Peer Advisors

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Group photo of Mercer peer advisors

The Peer Advisor program—part of New Student Programs within our Office of Academic and Advising Services—is a volunteer student leadership position where sophomore, junior, and senior students assist new students in their transition to Mercer. Peer Advisors (PAs) help to facilitate our summer orientation programs, fall orientation program (Bear Beginnings), and the UNV 101 fall semester classroom experience. PAs offer a peer perspective and act as a friend, role model, mentor, guide, and support to new students.

Commitment to Service

The PA position is a year-long volunteer commitment to serving new students. The PA commitment begins with PA selection in early-spring and ends with Academic and Advising Services spring programming for the first-year and transfer students the following year.

February & March

  • Apply for the PA position for the upcoming summer and school year.
  • Applicants must be in good academic and judicial standing with the University and hold a suggested 2.75 cumulative GPA.

April

  • Attend the PA Spring Training and solidify Summer Orientation commitments.
  • Communicate Summer Orientation and PA Training commitments to summer employers and internship supervisors, if necessary.
  • Submit fall course schedule to provide Orientation Head Staff with necessary information to assign a fall UNV section.
  • If selected for the PA team, maintain a suggested 2.75 GPA, both on a cumulative and semesterly basis.
  • Remain in good academic and judicial standing with the University.

Summer

  • Assist with three of the eight Summer Orientation sessions, including May Orientation for students beginning during the summer term and July Transfer Orientation. Note: It is your responsibility to communicate your Summer Orientation session commitments to summer employers and internship supervisors so you can fulfill your Summer Orientation responsiblities for which you volunteered.
  • Attend the half-day PA Training prior to each of your Summer Orientation sessions.
  • Volunteer to assist with Transfer Orientation, if available.
  • Attend the week-long PA Training prior to the start of Bear Beginnings.
  • Implement Bear Beginnings and assist first-year students in their transition to Mercer.

Fall Semester

  • Co-faciliate a 75-minute UNV 101 class alongside the instructor.
  • Attend weekly UNV planning meetings with instructor to prepare for upcoming lessons.
  • Promote and assist with First-Year Friday Workshops.
  • Serve as a Mercer spirit ambassador, promoting “Spirit Fridays,” supporting school spirit events and the first home football game (Date TBD).
  • Support first-year students throughout their first semester of college.
  • If a first-year PA, enroll in UNV 201 during the fall semester. This 2-credit course meets weekly to provide support to new PAs as they interact with and learn alongside their O-Groupers.
  • Plan out-of-class activities for O-Groupers to aid in their transition to Mercer.
  • Assist with spring course registration by being available for questions during the first-year registration time frame.

Spring Semester

  • Volunteer with Spring Orientation for new students beginning in the spring semester, if available.
  • Assist with the implementation of spring programming initiatives for first-year students.