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The COMM Mentoring Center connects students with trained peer mentors who provide support, encouragement, and guidance throughout the semester. 

We are open in the spring and fall semester starting on week 2 through the last week of classes. We do not offer tutoring during finals, on all university-recognized holidays/closures, and during the inter-sessions (Summer and Winter).

Please note: Peer mentors’ advice never supersedes the guidance of the professor or the best judgment of the student.

What is Peer Mentoring?

Peer mentoring is a collaborative learning relationship.

A peer mentor is a student who supports another student through conversation, reflection, resource connection, and developmental guidance. Mentors bring experience, structure, encouragement, and practical strategies to the relationship. Their role is to help mentees think through questions, consider options, identify appropriate resources, and build interpersonal connections.

A mentee is an active participant who brings questions, goals, experiences, and ideas. Mentees are expected to communicate honestly, reflect on their goals, try new strategies, and take responsibility for their own growth.

Our motto is:
Better Together, Stronger Tomorrow

Our vision is:
We strive to provide a homebase for guidance and connectedness for all COMM students at 911³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏÃâ·Ñ¹Û¿´Èë¿Ú.

Becoming a mentee gives you structured support from a fellow COMM student who understands many of the questions and challenges students experience.

As a mentee, you will be partnered with a COMM peer mentor who can help you:

• Reflect on your academic and personal goals
• Build confidence as a COMM student
• Identify strategies for balancing coursework and university life
• Talk through questions with someone who has relevant experience
• Connect with department and campus resources
• Develop greater independence and self-awareness
• Strengthen your connection to the COMM community

How to Become a Mentee

911³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏÃâ·Ñ¹Û¿´Èë¿Ú who participate as mentees are matched with a trained peer mentor for the semester.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Mentoring partnerships typically begin during the second week of the term and continues until week 15 of the term (fall and spring semesters only).

911³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏÃâ·Ñ¹Û¿´Èë¿Ú must complete an online application to be considered for a mentoring partnership.

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What to Expect If Selected to Be a Mentee

Mentees should be prepared to:

• Start their mentorship partnership week 1 of the term
• Meet with their mentor for a total of five hours during the semester
• Complete at least half of those meeting hours face-to-face on campus
• Participate actively in conversations with their mentor and their mentee cohort
• Communicate consistently with their mentor
• Complete a post-mentorship form at the end of the partnership

Peer mentors are not expected to have all the answers or to be experts in communication. Instead, they listen, offer perspective, encourage reflection, and help mentees identify useful strategies and resources. At the same time, they develop their own professional communication, leadership, and career-readiness skills through hands-on experience supporting fellow COMM students—all while earning three units of upper division course credit in COMM 455.

As a peer mentor, you can:

• Strengthen your leadership and professional communication skills
• Apply communication theory and techniques in real interactions
• Gain experience in listening, goal-setting, reflection, and resource referral
• Build confidence in supporting and guiding others
• Contribute to the COMM community
• Gain experience that can strengthen your résumé and support future career goals
• Learn how to translate your academic experience into professional competencies employers value (Mentorship is listed as a top workforce skill [World Economic Forum 2025, Future of Work Report]) 

How to Become a COMM Peer Mentor

Applicants must:

1. Be a declared COMM major or COMM minor
2. Have upper-division standing
3. Have completed (prior to the start of next semester) at least four of the following courses with a grade of B or better before beginning service:
   • COMM 200
   • COMM 300
   • COMM 301
   • COMM 306
   • COMM 307
   • COMM 330
4. Demonstrate a commitment to supporting COMM students, faculty, and staff
5. Demonstrate professional communication practices, including accountability, responsibility, personal motivation, and leadership
6. Submit a completed application by the published deadline
7. Participate in an interview with either the Director of the CMC or a current Peer Mentor

Applications are typically due:

• The first Friday in November for spring enrollment
• The first Friday in April for fall enrollment

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What to Expect If Selected to Be a COMM Peer Mentor

COMM Peer Mentors should be prepared to:

• Enroll in COMM 455: Peer Mentorship and Professional Development
• Be partnered with a few mentees
• Meet with each assigned mentee for a total of five hours during the semester
• Complete at least half of the mentor-mentee meeting hours face-to-face on campus
• Participate in periodic peer mentorship training meetings throughout the term
• Complete a series of peer mentorship and professional development assignments