Date of Award
Spring 5-2019
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Department
Communication Studies
First Advisor
Kathryn Anthony
Advisor Department
Communication Studies
Abstract
Current literature reveals that peer-leadership is valuable and integral within institutions of higher learning. While extensive research reveals how peer-leaders benefit the overall student experience and contribute to institutional recruitment and retention, (Tinto, 2012) little research has considered the actual experience of student peer-leaders. The current study considers the communicative challenges and triumphs student orientation leaders encounter in their roles as students and university ambassadors. During a university’s new student orientation, student orientation leaders function as both student leaders and university professionals; they serve as liaisons between students, their parents and families, and the university they represent, often working as the primary catalysts for students’ and families’ transition to college. This kind of role management creates a unique experience for student orientation leaders that tends to differ from other paraprofessionals. The current study functioned as a case study of a student orientation leader group at a mid-size southern university, including a sample of twenty students who had previously served as orientation leaders.
Copyright
Copyright for this thesis is owned by the author. It may be freely accessed by all users. However, any reuse or reproduction not covered by the exceptions of the Fair Use or Educational Use clauses of U.S. Copyright Law or without permission of the copyright holder may be a violation of federal law. Contact the administrator if you have additional questions.
Recommended Citation
Ford, Casey M., "Peer vs. Professional: Assessing the Communicative Experience of Student Orientation Leaders" (2019). Honors Theses. 675.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/675