APLU Launches Effort to Advance Peer Mentorship & Student Success at Six Public Universities

Washington, DC – In an effort to improve peer mentoring to drive student success, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities today announced a new grant that will support six APLU member universities in piloting, refining, and establishing sustainable peer mentorship models. APLU has received a $1.3 million grant from ECMC Foundation to launch the Mentorship for Academic & Personalized Student Success (MAPSS) Initiative. The association intends to share the lessons learned with its full membership to encourage greater adoption of effective mentorship practices.

The three-year effort will help the yet-to-be-selected institutions collaborate and share best practices as they implement their mentoring programs. APLU will provide technical assistance to the institutions alongside Mentor Collective, a provider of a technology-enabled platform that gives institutions meaningful data to help them identify and address systemic barriers to student success.

“We’re thrilled to announce the opportunity for institutions to pilot and refine peer mentoring programs,” said Karen Vignare, Vice President for Digital Transformation for Student Success and Executive Director of the Personalized Learning Consortium at APLU. “We know peer mentoring can be a powerful way to help students thrive and this work will help more institutions more fully leverage peer mentoring to advance student success.”

“Well-designed mentorship programs increase student success by providing essential support, fostering a sense of belonging, and offering resources needed for student success,” said Jacob Fraire, President of ECMC Foundation. “MAPSS has the potential to address these challenges by developing structured, high-quality mentorship programs using technology-enabled services. We are proud to support this initiative and look forward to the positive impact it may have on our students.”

The Mentorship for Academic & Personalized Student Success (MAPSS) Initiative offers institutions the opportunity to:

• Participate in an APLU-led community of practice
• Build institutional capacity for sustainable mentorship programs
• Access Mentor Collective’s cutting-edge technology and support
• Integrate data-informed decision-making into overall student success strategies
• Collaborate and share best practices with fellow APLU member campuses

APLU member institutions are invited to apply to participate in the project, with APLU staff leading the group of institutions as they collaborate on the process of piloting and refining effective peer mentorship programs that help dismantle barriers to student success. Applications are due December 20, 2024.

For information on how to apply, please click here.