When students struggle with difficult subject matter, they risk becoming discouraged and giving up. The College of Arts and Sciences is working to minimize this pattern in general education courses such as introductory calculus, a class required by many majors on campus.
College of Arts and Sciences Dean Heather Dillaway and Associate Dean Rocio Rivadeneyra had both supported peer mentor programs in the past and believed a pilot peer mentor program in introductory calculus in the College of Arts and Sciences could leverage collaboration between instructors and students and boost student retention.
To ensure the program’s success, a director was needed to determine the logistics and oversee program operations. In summer 2023, the College worked with Dr. Benton Duncan, incoming Chair in the Department of Mathematics, to identify a program director who would supervise the peer mentors and coordinate their work with faculty who teach introductory calculus courses. Dr. Cynthia Pulley, an instructional assistant professor in the Department, rose to the occasion.
Dillaway and Rivadeneyra brought their knowledge of previous programs to Pulley, who then completed additional research online before deciding how to launch the program.
“I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. I researched other peer mentor programs and how they work. I found programs that seemed to fit our university and fit my philosophy of educating students. I then took this to the instructors to get their perspective and help create the program,” said Pulley.
Pulley concluded that the best way for the program to run would be for instructors to select former calculus students to mentor current students. The peer mentors would be required to attend class to interact with the students in the classroom in addition to serving two to four hours a week in the tutoring lab.
Donor Kay Wilson ’63 came on board to help fund the effort, and the first group of peer mentors was hired in August 2023. The program launched in fall 2023.
The program’s success has been felt in the College and by the students, faculty, and peer mentors who are part of this program. Not only does the program bolster students’ ability to pass introductory calculus, but data from the first year of this program indicates lower withdrawal rates from this course as well. In addition, this program improves students’ letter grades across the grading spectrum, improving students’ chances to thrive in STEM fields and make progress towards their degrees. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the program increases students’ likelihood of feeling like they belong in math classrooms.
The program has had a positive impact on peer mentors as well. Jessica Miller began serving as a peer mentor after completing her own calculus course. Miller came to Illinois State from Connecticut to study mathematics education and join Gamma Phi Circus. Since working as a peer mentor, Miller has noticed improvements in her students and herself.
“Peer mentoring has helped me learn too. As I teach students, I’m actively checking myself and what I’m doing. When I make mistakes, I figure out how I can adjust and correct myself the next time,” said Miller.
She also teaches first-year students how to succeed as a college student.
“Many of the first-year students aren’t comfortable approaching the professor for help, and I’m able to act as a more approachable mentor,” said Miller. “If they have questions or concerns, I can answer them and act as a resource without the added pressure that may come from speaking to the professor.”
The ability for students to learn and ask questions of their peer mentors became a game changer for many, especially for those students who were struggling. One of the professors involved in the program, Dr. Kim McHale, noted that with the addition of peer mentors, she began to see a change in the success of students.
“I saw students who would have likely dropped out in previous semesters be able to persist with the individualized attention they were receiving,” said McHale. “I think knowing the peer mentor from class made them more likely to reach out and get the help they needed.”
This impact echoes Wilson’s hope for the program. “With this program, first and foremost, I want students to be able to pass calculus and not feel like they have to drop out, especially female and underrepresented students, but there’s more to it than that,” said Wilson. “This program is helping build students’ self-confidence, reducing mental anxieties, and increasing positive feelings toward math and class attendance.”
Senior double major in finance and math, Mohammed Karim Mrani Alaoui, has used his mentoring skills to overcome obstacles and form bonds with students thousands of miles away from his home country of Morrocco.
“When it first started, students were scared because calculus is a very hard subject, but I tried to develop friendships with the students that came to office hours. I wanted to understand what they were struggling with and teach and guide them to the right answer,” said Alaui. “I want them to try hard to figure it out because when you do that, you learn and remember how to do it in the future.”
Although students’ mentoring roles may end at each semester’s conclusion, the friendships they’ve developed will not. Alaui still has students who reach back out to him for questions about what classes to take next, internships to pursue, and how to send emails to employers.
“People helped me get to where I am today. So, I try my best to participate in the success of other people,” said Alaui.
After the first semester of the program, Pulley asked the students involved to write letters to the program’s donors expressing their gratitude and sharing how the program impacted their experience in the classroom. Through students’ letters, Wilson has seen the program’s broader impact.
“Reading the letters from the students gave me a glimpse into what was going on in the minds of the students and added a more humanized feeling to the project,” said Wilson. “Knowing how it makes a difference on these students, that’s what’s important to me.”
Wilson, alongside everyone who supports this program in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Mathematics, is excited to revisit the success of this peer mentor program in upcoming semesters.
