Increasing Student Engagement with Sociology Peer Advising
for the Sociology Peer Advising Staff University of British Columbia
by Jovana Vranic Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, Peer Advisor Department of Sociology University of British Columbia
Table of Contents I. Abstract
1
II. Introduction
2
A. Background on Sociology Peer Advising
2
B. Statement of the Problem
3
C. Purpose
4
E. Methods Summary
4
III. Data Section
5
A. Scan of UBC Support Services
5
1. Arts Academic Advising & Sociology Undergraduate Advising
6
2. UBC Writing Centre
7
3. Sociology Peer Mentoring Program
7
B. Student Survey Results 1. Common Needs and Concerns 1.1 Writing and Reading
8 8 9
1.2 Exam Preparation
10
1.3 Concerns Outside of Coursework
11
2. Support Service Engagement IV. Conclusions
12 14
A. Summary of Interpretations
14
B. Final Recommendations
15
V. References
17
VI. Appendix: Sociology Peer Advising Survey Results
18
Tables and Figures
5
Table 1
Supports offered by the Sociology Peer Advising office
Table 2
Summary of services most effectively delivered by SPA and other offices 15
Figure 1 Response distribution for questions 2 and 3
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Figure 2 Comparison of difficulty in writing and preparation of exam question types
10
Figure 3 Question 7 response distribution
12
Figure 4 Question 8 response distribution
13
Figure 5 Question 1 response distribution
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I. Abstract Sociology Peer Advising (SPA) offers support, resources, and information to students interested in sociology. The service is delivered through a peer-to-peer approach via office hours, email, and a specialized website. In order to advance the growth of the service, a study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of targeting promotion and resource allocation to specific supports as a method for increasing engagement. Data was collected through an environmental scan of campus support services at UBC, and a short survey on the needs of sociology students. Major finding suggest many SPA supports to be unique and unparalleled at UBC, as well as a pattern of student preference for these types of supports.
1
II. Introduction A. Background In its current strategic plan, the University of British Columbia outlines a vision of the campus in 2020, as a place for innovative and transformative academia. Specific to the student experience, the UBC Plan outlines goals of strengthening support systems, promoting excellence, and improving the impact of teaching1. Pursuant to this academic vision, new support systems have been established across faculties to promote student success and wellbeing. The Department of Sociology has added to its existing services to provide a more accessible and personalized experience for students seeking assistance, via Sociology Peer Advising. With so many services available, there exists an inevitable overlap in resources, and as such, students may find it difficult to determine which service best suit their needs. In order to maximize engagement and impact, Sociology Peer Advising (SPA) must differentiate from similar services and appeal to its own targeted audience, and their specific needs. SPA does this by offering a personalized approach to advising, focused on accessibility, for all students enrolled or interested in sociology. Students are able to access a wide range of support, information, and resources to aid their academic and professional development at their convenience through in-person meetings, via email, or through the SPA blog. The peer-to-peer advising model further promotes accessibility by fostering a more casual and approachable environment where students may feel more comfortable voicing their concerns and seeking assistance.
1
UBC Place and Promise. “Strategic Plan: Student Learning� Strategicplan.ubc.ca.
