Peer Assistants are upper-division students who have been successful in adjusting to university life and who desire to share their enthusiasm and wisdom with new students. Peer Assistants serve as an extension of the Student Support Services staff, helping to welcome new students to the program and facilitate their adjustments to college by providing information, encouragement and support. Peer Assistants help first-semester SSS students in many ways – as a source of information, a concerned peer, an attentive listener, and a model for campus involvement..
Peer Assistant services to students:
- Explaining SSS program services
- Providing a campus tour or walking a student to an office
- Helping a student learn the on-line system at the library
- Assisting a student with the e-mail and internet systems
- Finding information in the BHSU catalog, student handbook, or other publications
- Introducing a student to faculty, staff, and other students
- Providing assistance with filling out forms and explaining procedures
- Referring a student to appropriate offices and agencies
- Assisting a student in locating resources in the community
- Listening and providing support and encouragement
Peer Assistant Responsibilities
- Have at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA
- Have completed 30 credits at Black Hills State University
- Fill out the Peer Assistant application and return to Wenona Cook 119
- Attend Peer Assistant training on Sunday, August 28, 2011, from 6-8:30pm
- Attend SSS New Student Orientation on Monday, August 29, 2011, from 6-8:00pm
- Complete and turn in attendance and contact logs weekly
- Plan and attend social and educational events for SSS students
- Invite your assigned new students on an individual basis to activities during the semester
- Contact your new students at least weekly
- Attend the end-of-semester wrap-up and evaluation session
Applications should be submitted by May 31, 2011. Contact Susan Hupp at (605) 642-6824 or Susan.Hupp@bhsu.edu for an application or more information.
SSS Makes a Difference
"At the beginning of the school year, my peer assistant was very helpful to me. She showed me around the campus, and informed me about the clubs and organizations on campus. I showed an interest in the Reading Council, and she was quick to get me details and contact information for the organization. This was a help to me, because I did not feel lost any longer. I began to feel like every other student on campus; there to get a degree in what I love most." Robyn, Freshman