Peer Mentor 2020 Application

The Plan II Peer Mentor Program application has closed for 2020-21. 

Eligibility for Plan II Peer Mentors:

• In Fall 2020, be a third, fourth, or fifth year Plan II student
• 3.0 cumulative UT GPA

Commitment for Plan II Peer Mentors:

• Enroll in T C 125K, Community and Connection: Self In/And Society, that will be strongly encouraged for all incoming Plan II freshmen. Mentors will also be enrolled, in order to be part of the dialogue. T C 125K will meet every other Wednesday during Fall 2020 from 5-6pm, so peer mentors must be available at this time.
  • Course description: This one-hour course will introduce first-year Plan II students to UT faculty and resources that will allow them to make a succesful transition to college life. The class will be organized on a model of alternating Conversations, presented by two or more faculty members to the entire class, followed the next week by smaller group (12-16 student) discussions or activities led by campus organizations (CMCH, Voices Against Violence, CCE) along with Plan II Peer Mentors. This format will allow the freshman class the chance to gather collectively with the larger cohort on a bi-weekly basis and to build relationships in smaller pods or clusters. The semester will be divided into six 2-week units, covering key issues, ideas, and values for the Plan II community. The course will include reading and discussing a novel by campus author Oscar Cácares, attending lectures, discussion groups, workshops, campus tours, and participating in a civic engagement project. Students must attend every class (with one excused absence) and submit 4 Reflection Papers to receive credit for the course.
• Lead a Mentee Pod of 10-12 freshmen on the alternating weeks when T C 125K does not meet. There will be a variety of times for these discussion sections, and peer mentors will be assigned based on need and their availability.
• Participate with your Mentee Pod in approximately three activities, such as the following, throughout the semester:
  • A common reading experience
  • Service project
  • Dr. Edmund Gordon’s Racial Campus Tour

• Time commitment will vary from 1-4 hours per week, depending on whether it’s a T C 125K week, a discussion section week (where you will likely need prep time), or if an additional activity is taking place such as the ones mentioned above.

Benefits for Plan II Peer Mentors:

• Peer mentors will earn $10/hour. We expect this to ultimately total approximately $500 for the Fall semester.
• Positively impacting your Mentee Pod students
• Gaining important skills in mentoring and leadership

Please contact Peggy Sharp at peggysharp@austin.utexas.edu if you have any questions about the peer mentor program.