Our mission is to educate, recruit, and retain students in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. To achieve this, the program focuses on mentoring, counseling, and academic coaching and enrichment, such as the PEER & WISE Experience. This unique initiative provides incoming students with a glimpse of what their first year as an engineering student will be like. Over a period of four weeks during the summer, students meet others in their major and are introduced to introductory material that they will explore in greater depth in their General Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus courses. According to the Associate Director of PEER, Lisa Jackson, “Because this experience gives these students a snippet of what they can expect, it can help them realize the importance of time management for being a successful Clemson student.” The goal of this program is to provide students with a better idea of what Clemson has to offer while helping them build connections with mentors and their peers.
This past summer, the PEER & WISE Experience brought 27 students from across the United States, including the Virgin Islands, Kentucky, Florida, and South Carolina, to Clemson. These students, who were housed in Douthit Hills, learned about the services that the campus offers and other valuable information that can benefit an incoming student. This experience, although important for all incoming students, is particularly crucial for first-generation college students. In addition to their introduction to the coursework, students also toured local industries to learn about future internship possibilities. By providing students with a better idea of what Clemson has to offer while helping them build connections with their mentors and peers, this program supports recruitment and retention efforts, a focus of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences that is aligned with Clemson Elevate’s goal to provide the number one student experience in the nation.
