UTSA joins national effort to enhance peer mentorship and student success

FEBRUARY 27, 2025 — UTSA is among six public universities selected for a grant from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) to pilot and refine peer mentorship models that improve student success. The Mentorship for Academic & Personalized Student Success (MAPSS) Initiative will help UTSA expand its mentoring programs, particularly for second-year, first-generation students.

In partnership with Northern Illinois University, Stony Brook University, Temple University, Penn State Altoona and Prairie View A&M University, UTSA will develop scalable, technology-enabled peer mentorship programs. The three-year initiative will focus on project design, implementation and data-driven refinement.

Through this collaborative grant, UTSA aims to create a thriving peer mentorship program supporting second-year, first-generation students and develop a scalable peer mentorship model to help cultivate a culture of mentorship at the university.

UTSA has a history of successful peer mentoring programs, including a first-year mentoring program that has significantly improved retention rates. In fact, through peer mentoring and other interventions, UTSA has been able to increase first-year retention by 25% over the last decade.

“We’re excited to help institutions refine this work on their campuses and ultimately add to the evidence base for these efforts across the country.”

“This initiative allows us to build on our success with first-year students by expanding and institutionalizing peer mentorship to support more students. At the same time, we’ll research and refine best practices to enhance student success, particularly for underserved populations,” said Tammy Wyatt, UTSA senior vice provost for student success.

Over the past decade, UTSA has been laser-focused on improving student success outcomes by using data-informed, targeted interventions. The institution has invested in technologies that allow it to track student success metrics in real-time and offer proactive support. UTSA has also participated in several state and national efforts that have brought faculty and staff together to analyze data and develop strategies to improve student success outcomes. In this way, UTSA has been able to make significant advances, reducing the average time to degree from 5.3 to 4.4 years and increasing the number of undergraduate degrees awarded by 33%.

“We’re thrilled to partner with six public universities to pilot new peer mentoring efforts, track impact and refine programs,” said Karen Vignare, APLU’s vice president of digital transformation for student success. “Peer mentoring is a proven way to help students navigate the complexities and challenges of transitioning to, and progressing through, college. We’re excited to help institutions refine this work on their campuses and ultimately add to the evidence base for these efforts across the country.”

The three-year effort will help the institutions collaborate and share best practices as they implement their respective mentoring programs. Over the next six months, the institutions will focus on project design, team formation and setup before they launch their mentorship programs, track impact and use data to inform program refinement.

APLU will provide technical assistance to the institutions alongside Mentor Collective, a provider of a technology-enabled platform that gives institutions meaningful data to help them identify and address systemic barriers to student success.

Funded by the ECMC Foundation, MAPSS will enable participating universities to share best practices, integrate mentorship into broader student success strategies, and leverage data for continuous improvement.

This grant aligns with UTSA’s Peer Mentoring and Leadership Initiative, which is currently identifying national best practices and baselines, and assessing existing UTSA programs, services and initiatives that promote leadership and peer mentorship to undergraduate and graduate students.

APLU is a research, policy and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. With a membership of more than 250 public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems and affiliated organizations, APLU focuses on increasing degree completion and academic success, advancing scientific research and expanding engagement.

UTSA has been widely recognized by APLU for its contributions to economic and community development. In recent years, UTSA earned the APLU International Impact Award, an Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) University designation, and was a finalist for two IEP Awards in 2024.

— KC Gonzalez