A Peer-Mentoring System as a Nontraditional Approach to STEM CUREs.

Abstract

At Saint Michael’s College, the challenge of quality mentoring inherent in CUREs is addressed using near-peer mentoring. Near-peer mentoring is when an individual completes a course and then serves as a mentor in subsequent iterations (McKenna and Williams 2017). In an undergraduate institution, this can be as simple as a third- or fourth-year student working with a second-year student. Through a CURE developed for a Molecular Genetics lab course, a widely adoptable model has been created.