The University of South Carolina uses rising juniors and seniors as peer leaders for its University 101 first-year seminar course. Peer leaders assist instructors by designing lessons to build classroom community and facilitating activities. Data shows that sections with peer leaders have higher ratings of overall program effectiveness than those without. Peer leaders participate in training programs, courses, and reflection activities throughout their experience to support first-year students and develop their own leadership skills.

1. The University 101 Peer Leader Program
at the University of South Carolina
Mike Dial
University of South Carolina, University 101 Programs
Mission Statement:
The mission of University 101 Programs is to foster student success,
learning, and engagement by providing academic courses, leadership
opportunities, and instructor development in support of students’
transition into, through, and out of the University.
The UNIV101 Course:
• 3 credit
• Graded
• Full semester
• 1st semester
• Team-taught
About University 101
U101 Peer Leaders
The U101 Peer Leader Program is a vital component of the nationally
recognized first-year seminar at USC. Rising junior and senior students are
recruited to serve as role models and mentors for incoming first-year
students enrolled in UNIV101. Peer leaders (PLs) must have a minimum
grade point average of 3.0 and also must demonstrate
leadership/involvement in other substantive areas of university life. PLs are
often tasked with designing activities to build community in the classroom.
They assist with the planning and facilitation of 28+ creative and interactive
lessons over 15 weeks. Over the last 25 years, 2,377 high-achieving
students have served as UNIV101 PLs.
Impact of Peer Leaders
The First-Year Seminar Assessment (FYSA) is administered at the end of
each fall semester to all students enrolled in UNIV101. Data from the 2013
FYSA were analyzed to determine the impact of peer/graduate leaders on
the UNIV101 course, as measured by the FYSA's Overall Program
Effectiveness factor. In 2013, the instrument was sent to 3,848 students
and yielded a 59% response rate (n=2272). The dataset was coded to
include a variable that indicated if a section was assigned a peer or
graduate leader or had no teaching partner assigned. The data were then
analyzed to find differences in means on overall program effectiveness
between sections that had a teaching partner and those that did not. An
independent samples T-test yielded significant differences in overall
program effectiveness for sections of the course with a PL (M=5.49,
SD=1.56) and sections without a teaching partner (M=5.14, SD=1.78);
t(2270)= 9.46, p=.01.
Figure 1. Impact of Peer/Graduate Leader on Overall Program Effectiveness. Data
retrieved from the First-Year Seminar Assessment and presented on a 7-point scale.
The Overall Program Effectiveness factor assesses the degree to which
students report the course:
• included interesting subject matter,
• contributed to their ability to succeed academically,
• contributed to their ability to adjust to the college social environment,
• covered topics important to the student, and
• is one to recommend to other first-year students.
* Note: This study has not been repeated in the years since 2013, due to
the fact that nearly 100% of UNIV101 sections each year have been team
taught, meaning there is no longer a large enough comparison group.
Recruitment
• Nominations
• 3.0 Outreach
• Campus Partner Involvement
• Social Media
Chart 1. Peer Leader Recruitment. Data retrieved from internal collections.
290 298
278
316 335
205 205
249 251
269
135 144 155
181 173
100
150
200
250
300
350
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Applications Received Interviews Offered Selected
Peer Leader Development Model
Application and Interview Process
Spring Orientation
Course Planning Workshop
Fall Training
EDLP 520 Course
Similar to UNIV101’s extended orientation seminar for first-year students,
UNIV101 PL training is designed to give student leaders the information
and support they need when they need it and are ready to receive it. While
this training model is not new, over the years, programmatic staff have
learned to better train, support, and use PLs. If training is frontloaded prior
to serving, PL trainees are inundated with information they may not yet
need without context for the role. Instead, the UNIV101 model is a best
practice, extending each PL’s orientation to their role as a mentor,
resource, and facilitator for learning over two semesters, beginning the
semester before serving and continuing through their service.
5.48
5.14
4.50
4.75
5.00
5.25
5.50
5.75
Overall Program Effectiveness (p=.01)
Impact of Peer/Graduate Leader
2013 First-Year Seminar Assessment Results (7pt. scale)
Sections with Peer/Graduate Leader
Sections without Peer/Graduate Leader
EDLP 520
Peer Leader Development Model
The University 101 Peer Leader Program is data-driven, featuring
assessment of every aspect of the program. Through EDLP520 Course and
End-of-Experience Evaluations, peer leaders reflect on and report on their
own experience, satisfaction, and growth. Further, the students who peer
leaders impact report on their experiences with peer leaders through
UNIV101 end-of-course evaluations. Finally, the instructors who co-teach
with these student leaders evaluate them on a number of measures using
Instructor Evaluations of Peer Leaders. Data from these assessment
measures are used to continually improve the peer leader experience for
the leaders themselves, the instructors with whom they work, and the
students they serve.
3.5
4
4.5
5
helped me make a
successful transition
to the university
was a valuable part
of my UNIV 101
experience
was an appropriate
role model
made important
contributions to the
class
My Peer Leader...
2012 Mean 2014 Mean 2017 Mean
EDLP520 assists PLs throughout their role and furthers their leadership
development. The course commonly includes:
• Check-ins during class (multiple methods)
• Overview of campus resources
• Helping skills, including sexual assault support and referral
• Facilitation and communication skills
• Leadership identity/development
• Marketing the peer leader experience
• Alcohol & other drugs (OSC and SAPE training)
• Diversity and inclusion
• Values exploration
Along with ongoing training, EDLP520 is a vehicle for group problem
solving and reflection among new PLs, enhancing their success and
experience in the role. While USC is an opportunity-rich environment,
student leaders often lack a formal setting to critically reflect on their
engagement. EDLP520 allows PLs to make meaning of their experiences
through class discussion, small-group activities, and reflective assignments.
Figure 2. Peer leader recruitment history. Data retrieved from internal records.
Figure 3. Peer leader impact on UNIV101 course. Data retrieved from UNIV101 student
end-of-course evaluations and presented on a 5-point scale (strongly disagree to strongly
agree).
Figure 4. PL transferable skills. Data retrieved from end-of-PL-experience evaluations and
presented on a 5-point scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree).
Figure 5. Peer leader experience. Data retrieved from end-of-PL-experience evaluations
and presented on a 5-point scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree).
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
was an
appropriate
role model for
our students.
was an effective
facilitator.
was a valuable
resource for our
students.
was
approachable.
was a valuable
part of the
UNIV 101
experience.
Instructor Evaluation of Peer Leaders
2013 2015 2017
Figure 6. Instructor evaluation of peer leaders. Data retrieved from instructor evaluations
and presented on a 5-point scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree).
3.5
4
4.5
5
The Peer Leader
experience was valuable.
Serving as a Peer Leader
contributed positively to
my overall experience at
USC.
I felt supported in my role
as a Peer Leader.
The Peer Leader Experience
2012 Mean 2015 Mean 2017 Mean
3.5
4
4.5
5
Interpersonal
communication
Facilitation skills Helping skills. Leadership
skills.
Self-awareness.
As a result of the University 101 Peer Leader experience
(including training and EDLP 520), I improved my:
2012 Mean 2015 Mean 2017 Mean