Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 70.57
Liaison Kelsey Beal
Submission Date Dec. 14, 2020

STARS v2.2

Indiana University Indianapolis
EN-1: Student Educators Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.78 / 4.00 Deborah Ferguson
Assistant Director
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer, sustainability educators program

Number of students enrolled for credit:
29,537

Total number of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
11,500

Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
38.93

1st program

Name of the student educators program (1st program):
Center for Earth and Environmental Science (CEES) - Community Engagement Associate (CEA) Program

A brief description of the student educators program (1st program):
The Center for Earth and Environmental Science (CEES) Community Engagement Associate (CEA) and Outreach Assistant positions work an average of 10 hours per week. CEAs work alongside environmental science students from IUPUI, CEES staff, and community partners delivering environmental science education in a variety of community parks and gardens. CEES hosts 8-12 service learning projects for IUPUI students per semester. In addition to educating their peers at service learning events, CEAs also assist with field and laboratory research at CEES, general public education outreach, development of K-12 education modules, and other special projects at the Center. More information concerning CEAs can be found at: https://cees.iupui.edu/opportunities-cees.

- CEAs act as in-field educational resources for students taking part in environmental service learning events at IUPUI. They train their peers on academic topics including: invasive species, water quality, soil health, ecosystem services, endangered species, oceanic dead zones, climate change, and others.
- CEAs also engage their peers in how to solve the issues learned in the field in their every day life
- CEAs have also led general education outreach events

A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (1st program):
IUPUI has service learning and civic engagement as core principles in our general academic education requirements. Therefore, many of the core courses have service learning requirements that students must complete throughout their coursework. The Center for Service and Learning provides support for the Community Engaged Associates (CEA) that provide the peer mentoring to all students engaged in the Service Learning and Civic Engagement experiences.

The CEES CEAs and OAs are working with students from all majors; there is a predominance of biology and earth sciences majors, because those are the majors most likely to be taking the courses that participate in the CEES service learning experiences, but as the participating courses are typically those that satisfy the general education requirement for science, there are students from all majors taking part in the CEES service learning events.

Number of trained student educators (1st program):
19

Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (1st program):
26

Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (1st program):
10

Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (1st program):
2,650

Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (1st program):

If reporting students served by additional peer-to-peer programs, provide:

2nd program

Name of the student educators program (2nd program):
Health and Wellness Peer Educators

A brief description of the student educators program (2nd program):
Health and Wellness Peer Educators are trained to assist with programming and outreach to educate students about relevant issues related to health and wellness that affect our campus community. Peer Educators receive training on health topics such as stress management, sexual health, diet and nutrition, physical activity, in addition to organizational training for program development, public speaking, and evaluation. These students attend weekly professional development and supervision meetings during the academic year, and get hands on practice in public speaking, role playing classroom management techniques, and constructing outreach information table displays during a two-day fall semester retreat. Peer Educator training covers national curriculum enabling students to become NASPA Certified Peer Educators, which includes a certification exam on prevention education content, behavior change, organizational planning, ethics and scope of services, and group dynamics.

Health and Wellness Peer Educators take the lead on awareness campaigns and outreach education for the campus. Peer Educators welcome students to campus with Mocktails at First Night in the Campus Center, which includes a Drunk Driving Prevention Pledge that reiterates the same message presented by students during JagBlast (involvement expo) during summer orientation. These students also host recurring outreach programs throughout the year, including monthly Know Your Status events, which invite community partners to campus to provide free HIV/STI testing for students. This past year 6 events provided 383 students with free testing services. Peer Educators also administer the Condom Club program year round, which provides unlimited condoms for students who completed a 10 minute peer-led educational training. Other outreach and awareness traditions include Stress Busters Week during both fall and spring semesters, which featured 14 events and 6 different partnering units, along with Kick Butts Day, a campus cigarette butt cleanup and day of tobacco activism and awareness. Students also facilitate classroom presentations through IUPUI Health and Wellness Promotion on stress and time management, the 8 dimensions of wellness, alcohol awareness, and sexual health. This past year the office facilitated 64 presentations reaching an audience of 1,902.

A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (2nd program):
Peer Educators recruit a diverse membership that is representative of the campus population, and include both undergraduate and graduate members, however there is a higher percentage of undergraduate members. These students focus on in-person outreach in classrooms, common areas in high-trafficked facilities, and are invited to on-campus housing floor programs and late night events. Student programming is more frequently for an undergraduate audience, however graduate and professional student versions of classroom presentations are also co-facilitated with student and staff presenters.

Number of trained student educators (2nd program):
9

Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (2nd program):
32

Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (2nd program):
10

Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (2nd program):
1,434

Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (2nd program):

If reporting students served by three or more peer-to-peer programs, provide:

3rd program 

Name of the student educators program (3rd program):
OTEAM Peer Mentor Program

A brief description of the student educators program (3rd program):
The OTEAM is an undergraduate student leadership group dedicated to engaging new students, along with their families and guests, as they attend orientation and begin classes at IUPUI. During the summer, OTEAM leaders serve as orientation leaders and introduce the campus to more than 5,000 students and 2,500 family members and guests who are new to IUPUI.

In the fall, OTEAM members participate in first-year seminars, including Summer Bridge and Themed Learning Community sections, as peer mentors. In 2018, approximately 1,500 incoming students were peer mentored by the OTEAM. At least one Themed Learning Community was solely dedicated to sustainability - "Sustainability: Thriving Community, Thriving Planet."
These students serve as advocates for the interests, needs, and rights of first-year students.

