Stony Brook University has been selected as one of six public universities to receive a grant from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) to enhance peer mentorship and student success. This grant, part of the Mentorship for Academic & Personalized Student Success (MAPSS) initiative, will allow Stony Brook to expand its International Peer Mentoring Program (IPM) to better support international students as they navigate the transition to college life in the United States.
“We’re thrilled to partner with six public universities to pilot new peer mentoring efforts, track impact, and refine programs,” said Karen Vignare, vice president, Digital Transformation for Student Success at APLU. “Peer mentoring is a proven way to help students navigate the complexities and challenges of transitioning to, and progressing through, college. We’re excited to help institutions not only refine this work on their campuses and ultimately add to the evidence base for these efforts across the country.”
Stony Brook’s International Student Success Office, within the Office of Global Affairs, will use the grant to enhance the IPM program designed to foster inclusion, improve academic performance and boost retention rates among international students. The grant proposal was developed and submitted by Michelle Schenke, assistant director for International Student and Scholar Success, and Trista Lu, assistant director for International Student Success.
IPM is an ongoing peer mentoring program for newly admitted international undergraduate students at Stony Brook University to support their academic transition, cultural adjustment and sense of belonging during their first year in the United States.
New international students are connected with experienced student mentors who provide guidance, academic support and social engagement opportunities. The program is currently opt-in, with students being invited to sign up prior to their arrival and during in-person orientation sessions. Mentors, selected through a rigorous application process, are paired with up to five mentees and meet biweekly to provide ongoing support.
The program, which launched prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen reduced international student interest and engagement post-pandemic.
“Through this grant, we aim to work with APLU, Mentor Collective, and the Community of Practice to improve and reinvigorate the program to meet the evolving needs of our international students,” said Schenke. “Ultimately, we expect to scale up IPM to positively impact the success and retention of even more of our international undergraduate students.”
Despite its success, IPM currently serves only 58 mentees, representing just 8 percent of the intended cohort. When the program first launched in 2018, it matched 231 new international students, covering 35 percent of its target group. Several challenges have contributed to the decline in participation, including difficulties with the program’s internally developed structure and the evolving ways students interact with peers.
“Our internally developed system using Qualtrics forms has made it difficult for mentors to engage with more than a handful of students,” explained Schenke. “Additionally, student needs have evolved since IPM’s inception, and we need to modernize the program to meet students where they are now.”
With the APLU grant, Stony Brook will integrate the Mentor Collective platform, which will allow mentors and mentees to be paired based on interests, major, career aspirations and biographical information. This technology-enabled platform will also facilitate regular engagement and provide data to inform program improvements.
Through MAPSS, Stony Brook will refine its mentorship model by tracking key academic success metrics such as GPA and retention rates of participating students. The university also aims to expand mentorship opportunities beyond first-year undergraduate students to include new international transfer students and other populations that have historically been underserved.
“The ability to collaborate with APLU and other institutions in the Community of Practice to determine best practices in peer mentorship is invaluable,” said Schenke. “The data we have from past IPM participants shows that students who go through the program have better GPA outcomes throughout their first year. We are excited to leverage the resources from this grant to improve and grow the IPM program.”
The APLU grant aligns with Stony Brook’s broader institutional commitment to enhancing student success through data-informed decision-making. As part of this initiative, Stony Brook will work closely with the APLU to identify and address systemic barriers that impact international student engagement and success.
“As part of the grant, we will be using the Mentor Collective platform to pair students with mentors based on interests, major, career aspirations, and biographical information,” Schenke said. “Students will also use the platform to connect with each other on a regular basis.”
“For many of our new international students, their arrival at Stony Brook is their first time in the United States. In addition to going through the same transition to university life that all undergraduate students face, they also have to learn how to navigate a new culture and different academic norms and expectations,” Schenke concluded. “Having a trained peer who can guide them through their first year at Stony Brook and connect them to opportunities, resources, and community sets them up for early academic success.”
— Beth Squire
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