Case Study: Michigan State University achieves enhanced peer mentoring and academic and career success for science and math students with PeopleGrove

Michigan State University leverages peer mentoring programs to ensure academic and career success for science and math students

Michigan State University’s Lyman Briggs College needed a structured way to help incoming science and math first‑years build peer networks after COVID disrupted typical social and classroom connections. The college launched a formal peer mentoring initiative using PeopleGrove, creating the Briggs Connect hub to give freshmen intentional access to upper‑year mentors and replicate the community they’d missed.

Using PeopleGrove, MSU auto‑enrolled roughly 600 first‑year students and paired them with 56 peer mentors (about 10–12 mentees per mentor) via a customizable bulk‑matching process that incorporated students’ favorites, interests, and weighted attributes; the platform also supported goal setting and automated reminders. The PeopleGrove‑powered program increased engagement, integrated into orientation and advising workflows, and earned overwhelmingly positive survey feedback from students who reported feeling more connected to the college.

Michigan State University

Krysta Coleman

Career Consultant