Communication Campaigns, Student Division winner and Sharon Berzok Student Award Recipient
Bachelor in Professional Communication—Peer Mentorship
Jeremy P. Whittingstall
Royal Roads University
Airdrie, Alberta
Contents:
Need/Opportunity
Normally the start of a new university program or course brings feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, and eagerness to meet new people and learn new things. This feeling can also be heightened when one finds him- or herself at one of the most beautiful campuses in North America. However, for one new student in Royal Roads University’s (RRU) Bachelor in Professional Communication Program (BAPC), it all seemed just too much. The student quickly found himself overwhelmed with the prospect of so many courses, so many new faces and a fear of being far from home. So late one August night, having spent no more than three or four days on campus, he quietly packed his bags, wrote a short letter of farewell to his classmates and drove away.
This may seem like a simple case of social jitters, but it was a problematic trend that had repeated itself on many occasions before. Likewise, there were many other students in the same cohort who had nearly done the same thing. It was immediately apparent to me that had my classmate been provided an appropriate level of peer support during his first days of residency, he may have been able to find the strength to continue with his studies.
When I further investigated this trend, it became evident that by the very nature of the BAPC program, students find themselves isolated and facing difficulty building connections with classmates or colleagues in different cohorts. Likewise, due to the nature of teacher availability during the residency portion of the program, students consistently find themselves lacking accessibility to professors after scheduled classes. Again, it may seem a small problem, but when you are miles from home and have no aid while completing assignments, problems quickly tend to grow. Finally, the university staff had noticed an issue of minimal inter-cohort bonding, which they felt was having a direct impact on student satisfaction and sense of belonging, which in turn affected their grades.
Viewing these problems of failed student support and a low sense of campus community, I decided to launch a campaign supporting the addition of a peer mentorship program to the BAPC learning schedule, set to begin during the August 2009 residency period. The aims were to aid faculty in their efforts to orient first-year students to RRU’s unique form of blended model learning, as well as provide support and encouragement on a more face-to-face level. To a greater extent, the program was intended to develop community and support students who felt the overwhelming emotional toll of being so far away from home.
This communication campaign was two-fold: first, aimed at the school and faculty to adopt the peer mentorship program, and second, aimed at the students, to bring them together in a tangible and meaningful way. This required development of proposals, presentation material, program guidelines, two short speeches, and finally, a large inter-cohort event supporting the central themes of the campaign and program, funding for which would be provided by the RRU Student Association. The campaign focused on the unique education model that RRU provides and the notion that peer mentorship is meant to encourage deeper engagement and a more meaningful learning experience through social support and accountability.
The communication campaign for this program was nontraditional, as students and teachers connect primarily via the Internet. While the three-week residency provided face-to-face connection for the campaign, support and continuation of the program had to be maintained through new media avenues, primarily Facebook, Twitter, Moodle and e-mail promotions.
Top
Entrant’s Role
As executive director of the peer mentorship campaign, as well as lead for program development and launch, I was responsible for, and involved with, every aspect of the project. From the start, I undertook research of the subject and prepared proposals aimed at the school and faculty. I established connections with the BAPC program head, Gilbert Wilkes IV, Ph.D., and reworked the campaign several times before he was satisfied that I could present the program to the faculty as a whole. Taking that step, I flew to Victoria, British Columbia from Airdrie, Alberta and presented the initial campaign during the faculty planning meeting, where the newly established peer mentorship team received overwhelming support. From this point, I again took executive lead on the campaign, developing program guidelines, web sites for student connection, and planning of a final “Amazing Race” event through downtown Victoria. I also took on the role of coordinator between the city of Victoria, its businesses, and Royal Roads University in the organization and execution of the event.
During the program launch in August, I acted as student coordinator for the three-week residency period. In this role, I furthered the campaign message by facilitating the connection of all mentors and mentees. I also had to present several speeches on the subject of mentorship to the school and the BAPC class. After the residency was completed, I took responsibility for sending out, and gathering data from, student questionnaires that gave needed input on the effectiveness of the program. Finally, as the program has been adopted by the school on a permanent basis, I have been retained as lead program coordinator, as a volunteer, and anticipate remaining as such for many years. Total time invested in this campaign was in excess of 500 hours and continues to grow as the program relaunches.