Other OTEAM responsibilities include:
Be approachable and available to meet the needs of first-year students through summer orientation and the academic year
Assist first-year students to adjust and to transition into IUPUI
Serve as an advocate for the interests, needs, and rights of first-year students
Serve as a mentor and peer advisor to students for academic, cocurricular, leadership, and campus involvement
Be a resource and referral agent for students, faculty, staff, and other members of the IUPUI community
Complete various other duties and expectations as directed by the directors and student coordinators

At least 20% of their responsibilities covers ongoing engagement with new students around campus sustainability oriented initiatives; Welcoming Campus, Diversity, transportation options, health & wellness, service learning, campus recreation, student organization & Involvement, Academic support & guidance, etc.

OTEAM Peer Mentor Program:
* Number of trained student educators = 150.0
* Number of weeks active = 16.0
* Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator Total Program = 30.0 @ 20% = 6
* Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators = 72,000 @ 20% = 14,400

A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (3rd program):
The OTEAM is an undergraduate student leadership group dedicated to engaging new students, along with their families and guests, as they attend orientation and begin classes at IUPUI. During the summer, OTEAM leaders serve as orientation leaders and introduce the campus to more than 5,000 students and 2,500 family members and guests who are new to IUPUI. In the fall, OTEAM members participate in first-year seminars, including Bridge Week and learning community sections, as peer mentors. These students serve as advocates for the interests, needs, and rights of first-year students.
Meet the OTEAM, a group of IUPUI students dedicated to welcoming new Jaguars to campus. OTEAM members will guide you through the orientation process and give you a first hand look at what being a Jaguar is all about.

Other OTEAM responsibilities include:
Be approachable and available to meet the needs of first-year students through summer orientation and the academic year
Assist first-year students to adjust and to transition into IUPUI
Serve as an advocate for the interests, needs, and rights of first-year students
Serve as a mentor and peer advisor to students for academic, co-curricular, leadership, and campus involvement
Be a resource and referral agent for students, faculty, staff, and other members of the IUPUI community
Complete various other duties and expectations as directed by the directors and student coordinators

The OTEAM leaders go through an extensive 8 week class on leadership development and mentoring that includes insight about all of the various programs & services offered at IUPUI. Preparing them to fulfill their duties as PEER mentors to potential students and to all new incoming students.

At least 20% of their responsibilities covers ongoing engagement with new students around campus sustainability oriented initiatives; Welcoming Campus, Diversity, transportation options, health & wellness, service learning, campus recreation, student organization & Involvement, Academic support & guidance, etc.

Number of trained student educators (3rd program):
150

Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (3rd program):
16

Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (3rd program):
6

Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (3rd program):
14,400

Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (3rd program):

Additional programs 

A brief description of all other student peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education programs:
International Peer Mentoring Program (IPMP) at IUPUI
IUPUI 21st Century Scholars peer mentoring program
IUPUI Honors College peer mentor program
Diversity Enrichment & Achievement Program (DEAP) Peer Mentors
IUPUI Graduate Mentoring Center
Advancing Women Mentoring Program
EMPOWER, Enhanced Mentoring Program with Opportunities for Ways to Excel in Research

IUPUI Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals (PFFP)
The annual IUPUI Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals (PFFP) Pathways Conference participants engage in seminars, workshops and networking opportunities designed to build awareness, skill and relationships amongst peers and experts


IUPUI is the site host for the National Mentoring Symposium,an annual national conference that brings together peer mentors and program directors from across the country to discuss the value of peer mentoring and enhance mentoring skills.

CIRTL at IUPUI is a learning community of graduate students and postdocs to engage in the discussion and development of reflective and evidence-based teaching approaches with strategies that leverage student diversity and shared learning experiences. dedicated to the advancement of undergraduate education in STEM and other disciplines through the professional development of future faculty. CIRTL accomplishes this advancement through the core ideas of Teaching-as-Research, Learning Communities, and Learning Through Diversity

At least 20% of their responsibilities covers ongoing engagement with new students around campus sustainability oriented initiatives; Welcoming Campus, Diversity, transportation options, health & wellness, service learning, campus recreation, student organization & Involvement, Academic support & guidance, etc.

Number of trained student educators (all other programs) = 50.0
* Number of weeks (all other programs) = 32.0
* Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per student educator (all other programs) = 10.0 Total @ 20% = 2
* Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (all other programs) = 16,000.0 Total @ 20% = 3,200

Number of trained student educators (all other programs):
50

Number of weeks, on average, the student educators programs are active annually (all other programs):
32

Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per student educator (all other programs) :
2

Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (all other programs):
3,200

Part 2. Educator hours per student served by a peer-to-peer educator program

Grand total number of hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators (all programs):
21,684

Hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators per student served by a peer-to-peer program:
1.89

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the student sustainability educators programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The entire IUPUI student body is supported by numerous peer mentoring programs and services. Peer mentoring is core to IUPUI, which is why we host the annual National Peer Mentoring Symposium. "Peer Mentoring is about building relationships and being a guide for students when they need it. Sometimes all
that is needed is a caring individual with a willingness to listen to make a difference in a student’s life and prompt the student toward a positive, successful academic and life journey. So it is exciting to see peer mentors and
educators from across the country coming together to contribute their knowledge, expertise, and ideas about serving students through peer mentoring." Jay Gladden, Ph.D. Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.