Celebrating 50 Years of Peer Academic Advising at UCI

For 50 years, UCI’s Peer Academic Advising (PAA) Program has been a cornerstone of our campus tradition of students helping students. Since its creation in 1975, PAAs have served as front-line support, assisting undergraduates with planning courses, exploring majors and minors, understanding academic policies, discovering research and co-curricular opportunities, and successfully navigating their path to graduation.

Throughout these five decades, PAAs have provided critical support to generations of Anteaters! As UCI has grown, so has the need for peer-to-peer academic support. Today’s students face increasingly complex pathways through their degrees, and PAAs offer a uniquely valuable perspective grounded in shared student experiences and strengthened by extensive training and preparation for their advising roles.

To honor this momentous milestone, we are launching the PAA 50th Anniversary Fund, a campaign dedicated to strengthening the next generation of peer advisors and ensuring the program’s continued success for years to come.

Your gift will help us:

• Cover expenses for essential PAA program materials
• Support PAAs through comprehensive training
• Provide meaningful professional development opportunities
• Most importantly, fund PAA advising hours across campus, creating access to peer support for UCI students

By contributing to this campaign, you are investing in a program that has shaped academic success, belonging, and leadership at UCI for 50 years, and will continue to do so for the next 50!