Mentor support and training

Main idea

Outline

The Faculty of Engineering at SDU has a mentor support and training course for the mentors in charge of the introduction at the faculty.

The mentors are older students employed by the university to plan and take part in the introduction at their own study programme. The Faculty of Engineering employs approx. 34 mentors every year to plan, coordinate and deliver study start activities for the new students at the faculty.

Each study programme has a mentorteam (2 current students) to organise the introduction days. The mentorteam refers to the falculty’s introduction coordinator.

The principles of introduction and the rules and regulation are decided on faculty and/or institutional level

The mentor training consists of 4 elements:

• 2 physical seminars (a kick-off meeting and seminar weekend)
• A Microsoft Teams channel to support the collaboration between mentors and the faculty’s introduction coordinator e.g., information, uploading programmes and budgets, etc.
• Mentor-to-mentor feedback, input, communication, and collaboration
• A joint kickoff for all mentors and tutors (approx. 80 people). Focus on team psychology and development, communication and conflict management.

During the 1^st semester the mentors are responsible for 3 x class meetings with the new students as participants.

The main purpose of mentor training
The main purpose with training is to make sure that the mentors have the necessary knowledge, aware of what is expected of them, and tools to organize the introduction. The introduction must be in line with the strategy for introduction at The Faculty of Engineering (the concept/strategy is developed in collaboration between the faculty’s departments and administration and student representatives from student unions).

Goals

• To support the mentors self-efficacy and awareness of their role as both students and representatives.
• To introduce knowledge on how to facilitate and build a safe culture/community and acknowledge the diverse student body.
• Give feedback and training on how to be present and communicate at eye-level with new students based on the mentors’ own experiences as students.

Obstacles targetted:

• Cultural differences
• Educational difficulties

Students involvement

The students are involved in a peer-to-peer setting to discuss and give feedback on ideas, planning, and so on. During this course and employment, they are colleagues.

Inspiration and evidence

Training of tutors/mentors has been practiced for years and is recognized as somewhat necessary to ensure the quality and good practice in the introduction activities. The mentors are culture bearers, and the impression they leave on the new students influences the culture, that is being created among the new students at the study programme. Which is why, it is important to support the mentors in their role before, during and after the induction to ensure both an authentic and professional output.

Success criteria

It is important that the mentor training serves as an alignment in expectations – that the mentors know what the institution expects of them, and what their exact role is. This is the main success criteria because it gives the best basis for the new students’ transition into their study programmes.

Two of the main points would have to be 1) the combination of inputs from the coordinator, guest lecturers and the mentors processing it together and work it in to their study start activities, and 2) the mentor-to-mentor learning aspect where the mentors share pro’s and con’s, experiences and inspire each other.

Do you feel you can effectively provide the support that students require?

Would you recommend this to other institutions?

strongly agree

Communication

When the mentors are employed, they receive a pdf-handbook called “The mentor guide” with dates for the seminars, descriptions of the set-up of the course, expectations, budget, and inspiration etc.

Timing

The mentors are hired in the Spring, and the support and training run from May – ultimo August.

Resources

Staff: Administrative staff and a study start coordinator.  “Guest lecturers” to do the presentations on facilitating activities and collaboration, and team psychology.

Skills: Recruitment, organization, knowledge on transitions, team dynamic etc., feedback, communication

Budget: Money for the mentors’ salary and the guest lecturers, and for food and drinks on the seminars.

Transferability

We think it is easily transferable to other contexts or groups.