WHAT
IS U
TA H
OSTS?
AN
D W
HA
T D
O W
E D
O?
INTRODUCTION
UTA-HOSTS! (Helping Other Students to Succeed) is a student mentoring program sponsored by the Leadership Center. New students, or mentees, are matched with returning students, or mentors to build a mentoring relationship which assists with the transition to college life. Mentors assist mentees to develop personally and academically by introducing students to the many resources and variety of learning opportunities offered in the university community.
The program is designed to last two semesters. Participation in the program is free and all positions are voluntary.
WHAT IS MENTORING?W H A T A R E T H E R E W A R D S ?
QUALITIES OF A MENTOR
A mentor is most often a person with more experience, who acts as a :
Role Model Guide Friend Advisor Support System Network to others
THE REWARDS OF BEING A MENTOR
The rewards of being a mentor are self-evident: Help someone out Be a useful, positive influence in another person’s life Gain ideas from interactions with mentees Develop a sense of pride in seeing a mentee learn, progress and focus on goals Make a valuable contribution to the University community Develop leadership skills Enrich your college experience Develop valuable transferable skills used in professional and personal life
Mentoring is human interaction, support, caring and empowerment. It can be a life changing experience. Like any other relationship, you must put effort into it - keep working on it.
WHAT DOES THE PEER MENTOR POSITION ENTAIL?
W H A T A R E T H E E X P E C T A T I O N S O F T H E P O S I T I O N ?
THE PEER MENTOR POSITION
The peer mentor is a sophomore, junior or senior student who provides leadership to a group of new students making the transition to college life. The peer mentoring program runs from Fall – Spring.
Mentors assist in achieving the goals of the program which are:
To foster a network of support for first year students
To aid in the academic, emotional and cultural adjustment of first year students
To promote leadership skills in the student body
To encourage the development of student relationships with other students and staff
To provide consistent, reliable sources of support, information and inspiration
EXPECTATIONS OF MENTORS
Contact mentee weekly via any method: email, phone, text messaging, face-to-face contact, (such as meeting in hallways during class, lunch in UC, social events)
Keep commitments to mentee Acquaint your mentee to the UTA life from your perspective Monitor mentee’s progress Assist in the development of skills necessary for mentees to succeed in college Communicate university resources and services to mentee Accompany mentee to program activities, if at all possible, such as mixers and
other events Complete check-up forms according to program requirements Maintain confidentiality in your relationship unless there is a serious concern Provide feedback to the program coordinators especially if you are unable to
contact your mentee Provide support, guidance, encouragement and information to first year mentees Meet 1:1 with mentee(s) each month to talk about goals for the fall semester
BOUNDARIES A mentor is not a parent, a professional counselor, a social worker, or an “ATM machine”. If
you have any problems or concerns about communications or behaviors, please contact the UTA-HOSTS!-Staff.
Termination of a mentor or mentee’s participation in UTA-HOSTS! may occur for several reasons, including:
When one of the participants cannot be reached despite repeated tries.
When a participant is unresponsive to requests to contact or meet and does not give reasons or appear interested
When a participant exhibits inappropriate behavior
When a mentor/mentee withdraws from UTA
When unexpected personal circumstances arise that prohibit one from participating
Please do not try to handle any situations you are not prepared for.
PLEASE BE AWARE
If any of these circumstances occur please notify the UTA-HOSTS! Office as soon as
possible and the staff will seek to end the relationship in a positive way. In the
case of participation issues, the UTA-HOSTS! Staff will send an e-mail to the
mentor/mentee prior to termination requesting circumstances that may explain
non-participation. If termination of a participant occurs the other mentor/mentee
will be notified and a rematch can be initiated.
YOU’V
E BEEN M
ATCHED
NO
W W
HA
T?
BEFORE YOU MEET YOUR MENTEE
Sit down and give some thought to how you will work with your mentee to achieve a successful experience for both of you. You are in a good position to offer advice and support.
Develop an action plan. This is a great opportunity for you to continue to develop leadership skills such as goal development, time management and communication skills. In the appendix to this training manual you will find tips on these subjects.
Review the appendix section on Resources and Services. Recall your first days in college and information that would be useful.
Review the chart in the following slides so you will be prepared as the semester progresses to inform and remind your mentee of important tips.
YOUR FIRST CONTACT
• You should contact your mentee as soon as possible after you receive match information.
• Ask your mentee about his/her expectations for the mentoring program.
• Clearly outline and discuss mentee responsibilities.
• Compare schedules and determine the means of communication that will work best. Frustration and wasted time can be avoided by knowledge and understanding of your mentee’s student life.
• Conditions for the meeting should be comfortable for both parties. It should occur in a public place such as the University Center where you are both “on familiar territory”.
• Remember that students will require a lot more help and support the first few weeks.
• Relax, be yourself, make a new friend.
FIRST SEMESTER TIP CHARTPotential Issues Questions Suggestions
Concern about fitting in.Want and need to develop social
ties.Students living off campus don’t
get involved on campus and need special encouragement.
What do you like to do with your time?Are you participating in Residence Hall
events?
Encourage them to attend Welcome Week events.
May not realize importance of attending class.
Are you attending class? Have you paid your fees and have financial aid in order?
Have you read each class syllabus?
Let them know that regular class attendance is very important; can get behind very quickly and catching up is
difficult
May have roommate issues.
Have you talked with your roommate about how things are going?
Have you completed a roommate agreement?
Encourage them to discuss issues with roommate or talk to a Residence
Assistant
Questions about how to get involved.
What interests do you have? (i.e. sports, art, music, religious, etc.)
What type of organizations did you join in High School?
