Introducing Mini-PEAC

This past January we piloted the very first ‘Mini-Program for Excellence in Academics and Community’ (mini-PEAC). In the past, new students who joined MASP during the academic year immediately received community resources (printing, space, advising, etc.) but were expected to meet program participation requirements for two semesters before receiving scholarship funding. We noticed that this only resulted in about 3 additional students per year, and that while some students had an easier time than others integrating into MASP, we needed to develop an intentional mechanism for better supporting new MASP students when they join the community. We wanted to provide new MASP students a residential cohort experience that empowers their sense of belonging both within MASP and on campus as a whole.

With the support of a committed donor, last fall we proposed a weekend retreat program that would onboard 10-15 new MASP students at once through intentional community building. Similar to our summer program, it is entirely free for the students to participate and they receive a stipend upon completion. Once students they complete the retreat they are eligible to receive a MASP scholarship the following semester. Despite a blizzard that infringed on plans to stay in the mountains, the first iteration occurred this past January with 12 participants from all different majors and at various points in their college careers. The programming consisted of an adaptation of the CU 101 course offered during the our summer bridge program and covered topics such as Building Inclusive Community, Learning Strategies, Goals & Time Management. Students also participated in community building activities led by peer MASP mentors. Overall the feedback from students has been very positive and we are excited to continue our assessment of this new programming in anticipation of our second mini-PEAC scheduled for November 2019.

Here is a photo of the inaugural Mini-PEAC cohort!