2
B. Statement of the Problem The UBC Writing Centre, Arts Academic Advising, and several departmentspecific resources for sociology offer similar supports, but lack the same emphasis on accessibility as SPA. Those students most frequently visiting SPA office hours since September 2017 have been students enrolled in classes for which advisors are currently holding teaching assistantship (TA) positions. This suggests a need for increased promotion to reach students beyond those seeking only to visit their TA’s office hours. A primary issue in promoting SPA is how to highlight both its universality and its uniqueness. The office’s current service delivery model is one in which SPA is a starting-off point for any and all academic and professional supports for sociology students. Advisors, if not able to provide direct assistance, have access to resources and referrals which may be shared with students to address all of their relevant needs. As such, the office operates on a truly catch-all basis for student support, with the ability to attend to any need put forward by any student within the department. Students may access the same services through different, more specialized offices (eg. academic advising, career services, etc.), but the intended appeal of SPA is its maximized convenience. This includes an extensive scope, which eliminates the reliance on multiple resources, and a peer-to-peer approach, which creates a more comfortable environment. Despite the universality of its service, SPA does not currently have the capacity to support all students within the department, but aims to have the resources to assist any students who do wish to seek advising. As a relatively new and little known office,
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SPA must seek to develop firstly those services which are most necessary and sought after, in order to attract student engagement. This can be done through a targeted approach to resource allocation, promotion, and service delivery. Such an approach entails a focus and emphasis on certain services for the purpose of promotion and expansion, but not for lack of availability of other supports. C. Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of a targeted service approach to increasing engagement with SPA. An analysis of the current, heavily saturated student support landscape at UBC, alongside a survey of student needs and attitudes, will provide insight as to whether certain needs may be underserved. If a market for support of any common need is unfilled or inadequately filled, this will prove a targeted service approach to be feasible and worthy of undertaking. D. Methods Summary In order to determine how to most effectively narrow the scope of SPA’s service delivery, this study takes a three-step approach. Firstly, an environmental scan of UBC support services offering similar resources to SPA will reveal overlap in services and delivery. Resources analyzed will include Arts Academic Advising, Sociology Undergraduate Advising, the UBC Writing Centre, and the Sociology Peer Mentoring Program. Second, a survey of sociology undergraduate students will determine their most common concerns, and engagement (both actual and potential) with support services. A total of 57 responses were collected from students enrolled in sociology classes across all year levels. Finally, a comparison of the two data sets will demonstrate how well students’ needs are addressed by campus support services. This
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particular approach allows for an unbiased evaluation, as opposed to reliance on a survey examining both students’ engagement and satisfaction, which may introduce response bias. Instead, a segmented approach will produce more independently functional data, the use of which may extend beyond this report to future SPA projects. III. Data Section A. Scan of UBC Support Services This section outlines the scope of resources offered by services similar to SPA, including advising, academic planning, and professional development opportunities. Information was collected from the web pages of each office, detailing supports offered. Each is compared against the services and approach offered by SPA. Table 1 illustrates the supports currently offered by SPA. Academic Supports
Professional/Career Supports
Writing:
- Essays
- Research papers
- Short assignments
Graduate School:
- Finding the right program
- Application help
Research:
- How and where to find references
- Utilizing the UBC Library website
- Determining relevance to your topic
Job Placement:
- Supporting the job search
- Application help
Exam Preparation:
- Time management
- Effective review techniques
- Dealing with stress and anxiety
Career Planning:
- Portfolio building
- How to apply sociology skills
Academic planning:
- Finding the right specialization
- Reviewing credit requirements
- Course planning
Extra-Curricular:
- Finding club & volunteer opportunities
- Referrals
TABLE 1: SUPPORTS OFFERED BY THE SOCIOLOGY PEER ADVISING OFFICE.
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1. Arts Academic Advising and Sociology Undergraduate Advising The academic advising office for the UBC Faculty of Arts offers support for students across all departments, with a focus primarily on supporting graduation for Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program students. Service delivery methods include in-person meetings, emails, and online resources. Below is a detailed list of services offered, according to the Faculty of Arts website2: • Support for medical and emotional difficulties • Academic concessions • Referrals for support with hardships and specializations • Degree requirements • Course planning • Transfer credits • Graduation check Similarly to Arts Academic Advising, the Sociology Undergraduate Office provides advising to students with a sociology specialization. Supports are offered for course registration, program information, and declaring sociology specializations3. Further supports may be accessed through referrals, many of which direct back to Arts Advising. The practical focus of these two services differentiates them from the SPA approach, which offers more specific and personalized assistance in academic planning. Where Arts Academic Advising may offer more general supports, the Sociology Undergraduate Office focuses on department specializations, and is able to better connect students with resources and staff within the department. Neither of these services, however, are able to advise on the subjective quality of courses and instructors. Peer advisors have the capacity to more closely support students by sharing
2
UBC Faculty of Arts. “Arts Academic Advising” Students.arts.ubc.ca.
3
UBC Department of Sociology. “Undergraduate Program Advising” Soci.ubc.ca.
