Peer Advisors: Students Helping Students

By Genevieve Shiffrar, August 27, 2003

Seven of the 12 L&S Peer Advisors for fall 2003. Front row (l-r): Jaya Jacobs, Sarah Andropoulos, Melissa Paulo, Maya David. Back row (l-r) Elizabeth Coyle, Greg Dulcan, Kristin Sharar.

Let's face it—earning a degree from Berkeley can be a little challenging. There are difficult courses to pass, deadlines to meet, requirements to fulfill and an assortment of tough decisions along the way. While there are hundreds of professional advisors and counselors on campus to help, much balanced and thoughtful assistance comes from a group of highly qualified and well trained undergraduates—the Letters & Science Peer Advisors.

Familiar to many in the campus community as the students behind the blue metal carts on Sproul Plaza and outside Moffitt Library, the L&S Peer Advisors offer undergraduate advising services in informal and convenient locations. In addition to their duties at Sproul Plaza and Moffitt Library, they advise students at dinnertime in the dining commons of the dormitories, give presentations to student groups on advising-related topics and work closely with College advisors in Campbell Hall to provide quick and friendly service to students. (See below for Peer Advising locations and times for Fall 2003.)

The former director of undergraduate advising, Margaret DiStasi, recognized that some students find it easier to ask for help from a peer and started the program in 1992. Peer advisors answer students' questions or refer them to the appropriate resources. They also do much more. According to the Peer Advising Program Director and College Advisor Mary Slakey, "Our goal is not simply to provide assistance to students who might be in crisis or have questions about College policy. Our goal also is to let students know about the rich opportunities available to them." Ms. Slakey explains, "Each week we have a theme to promote such as research opportunities, scholarships available, or library resources, so that students can learn something new every week about educational enrichment opportunities at Berkeley."

Figures show that students have benefited significantly from the peer advisors' efforts. In the fall semester of 2002, L&S peer advisors interacted with over 8,500 students at the dining commons and on Sproul Plaza and at Moffitt Library.

Last year, the peers expanded their efforts in assisting the College advisors in Campbell Hall. They answer email queries sent to the L&S advising email support address, KpasaLnS@socrates.berkeley.edu. They greet students waiting in line to speak with the advisors in Campbell Hall: their answers to quick questions shorten the line; their knowledge of policy ensures that students have papers in order to complete their tasks; and their genuine enthusiasm for helping others makes the office a more welcoming place. Peers with significant advising experience also assist at the reception desk of the L&S Undergraduate Advising Office. Their work allows more time for the staff advisors to focus their attention on students with complicated advising needs.

Peer advisors are excellent role models for other students and are well trained for their duties. This year, the L&S peer advising team consists of 12 juniors and seniors with an average G.P.A. of 3.56. Their majors broadly represent the scope of the liberal arts at Berkeley; three are earning double majors and one is working towards a simultaneous degree. Each summer, peers complete 40 hours of intensive training. They receive additional training/retraining weekly, and they further develop their expertise on the job by working in coordination with College advisors. Ms. Slakey adds, "And they are really a neat team. They care for each other very much and they really like coming to work and having fun."

The experience is not only fun, it is also richly rewarding: "The feedback we have received from former peers is that peer advising was one of their most valuable Berkeley experiences. They've all said that it really helped them understand better the University. Their behind-the-scenes experience help them to understand the 'whys' of policies, and in turn, they have helped make sense of policies to other students."

Peer advising creates a positive learning loop: peers learn about, and then benefit from, the wealth of campus resources. This makes them better advisors. Their experience with Study Abroad is a good example. They learn as peers that studying abroad is less, or no more, expensive than staying on campus to study. This semester, three of the peers are studying in other countries. They admit that before peer training, they assumed studying abroad was expensive and that they would not have looked into the option. As returning study-abroad students, the peers' first-hand knowledge of the program makes them informal ambassadors of the Study Abroad Program and exceptionally valuable resources for other students.

Funds permitting, the Undergraduate Advising Office would like to expand gradually the Peer Advising program. New peer advisors are hired in March and April. Although competition for the positions is tight—last year nearly 100 students applied for four positions—undergraduates interested in these positions are encouraged to check during these months the undergraduate advising website for details on how to apply. And of course, students should feel free to talk with a peer advisor about the program or any advising-related issue!

PEER ADVISING, Fall 2003

• On Sproul Plaza and in front of Moffitt Library: M - F 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Campbell Hall Undergraduate Advising Office Front Desk: M - F 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
• Dining Commons at the following hours during dinner
  • CrossRoads (Units 1 and 2): Mondays and Tuesdays 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
  • Foothill: Mondays 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
  • Clark Kerr: Mondays 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
  • Unit 3: Thursdays 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• Peer advisors respond within two working days to advising inquiries sent to KpasaLnS@socrates.berkeley.edu.
• They conduct workshops on advising issues such as how to plan a schedule or how to chose a major by request. Student groups are encouraged to email KpasaLnS@socrates.berkeley.edu if they are interested in learning more about inviting a peer to conduct a workshop.