We are thrilled to share a new development in ISS! We are enthusiastically looking forward to co-developing a peer support and mentorship program that will inspire connection, community and support for ISS students. Our aim with the ISS Peer Mentor Advisory Group (PMAG) is to actively engage and financially compensate three students to co-create this program, assessing student needs based on lived experiences and voices of our student community.  Compensation for participation will be $500 per quarter for three quarters for a total of $1,500. This is where you come in: Would you or someone you know be interested in joining us? Please read on!

Description

The ISS PMAG will bring students together with advising and library staff to co-design a peer support and mentorship network for students in the ISS program. In addition to resulting in a program model created in partnership with students, the PMAG will provide a substantive skills-building and leadership opportunity for student participants in the advisory group, as well as an arena for building relationships with peers and staff in ISS. The time for this program development project is to begin Autumn 2023 and to end Spring 2024, with implementation of the peer mentorship program in Autumn 2024.

We are seeking student nominees who have a dedicated interest in co-creating a mentoring program for ISS students through collaboration, ideas sharing, leadership and who will convey the perspectives and needs of their student colleagues. We hope to amplify the voices and influence of QTBIPOC students, students with disabilities, first generation students and other communities that have been historically marginalized voices through committee membership. 

Our goal is to find students who are interested in actively exploring peer mentorship models and sharing ideas about what kind of support would be beneficial to ISS students that could be addressed through a peer-to-peer support structure. No prior experience is necessary, and we look forward to building on any interests, strengths, enthusiasm, or experience student members of the advisory group bring to this opportunity. Example contributions of student members include: 

• Attending virtual meetings with staff
• Providing feedback about ISS student needs 
• Discussing ideas for student support
• Looking at other peer mentoring programs and assessing what would work for ISS students 
• Identifying and rating priorities for a peer mentorship program in ISS

We welcome all student voices and make a specific commitment to active and intentional recruitment and inclusion of QTBIPOC students, students with disabilities and other marginalized identities.

Integrated Social Sciences team members will serve on PMAG: Michelle Bagshaw, Janna Lafferty and Reed Garber-Pearson.

Process and Commitments

• Three (3) students will be selected for this work group through self-nomination and nomination process.
• Students who apply will be asked to address two questions in the application:
  1. Please tell us about your interest in participating in the Peer Mentoring Advisory Group.P
  2. Please describe how your strengths, ideas and experiences in ISS will inform your participation in the Group.
• PMAG will meet three times a quarter. 
• Meetings will have a duration of 1.5 hours.
• Eligible students will have successfully completed one quarter in ISS, be in good ISS and UW academic standing and have capacity to meet 3 times during Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters.
• Student members will bring their voices, experiences, and ideas to the group.

 ***** Peer Mentoring Advisory Group (PMAG) Nomination and Application *****

• Student members will be chosen through a nomination/self-nomination process.
• If you wish to nominate a classmate please submit your nomination by completing this link by Wednesday, September 27th.  ISS team members will reach out to everyone who is nominated to encourage people to apply and answer questions they may have.
• To self-nominate please complete the application ​here by Wednesday, October 4th. The application includes two questions about how you would like to contribute and a checklist to make sure you are eligible.
• If more than three people apply for the positions, the responses will be reviewed by the staff and evaluated with an Application Rubric.
• PMAG student members will be announced at the end of October.  All elected members will be notified by ISS staff .
• Elected members will serve a one-year term.
  • Student members of the PMAG will receive a quarterly stipend of $500 for the Autumn, Winter and Spring quarters of the 2023-2024 academic year, with a total stipend of $1500.