6
personal experiences and helping undergraduates find the courses that best fulfil not only their credit requirements, but their personal learning goals, and best suit their learning styles. 2. UBC Writing Centre UBC offers writing support through the Chapman Learning Commons Writing Centre, where students of all year levels are able to seek advice, resources, and help with brainstorming and planning academic writing projects. The UBC Writing Centre offers the following supports4: • Writing consultations • Online tutoring, resources and guides • Workshops The Writing Centre has the flexibility of suiting the needs and preferences of many students, particularly by offering one-on-one supports both in-person and online, as well as general resources available to all. However, an objective approach to writing assistance may not best suit sociology students, due to the specific styles of writing and research commonly used within the department. Sociological writing is most commonly analytical, rather than argumentative, and must take into account special considerations of objectivity and bias in cases of any works on sensitive topics, vulnerable populations, and polarizing views. Aside from faculty, seasoned sociology students and teaching assistants (i.e., the peer advisors) are best equipped to support students in writing with the consideration of their gaze and personal biases. 3. Sociology Peer Mentoring Program With support from the Graduate Student Association, Sociology Peer Mentoring 4
UBC Learning Commons. “Improve Your Writing” Learningcommons.ubc.ca.
7
Program (SPM) connects sociology undergraduate and graduate students, as well as first-time TAs with graduate TAs, for a year-long paired mentorship experience5. This mirrors the service delivery approach of SPA, but SPM mentors cannot offer the same scope of resources and opportunities as the advising office. B. Student Survey Results A short survey was conducted to collect data on student attitudes towards coursework, studying, and exam preparation, concerns about academic and professional development, and engagement with UBC support services. The survey was distributed via email by the Sociology Undergraduate Office to all students with a sociology specialization, or otherwise enrolled in courses offered by the department, and to an introductory sociology class in which the current author holds a TA position (SOCI 101 with Professor Chris Mackenzie). A total of 57 responses were collected and analyzed to determine common concerns, attitudes, and demographics. The question matrix allowed for input of multiple choices throughout. 1. Common Needs And Concerns Students were surveyed about academic concerns with writing, reading, and exam preparation. Where necessary, survey language avoided the subjective categorization of academic experiences as “concerns” and “difficulties” in order to minimize response bias. Instead, questions were worded to illustrate these as common questions arising from assignments, and levels of difficulty of various materials. Response patterns are detailed and interpreted below.
5
UBC Department of Sociology. “Sociology Mentorship Program” Soci.ubc.ca.
8
1.1 Writing and Reading When asked about the writing concerns they most often needed support for, the majority of students reported essay structuring, which far outweighed the second and third most common concerns, being “references/citation”, and “locating a topic”. Further, journal articles were reported as the most difficult reading assignments by roughly 60 per cent of respondents. While these responses may appear generic, this data in fact suggests a need for supporting students in tailoring their coursework towards a sociological focus. Other services such as the Writing Centre may be able to assist with referencing, research, and editing, but a specialized service such as SPA is necessary to support in structuring the aforementioned analytical style required for successful sociological writing.
FIGURE 1: RESPONSE DISTRIBUTION FOR QUESTIONS 2 AND 36.
Text responses under the “Other” categories for these questions cited additional issues faced with course writing and reading. Students reported issues with finding
6
“None” and “Other” responses not included. See appendix for full distribution charts.
9
relevant sources and information for writing assignments, as well as difficulty with reading tables related to regression analysis and other statistical data (see Appendix). General writing and research support is offered widely on campus, but SPA is able to offer advising as to the expectations and structuring requirements for specific courses. The peer approach allows advisors to share their own experience with the very same assignments, courses, and professors. Further, guidance in reading academic texts is not a readily publicized service, but is offered by SPA to support students early in their academic careers, or new to the field. 1.2 Exam Preparation Three survey questions were devoted to analyzing concerns with examinations. Of these, two determined which types of exam questions (between multiple choice, short answer, and essays) were considered most difficult to write, and which were most challenging to prepare for, while the third covered preparation and studying concerns.
FIGURE 2: COMPARISON OF DIFFICULTY IN WRITING AND PREPARATION OF EXAM QUESTION TYPES.
