligns with Stony Brook’s commitment to enhancing student success through data-informed decision-making. The university will work closely with APLU to address barriers affecting international student engagement.
Schenke concluded by emphasizing the importance of trained peers guiding new international students: “Having a trained peer who can guide them through their first year at Stony Brook...sets them up for early academic success.”