2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This exploratory work-in-progress (WIP) paper uses service blueprinting to examine the operational structure of a peer mentoring program designed to improve retention and engagement among first-year engineering and computer science students. First-year retention is a persistent challenge across postsecondary institutions and is widely recognized as a predictor of long-term academic success and degree completion. National data show that STEM fields, particularly engineering and computing, experience lower retention rates compared to non-STEM disciplines. These disparities highlight the need for structured, scalable support systems that promote early academic and social integration within engineering education.

Peer mentoring programs are often cited as effective strategies for supporting first-year students in higher education. Within engineering education, these programs offer structured opportunities for students to develop peer connections, build confidence, and access academic guidance during the transition to college. Peer mentors help mentees navigate course selection, institutional systems, and university life while also serving as relatable role models. Although the benefits of peer mentoring are well-documented, little research has examined how such programs are internally structured, particularly in engineering contexts, limiting our understanding of which design features most effectively promote student persistence.

To address this gap, this study uses service blueprinting as the method to investigate a peer mentoring program for traditionally underrepresented first-year students studying engineering and computer science (PMPECS). Service blueprinting offers a visual, structured approach for examining program operations across three layers: frontstage (student-facing interactions), backstage (mentor and leadership coordination), and infrastructure (support systems and reporting tools). This study is guided by two research questions: 1) To what extent do specific elements of the peer mentoring program’s operational structure, as visualized through service blueprinting, appear to influence student engagement and retention among first-year engineering and computer science students? 2) What areas for operational improvement or redesign emerge from the service blueprint analysis that could enhance the efficiency and impact of the peer mentoring program?

The service blueprint was developed over the course of an academic year in collaboration with three student leaders who have experiences as mentees, mentors, and coordinators within the program. Through weekly sessions with program leadership, the research team used concept mapping, stakeholder reflection, and documentation analysis to capture the program’s core operational components. These included structured biweekly mentor-mentee meetings, required seminar participation, weekly mentor-leadership meetings, and multilayered engagement tracking systems.
Each PMPECS mentor is assigned approximately four mentees for the academic year, and mentor-mentee pairings remain consistent throughout the program. Mentors and mentees are required to meet in person every two weeks for a minimum of one hour. In addition, mentees must attend at least two seminars per month, selected from a weekly seminar series focused on academic, professional, and personal development. To ensure adherence to these requirements, mentors submit post-meeting reflections via an experience management platform and update a shared tracking spreadsheet documenting meeting scheduling and completion. Seminar attendance is recorded by program staff, and mentors are expected to communicate key seminar content to any mentees who miss sessions due to excused conflicts. These monitoring systems provide the leadership team with real-time visibility into student participation and allow for timely intervention when patterns of disengagement arise.

Descriptive data from the Fall 2024 semester provide context for the blueprint analysis. Of 167 total first-year engineering students, 103 students were eligible to participate in the program, and 52 self-selected to participate in the PMPECS. These 52 mentees, as well as 12 incoming transfer students, were supported by a team of 16 peer mentors These participants had a 100% first-term retention rate, compared to 96.2% among eligible non-participants and 95.7% among the broader cohort. Program records show a total of 340 completed mentor-mentee meetings, with an average duration of 1.03 hours, and an average of 19.2 mentees attending weekly seminars. These metrics suggest strong alignment between the program’s design and its engagement outcomes.
The blueprint analysis revealed several strengths in PMPECS’s operational model, including regular mentor-mentee interaction, consistent oversight, and well-defined accountability processes. Pain points included redundant reporting systems, occasional communication gaps between stakeholders, and scheduling conflicts that limited seminar access for some students. Recommendations include consolidating reporting tools, offering flexible seminar formats, and diversifying communication strategies during recruitment and onboarding.

This study demonstrates how service blueprinting can be used to surface, map, and refine student support program structures. Future iterations will include direct feedback from current participants and explore long-term retention outcomes. More broadly, this work highlights the value of visual, design-based approaches in improving the delivery of service and sustainability of mentoring programs in engineering education.