Wittenberg strives to create and to develop a community of learners – an environment where students can engage fully in the learning process. Most students come to college with fears and uncertainty – fears of failing tests or not fitting in with peers. Being afraid to ask questions, express opinions, or join group discussions can greatly hinder a student's learning. A community of learners is a place that supports inquiry and helps students generate ideas.
WittSem Peer Mentor Program
In the last ten years student development research has made two connected and surprising discoveries: the most significant influences on learning for first-year students, and the most profound source of their anxiety in college, are their relationships with older students. The WittSem peer mentoring program responds to both discoveries.
We envision the peer mentors as social and cultural guides for new students. This is a role faculty play in the intellectual lives of first-year students whose success depends on their ability to master the "insider" knowledge of academic culture: how to formulate a research question, how to think through difficult problems or texts, how to build an argument step by step. Our peer mentors play a complementary role by providing "insider" knowledge of campus life and personal development. We hope to support and integrate these two forms of knowledge by putting both guides in the same room at the same time, deeply invested in the success of the same course.
FYE Sponsored Events
Research tells us that the most successful students tend to be those who make social and academic connections. In addition to our WittSem Peer Mentor program, FYE sponsors social events on and off campus that will help students make connections with their peers, with Wittenberg faculty and staff, and with the Springfield community.
