AUK’s New Peer Mentoring Program: Guiding Freshmen to Success

On August 14 and 15, 2023, the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) hosted a 2-day training session, led by Student Affairs Director Yelena Sardaryan, to kick start the inaugural peer mentoring program. The goal of the program is to train upper classmen to mentor incoming students to facilitate their transition from high school to university. The peer mentors, chosen through a multi-stage interview process, will provide support from the date of new student orientation through the first six weeks of the semester. The mentors will also ensure the new students’ engagement with campus life throughout the entire first year and beyond.

During the training session, the 12 mentors and 2 peer mentor leaders, reviewed the program’s structure, mentor roles, and the planning of the curriculum for the upcoming sessions. It also emphasized the importance of Anthology’s Beacon software, supported by the U.S. Department of State Grant titled “Supporting American-style Higher Education in Iraq.” This software is focused on identifying students of concern and alerting the institution to issues so that it can stage interventions to ensure that students are left behind. On the second day of the training, administrators dedicated to student success engaged the mentors in discussions on campus services, including President Dr. Randall Rhodes, Deans, and representatives from the Center for Academic and Professional Advancement, Admissions & Registration, Career Services, and the Library.

The AUK has been strengthening its student success network. New programs like this one aim to provide incoming students with the support they need to succeed from the first day of their university career. The AUK hopes to implement more programs as part of its First-Year Experience; programs that will ensure the holistic development of students and their personal and professional success upon graduation.