Essay questions were reported as most difficult to both write and prepare. Interestingly, multiple choice questions were reported as nearly as difficult to write as 10
essay questions, but in terms of preparation difficulty, responses fell in favour of essay questions. Figure 2 illustrates the correlation in reported difficulties in writing and preparing different exam question types, with response rates recorded from survey questions 4 and 5 (see Appendix). The most common concerns reported with exam preparation were difficulty finding what to focus review on (72 per cent), and stress and anxiety (67 per cent), commonly reported together, with significantly fewer reports of difficulties in time management (40 per cent). Arts Academic Advising offers referrals for stress and anxiety, but beyond this, no other services claim to provide direct supports for exam preparation. Sociology Peer Advisors can offer students help with finding the review techniques that best suit their learning style, tips on managing stress, anxiety, and time, and advice for how to prepare and write different types of essay questions. 1.3 Concerns Outside of Coursework One question addressed concerns beyond coursework, to provide insight into the career and academic development needs of sociology students. Figure 3 illustrates the distribution of responses across concerns with job placement, degree completion, continuing studies, and finding opportunities. Three additional text responses were recorded in the “Other� category, with no significant data to add to findings. The two most common concerns, job placement after graduation, and degree requirements and specializations, are both supported by other services, namely Arts Academic Advising and the Sociology Undergraduate Office, as well as UBC Career Services, which has not been examined for the purpose of this report. The three next most common concerns, however, fall directly into the category of supports unique to
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SPA. These are building a professional portfolio, finding on-campus opportunities, and graduate school applications. SPA is able to offer support in tailoring student portfolios, application packages, and career planning, to highlight the unique skills gathered through academic experience in sociology.
FIGURE 3: QUESTION 7 RESPONSE DISTRIBUTION.
2. Support Service Engagement By far the most commonly reported engagement with student support services was with Arts Academic Advising, reported by 61 per cent of respondents. This suggests that services already offered here, such as towards completion of degree requirements, are least necessary to be undertaken and promoted by SPA, as students are already accustomed to seeking this support elsewhere. Instead, this further solidifies the need for services more closely related to coursework, professional development, and sociology specializations. 12
FIGURE 4: QUESTION 8 RESPONSE DISTRIBUTION.
The first question of the survey also touched on student patterns of engagement, particularly with coursework supports. Students were asked how they would most likely confront a difficult assignment, with the choice of engaging with less formal supports, such as their TAs, professors, and classmates. As illustrated in Figure 5, the majority (61 per cent) reported the inclination towards visiting TA office hours, or working with classmates (51 per cent). An additional three text responses in the “Other” category suggested engagement with online resources as a preferred tool (see Appendix). The significant preference of seeking support from TAs and peers suggests that students may very well find value in visiting SPA, as it closely mirrors these experiences through the peer framework.
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FIGURE 5: QUESTION 1 RESPONSE DISTRIBUTION.
IV. Conclusions A. Summary of Interpretations An environmental scan of current UBC support services demonstrates an open market for the type of supports and service delivery methods offered by the Sociology Peer Advising Office. The accessibility and scope of supports available through SPA is unparalleled at UBC for sociology students, whose specific needs can be best met through a specialized peer-to-peer approach tailored to address their needs through a sociological lens. Table 2 summarizes the supports most relevant for SPA to focus resources and promotion on, as well as which services are already readily available or accessed at other support offices, as based on interpretations of survey data.
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Sociology Peer Advising
Other Campus Support Services
Writing for sociology courses
Degree and specialization requirements
Reading journal articles and interpreting data through a sociological lens
Academic concessions and formal referrals for hardship support
Exam preparation support
Job placement (during school & after graduation)
Building a professional portfolio
General writing and research support
Connecting with on-campus opportunities
Stress and anxiety management
Graduate school applications
Online tutoring (writing support)
Academic planning TABLE 2: SUMMARY OF SERVICES MOST EFFECTIVELY DELIVERED BY SPA AND OTHER OFFICES.

The most significant pattern revealed through both methods of data collection was the necessity for customized and accessible supports. The environmental scan revealed a lack of services tailored to the very specific needs of sociology students, who face the challenge of securing a successful academic and career path in one of the most broad fields of study offered in post secondary. The subject matter of sociology courses can overlap with many other fields (eg. philosophy, economics, history, political science, or international relations), and a degree in sociology can provide a skill set relevant to an even broader range of career paths. While other services are able to support students in building a strong academic foundation and completing their degree requirements, SPA goes one step further to help students find their niche and succeed in a specialized set of courses most relevant to them. B. Final Recommendations Based on the above data interpretations, a targeted service approach would be greatly beneficial for SPA to expand its reach and engagement. By focusing promotion and resources to the specific supports not offered elsewhere on campus, SPA will be 15
able to stand out as a unique and necessary service. In particular, survey data suggesting students’ preferences towards engagement with TAs and peers shows that the service is likely to appeal to sociology students if marketed to highlight its peer-topeer approach. In addition to this, I believe SPA would also benefit greatly from promoting firstly those supports outlined as most relevant in Table 2. The full scope of supports listed in Table 1 remain relevant and necessary to sociology students, and may continue to be offered, but the final list of services should be those which are the first to have time and resources allocated towards them, and the first to be promoted. This targeted service approach should allow for significant initial growth until engagement with SPA increases enough for new conclusions to be drawn about student needs. 
