Peer Advisor - Office of Academic Advising

Peer Advisor position:

The purpose of this position is to provide exceptional student support to CSUSM students who arrive in the Office of Academic Advising with a variety of advising-related needs. Peer Advisors will perform basic intake analysis to determine if they can assist the student themselves, refer the student to the appropriate Academic Advisor, or provide the appropriate campus resource referral. Student support will often include demonstrating student tools and accessing the Office of Academic Advising website to provide advising-related information.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Assist students with the following:

• Daily intake advising at the front desk (in person, virtual, phone, and email)
• Teach and assist with eAdvising tools (Academic Requirements Report, Degree Planner, Schedule Assistant)
• Educate peers on Degree, Set, Go model, including outreach and in-class presentations campus-wide
• Participate in New Student “How to Enroll the Cougar Way” workshops on and off campus
• Support New Student advising outreach to assist with self-enrollment
• In-depth knowledge of university policies and deadlines
• Attend weekly meetings and trainings with Peer Advising Team and Coordinator
• View more Peer Advisor Responsibilities

Qualifications and Education Requirements:

Knowledge of:

1. Appropriate office behavior in a professional setting
2. Appreciation and respect for cultural differences among people
3. When to refer students to a staff member

Ability to:

1. Maintain confidentiality and on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
2. Communicate complex information to our students in individual and group settings
3. Work independently and accomplish goals without close supervision
4. Provide superior customer service to students in a busy office setting

Experience:

1. Use of MyCSUSM Advising tools: Academic Requirements Report, Degree Planner, and Schedule Assistant
2. Interacting with students and faculty
3. Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Outlook) and familiar with CSUSM appointment schedular

Education:

1. All majors encouraged to apply
2. 2.70+ GPA
3. Current CSUSM student with 12 – 85 units completed (preferred)
   • Undergrad students enrolled in 6+ units for the Spring and Fall semesters

Other Requirements:

1. One-year commitment including summer (through graduation preferred)
2. Attend Weekly Meetings & Training
   • Peer Meeting - Spring 24: Thursday 8-9 am
   • Future Training as needed
3.  Shift Policies
   • 15-hour weekly minimum shift. (preferred 4+ hour blocks)
   • Provide 20 hours of weekly availability each semester

The Office of Academic Advising operates in person Monday - Friday from 8 am - 5 pm.

Application Instructions:

Submit the following through Handshake:

1. Resume
2. Cover Letter
3. Student Application (upload & submit under Transcripts)
4. Supplemental Questions (upload & submit under Other Documents)

Supplemental Questions:

1. Why are you interested in being a Peer Advisor?
2. What do you hope to gain from the Peer Advising experience?
3. List your available work hours for Spring 24 and Summer 24.
4. Can you attend the Spring 24 Peer Meeting on Thursday from 8-9 am?

Interview Details:

• The Peer Coordinator will invite qualified applicants on Feb 16
• Individual Interviews: Week of  Feb 19

Presentation Criteria:

A 5-10 minute presentation is required during the individual interview. Facilitate a presentation on one of the following campus policies. 

• Academic Notice and Disqualification and Reinstatement
• Components of Graduation Requirements
• Course Repeats & Grade Forgiveness Policy
• Course Withdrawal Policy
• How to Enroll in Courses (Degree Planner, Schedule Assistant)
• How to use Academic Requirements Report (ARR), Test and Transfer Credit, Course Substitutions

After a thorough definition and examples, include:

1. How do you see yourself implementing and sharing this information with fellow students in the Peer Advisor role?
2. What is your communication style?
3. What would be important to relay so the student feels informed and understood?

See the campus catalog/websites for assistance.

Tips:

• Use the Career Center services to help with your resume, cover letter, interview skills, etc. as you apply.
• If you have questions about the Peer Advising position, feel free to reach out to the current Peer Advisors for an informational interview.
• If you have questions or issues submitting your application on Handshake, don't hesitate to contact Priscilla Arciniega.