Implementation, Utilization, and Outcomes of a Minority Freshman Peer Mentor Program at a Predominantly White University

Abstract

African-American students at a predominantly white university who participated in a freshman peer mentor program received peer counseling from upperclass student mentors in order to address first-year adjustment concerns. In contrast to the difficulty usually found when promoting help-seeking among at-risk freshmen, participants were likely to raise typical first-year adjustment concerns in the presence of their mentors. Mentors provided empathic support or solution-focused suggestions in line with program goals, but were less likely to make a referral to other resources. In contrast to the usual trend of declining adjustment over the first year, participants reported promising rates of problem resolution following mentor interventions. They had higher two-year retention rates than nonparticipants but only comparable grades. Before the study began, freshmen who volunteered for the program reported a stronger sense of purpose than those declining the program; this finding renews questions about how students self-select to participate in support services. Limitations of the study and programming implications are presented.