Monday, November 17, 2025
2:00 – 3:30 pm ET

Boost Retention & Graduation Rates with High-Impact Programs That Drive Engagement & Success

The number of neurodiverse students enrolling in higher education continues to rise—but their persistence and graduation rates remain significantly lower than those of their peers. With proper support, neurodiverse students excel and contribute valuable perspectives to campus life. A structured peer mentor program is one of the most effective ways to close achievement gaps, improve retention and foster true belonging.

This session is designed for anyone on your campus who supports or interacts with neurodiverse students—from faculty and advisors to student affairs staff and disability services. Join this critical conversation on November 17, 2025, as Dr. Kendra Evans, Director of the Spectrum Support Program and the Neurodiverse Hiring Initiative (NHI) at the Rochester Institute of Technology, presents a practical framework designed to help institutions develop or strengthen their current peer mentoring programs tailored to neurodiverse students. Attendees will benefit from Dr. Evans’s expertise in structuring programs that address the unique academic, social, and personal needs of neurodiverse students by equipping their mentors with the skills and strategies necessary to promote engagement, belonging, and achievement. This session will emphasize actionable steps and proven methods to bridge achievement gaps for all students.

You’ll leave with the knowledge, tools and confidence to design mentoring programs that truly change outcomes for students on the spectrum!

Topics Covered

You will gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you:

• Build a Neurodiverse Peer Mentorship Program that is inclusive and creates a supportive environment that meets the diverse needs of your students.
• Recruit, Train, and Empower Peer Mentors through developed mentor training strategies that reduce stress, miscommunication, and skill gaps—leading to greater persistence and achievement.
• Foster Belonging and Engagement by understanding what effective mentoring looks like and how it helps students on the spectrum feel connected, supported, and more willing to seek help.
• Leverage Proven Models and apply best practices and existing initiatives so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel—adapt proven strategies to fit your campus context.
• Drive Long-Term Institutional Impact through increased student retention, persistence and graduation rates.

Presenter

Kendra Evans is currently the Director, Spectrum Support Program & Neurodiversity Hiring Initiative at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Click here for full bio.