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V. References
UBC Department of Sociology. “Sociology Mentorship Program” Soci.ubc.ca. University of British Columbia. n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2017.
UBC Department of Sociology. “Undergraduate Program Advising” Soci.ubc.ca. University of British Columbia. n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2017.
UBC Faculty of Arts. “Arts Academic Advising” Students.arts.ubc.ca. University of British Columbia. n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2017.
UBC Learning Commons. “Improve Your Writing” Learningcommons.ubc.ca. University of British Columbia. n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2017.
UBC Place and Promise. “Strategic Plan: Student Learning” Strategicplan.ubc.ca. University of British Columbia. n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2017.
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Results
Sociology Peer Advising Survey Q1 - Confronted with a difficult assignment, I would...
Question 1: Other Other: - Text Chunk it into manageable problems Search online Ask TA During Class N/A Check on internet Online resources
Q2 - The most frequent writing questions I have encountered in my sociology classes are...
Question 2: Other Other: - Text How much to summarize/leave out Relevance in sources Keeping up with readings
Q3 - The most difficult reading materials I have encountered in my sociology classes are...
Question 3: Other Other: - Text Tables related to regression analysis or tables that show relationships between variables
Q4 - Which type of exam question is most difficult to write?
Q5 - Which type of exam question is most difficult to prepare for?
Q6 - Which of the following exam preparation difficulties have you encountered?
Q7 - Which of the following have you experienced concern with?
Question 7: Other Other: - Text Career finding what to study Sports (basketball)
Q8 - Which of the following support services have you accessed at UBC?
Question 8: Other Other: - Text UGO, BCC Sociology student association Sauder Career Centre Peers None. none None None Kinesiology advising Career Services UBC Access and Diversity Academic advisor
Q9 - Which of the following methods do you think are most effective for delivering student supports?
Q10 - How do you usually find out about UBC support services?
Q11 - Where do you usually seek information about... (if applicable) Where do you usually seek information about... (if applicable) Coursework, writing, and studying: Text
Degree specializations and requirements:
Professional development:
Arts advising website
connect
ubc website
N/A
Website
Student Service Centre
Not sure
UBC website
Prof/student networking
Advisors
personal network
UBC website
Not really sure where to go
Online resources, UGO
Internet
Sociology website
UBC Website
ubc website
BCC
Arts advising
Online and school services
UBC Calendar website
Have not sought out for information
Lectures
Arts Advising
n/a
TA
UBC Website
outside of school
Faculty/UBC Website
advisors
The UBC website
online
Online
Sociology Mentorship Program
Arts advising
Online
degree navigator
Brock Hall
Professors
Asking TA and peers Friends Professor office hours TAs, Peer Mentors Friends, online studying system such as canvas or connect Internet Prof or friends Peers
Classmates, Online resources, office hours Syllabus office hours n/a syllabus friends Classmates Arts advising and Professors online
ubc website adults Advisor and coach Arts Advising
Professor office hours
online
Siblings, TA, professor
Family
Talking to friends Online
Online and by talking to friends Online Arts Advising
Q12 - Which gender do you identify as?
Q13 - Which of the following ethnicities describes you best?
Q15 - What year are you in at UBC?
Q16 - What is your student status?
Q17 - What are your specializations (if applicable)?
Undecided count: 23
Major: - Text
Minor:
Sociology Sociology
Philosophy
Human geography Commerce Psychology
Fine Arts
APBI Sociology
Family Studies
Sociology
Family Studies
Sociology
Family Studies
Theater Design and production Biology Political Science
International Relations
Sociology Sociology Sociology Psychology Sociology
International Relations Political Science Commerce Family Studies
Sociology Kinesiology Sociology
Anthropology
Sociology
Environment and Society
Sociology Natural Resources Conservation (Forestry) Sociology
International Relations