Top
Intended Audiences
AUDIENCE NO. 1: FACULTY
RRU faculty primarily hold doctorates or masters degrees in their chosen fields. This audience being the communication program faculty, there is a heightened awareness of, and consideration for, communication voids within the school. They are technologically adept and often lead the way in new media adoption. Their concerns are student growth and course completion. They are highly results oriented and expect tangible outcomes for all programs at the university. Many faculty members also have careers outside of RRU, which adds to issues of teacher availability.
AUDIENCE NO. 2: STUDENTS
RRU BAPC students come from varied social and ethnic backgrounds, and span the ages of 19–60 years. This broad demographic range creates difficulties in establishing similar interests or concerns. However, as classmates, they find connection in their desire to excel and further their education. Likewise, they face similar difficulties arising from new financial commitments and the development of new social bonds/circles.
Top
Objectives
GOALS:
- Get the peer mentorship program running at Royal Roads University.
- Keep students from dropping out of the BAPC program.
- Have the program adopted as a permanent addition to the BAPC residency and beyond.
- Increase student satisfaction and sense of community.
OBJECTIVES:
- Have the program adopted before the August 2009 residency.
- Get students onboard and excited about the program prior to residency.
- Execute the “Amazing Race” event within the allotted budget of CDN$5,065.39.
Top
Key Messages/Theme
- You are not alone in your education; through peer support you can achieve success.
- By building relationships and fostering community, we establish a legacy that will last a lifetime, a legacy of fellowship and encouragement.
- RRU provides a unique education model, and peer mentorship is meant to extend that by encouraging deeper engagement and a more meaningful learning experience, through support and accountability.
Top
Rationale
Peer mentorship was a solid solution to recurring issues inherent to both the on-campus and online learning experiences. As such, the development of peer-to-peer support networks offered students a better opportunity for success, far beyond what had previously been possible. By communicating the theme of “support and accountability,” the program became not only a student solution but also a faculty solution since most faculty had little time outside of class to aid first-year students.
The primary mode of discourse regarding the peer mentorship program took place within the school’s online course site, Moodle. Likewise, taking into account the nature of distance learning, the campaign contacted students and garnered support through the extensive use of e-mail messages, web-based polls, Twitter, and a Facebook group page. This was a successful form of student connection, given their varied locations.
“The cohort that plays together stays together,” or so the saying goes. It was decided early on that for the two cohorts to have the best opportunity to connect, they must do so outside of class. To this end, the team and I prepared several options for extracurricular activities, settling on an “Amazing Race” through downtown Victoria. This event provided a full day of excitement and intrigue as teams, consisting of pairings of first-year students and their second-year mentors, raced from point to point throughout the city, solving clues, riddles and completing tasks to get their next clue. The focus of this event was “togetherness” and “peer reliance” and as such echoed the overall message of the program and campaign. Such events provide excellent group bonding opportunities and a chance to drive home the central message of the campaign.
Top
Results
All goals and objectives were met within their respective time frames and budgets.
- The program was adopted by the school following the faculty planning meeting in May. The faculty extended their gratitude for the program’s dedication to school values and student success.
- During the 2009 BAPC residency period there were “zero” student drop-outs, and to my knowledge this trend continues during online classes.
- The class and the school showed exceedingly positive response to the peer mentorship program. As a result, the program is scheduled to be repeated indefinitely. To aid in the program’s success, I am remaining as lead program coordinator on a volunteer basis.
- Students were eager to get involved with each other and provide support to one another.
- Students reported a strong sense of community and support (as monitored by a questionnaire at the end of the residency; student answers were compared to similar questionnaires from previous years).
- The “Amazing Race” event was successful, with 50 of 80 students in attendance, (the remainder had returned home for the weekend). Victoria businesses were excited and engaged in the success of the event, providing a number of staff for aid at many locations.
- Total expenses came in roughly CDN$300 under budget, allowing for funds to be returned to the student association for next year’s cohort.
- As a final note, the student who had originally dropped out of the 2008 cohort returned in 2009. He spoke with me recently and stated that “If it weren’t for my peer mentor this last summer, I may have felt overwhelmed yet again. I really benefited from his help. Maybe next year I can help someone who feels the same way I did.”
Top
|
