Assessing the communicative experience of student orientation leaders: peer and professional

Abstract

ABSTRACT The value of student peer leadership is consistent with trends in higher education. While extensive research reveals how student peer leaders benefit the overall student experience and contribute to institutional recruitment and retention, little research has considered the communicative experiences of student orientation leaders. This study focuses on the unique communicative experiences and challenges student orientation leaders encounter in their role as students and university ambassadors. Student orientation leaders function as both student leaders and university professionals; they serve as liaisons among incoming university students, parents and families, and the academic institution. This multifaceted role management creates a unique experience for student orientation leaders distinct from other paraprofessionals. Our study focuses on the perceptions of communicative experiences and the uncertainties experienced by student orientation leaders from a midsize southern university. Guided by the uncertainty management theory, the study findings reveal that student peer leaders primarily focused their communicative efforts on developing and managing relationships with fellow students; peer leaders experienced uncertainties when communicating with different groups (e.g., first-year students, transfer students, and family members) who have unique uncertainties and informational needs; finally, peer leaders developed confidence and leadership skills from the communicative interactions they experienced from serving as peer leaders on campus.