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Partner Educational Effectiveness ResourcesThe PEER program allocates funding for the integration of undergraduate peer mentors (UPMs) and undergraduate learning assistants (ULAs) into larger courses at UCSB. The Office of Teaching and Learning provides financial and pedagogical support to instructors and their departments for the enhancement of these courses and department-specific initiatives. |
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Roles
Undergraduate Peer Mentors
Undergraduate Peer Mentors (UPMs) provide general guidance to students about how to navigate courses or majors. For example, UPMs can work with students to develop study skills in the major or consider how skills and strategies in the course will contribute to other courses in the major, hone students’ abilities to interact with instructors (i.e., visiting office hours or communicating via email) or locate other helpful resources on campus such as the ONDAS or Transfer Student Center, campus identity centers, or CLAS. UPMs may not offer tutoring, provide specific advice about student work, or offer course-specific guidance of any type.
UPMs support groups of 4-6 students (1:4-6 ratio). Peer mentors may be hired up to 5 hours/week for the entirety of the quarter.
UPMs should be hired as Student Assistants (job code 4922).
Undergraduate Learning Assistants
Undergraduate Learning Assistants (ULAs) facilitate active learning in courses. Their activities can include talking with students about questions that arise during problem-solving activities, facilitating discussions about course content, engaging with students in small groups on particularly challenging elements of a course, and providing guiding advice. ULAs may contribute to formative, ungraded feedback for undergraduates using criteria developed by faculty or graduate student employees. ULAs may not lead discussion sections or grade other students’ work.
ULAs may work with groups of up to 10 students.
ULAs are hired as Remedial Tutors (job codes 2280 or 2290). Per the terms of Article 11 “Fee Remissions”, Section A of the UAW (BX) Contract, as undergraduate students, ULAs do not receive fee remission.
Guidelines for Faculty and Departments
Faculty who receive UPM or ULA funding must:
- Attend the PEER Faculty Seminar (3 hours, synchronous)
- Recruit, select, and supervise UPMs and/or ULAs
- Provide discipline-specific training for UPMs and/or ULAs
- Regularly communicate and meet with UPMs and/or ULAs
- Collaborate with OTL and provide feedback on the experience of using UPMs or ULAs
- Submit an assessment report at the end of the quarter
Departments must:
- Hire all undergraduate peer mentors and peer learning assistants
- Handle all processing of timecards
OTL Support
Funding
OTL provides approved funding to departments for employing UPMs or ULAs (see funding table below).
Research/professional development funding for faculty mentors working with UPMs/ULAs (up to $2000/qtr)
PEER Faculty Seminar Resources
PEER Instructor Funding Calculator- use this tool to estimate the costs of your ULA and/or UPM program if you are applying as Instructor
PEER Department Funding Calculator- use this tool to estimate the costs of your ULA and/or UPM program if you are applying on behalf of your department
End of the Quarter Assessment Report- if funded, participants of PEER are required to submit end of the quarter assessment.
INT 125: Studying and Supporting University Learning
UPMs and ULAs are expected to enroll in INT 25. The goal of the course is to provide students to develop a set of skills that will help them be effective UPMs and/or ULAs.
This is a 2-credit course. UPM/ULAs can contact Dr. Margarita Safronova (m_safronova@ucsb.edu) to receive an add code.
The course will be offered during Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters.
Peer Funding Eligibility
Applicants across all academic departments are eligible to apply. PEER funding is available for specific courses as well as for departments as a whole. Priority will be given to applications that meet the following criteria:
- Courses enrolling 100 or more students
- Lower division courses
- Courses fulfilling one or more GE requirements in areas A-G
- Courses fulfilling GE Writing Requirement
- Applications for groups of peers working across multiple lower division courses within a department
Application for Funding
Instructors or departments seeking funding for Fall 2024 are encouraged to submit an application by the early decision deadline: February 13, 2024. Funding is limited.
*Note that applications must be endorsed by the department chair. Funding requests will be reviewed by the Office of Teaching and Learning.
Please direct questions to Linda Adler-Kassner, Associate Vice Chancellor, Teaching and Learning (ladler@ucsb.edu) or Maggie Safronova, Associate Director, Center for Innovative Teaching, Research, and Learning (m_safronova@ucsb.edu)
Consultations with PEER Team
If you have questions about applying for PEER funding, please reach out to PEER team over email