Tell them about Activities Fair Day and attend with them if possible. Tell
them to go to www.uta.edu/studentgovernance for
a list of more than 300 student organizations.
Students living away from home may start to get homesick. (can
occur the first 2-3 weeks)
Do you miss your family and friends? When do you plan to go home for a visit? Can any friend come here to campus to
visit you?
Keep in touch, and if possible, meet up with them.
Early Semester
FIRST SEMESTER TIP CHART
Start to realize academic demands and expectations.
Are you taking advantage of extra credit?
Are you using the Library?
Encourage them to talk to their Professors or Teaching Assistants.
Encounter first round of exams and assignment deadlines.
Are your class notes complete?Do you have people to study with for
tests?
Join a study group or find a study partner.
Might feel a mid-term slump.Have you talked with Professors about
any coursework concerns? Be proactive about their success.
Need to think start thinking ahead to next semester.
Have you talked with your Academic Advisor?
Do you know how to register for classes for spring semester?
Tell them to keep in contact with their advisor.
Tell them procedures for registering if they need help.
Mid-Semester
Potential Issues Questions Suggestions
Can be a time of mental and physical challenge.
Are you completing your required coursework?
Are you keeping current with readings?
Suggest pacing themselves in preparation for projects, papers and
exams.
May lose “balance” by not eating well, pulling all nighters, not
getting exercise.
Are you getting sleep?Do you have a study schedule?
Encourage getting exercise, sleeping enough and eating well.
Can have mixed feelings about the holidays at home.
Are you excited about the break?How do you feel about being at home
with your family and seeing your friends again?
Talk with them about the fact that it will feel different returning home
after the independence of the first semester.
May experience anxiety and depression, so emotional support
is important.
Are you feeling down? Have you considered counseling? (offered
individually or in a group setting)
Encourage them to contact Counseling Services if experiencing
anxiety or depression.
End of SemesterFIRST SEMESTER TIP CHART
Potential Issues Questions Suggestions
THE G
OODIES F
OR BEIN
G A
MENTOR A
ND A LE
ADER
OP
PO
RT
UN
I TI E
S F
OR
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CREDIT AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Mentors provide a valuable and much appreciated contribution to UTA. WE ARE PROUD OF YOU and want other members of the University community to share our pride and appreciation.
The response rate of check-up forms is one indicator that quantifies program participation. We
want you to get “credit” for your activity as a mentor and important contributor to the university community.
The UTA-HOSTS! Program offers scholarships that are awarded in the spring semester. Check-up forms must be submitted in order to qualify for a scholarship.
BEYOND MENTORING: THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND PROGRAM COORDINATOR The Leadership Team plays a valuable role in the UTA-HOSTS! Program in the following ways:
mentor recruitment, training, program input, publicity, and planning for and assisting at events. Please consider volunteering for this group.
The Program Coordinator is a paid position that serves as the coordinator of all UTA Hosts! Programs and aides with the training and matching of mentors and mentees. The position becomes available for application in the spring and begins in the summer of
each academic year.
BENEFITS: MENTORING IS MORE THAN HELPING A PERSON College offers endless possibilities for growth intellectually,
emotionally and socially. We want participation in UTA-HOSTS! to be a meaningful and relevant
experience for both you and your mentee. You can use your mentoring experience to grow as a person. Many of the skills you use and develop as a mentor are transferable to many other aspects of your life; these skills are valuable in your professional and personal life.
These are some skills to focus on during your time as a mentor: Self Reflection Personal Accountability Goal Setting Time management Communication
cd“Reflection is one of the most underused yet powerful tools for success.”
-Richard Carlson
ba
MENTORIN
G AND P
ERSONAL
RESPONSIB
ILITY
BE
I NG
A M
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S A
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OI C
E
ACCOUNTABILITY
Becoming a mentor was a choice.
With choice comes personal accountability.
With Personal Accountability we ask: What can I do to make a difference? How can I contribute?
“Not many things are as freeing as realizing we
have the power to choose”
From Personal Accountability
by John G. Miller
ACCOUNTABILITY
A C C O U N T A B L E P E O P L E T H I N K H A R D A B O U T H O W T O M A K E T H I N G S B E T T E R . B E I N G A C C O U N T A B L E E M B R A C E S :
Learning Service Courage Excellence Ownership
Ownership Creativity Trust Clarity Integrity
Through your active participation as a mentor you contribute not only to others and the University as a whole but have the opportunity to grow as a person. Look at the list above, we learn and change when we challenge ourselves to grow and improve.
COMMUNICAT
ION S
KILLS, T
IME
MANAGEMENT, A
ND GOAL S
ETTIN
G
BE
I NG
A M
EN
TO
R R
EQ
UI R
ES
SO
ME
SP
EC
I FI C
SK
I LL S
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Rapport building a rapport with your mentee is important to a successful mentoring relationship.
Rapport is established in two ways, verbally and non-verbally.
TIME MANAGEMENT
These thoughts about time management cited below are excerpted from Time Management Made Easy by Patty Marler and Jan Bailey. We cannot manage time, we can only manage ourselves. Efficient time management is a life choice, a process of stream-lining, an exercise of self-
knowledge and discipline……and no one mentioned it would be easy. Needing to evaluate your time management does not mean you are disorganized or lazy. There is only so much time in a day. At the end of it all, you need to be happy with what you
have done and what you have become. Manage yourself, manage your time. It’s all about choices.
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of.
-Benjamin Franklin
GOAL SETTING
Goal setting can be readily applied to the mentor/mentee relationship. Mentoring offers a great opportunity to hone goal setting skills. When you sit down to develop an action plan prior to your first meeting with your mentee you may want to proceed by establishing goals for the semester.
RESOURCES AND T
RADITIO
NS
GE
T TI N
G H
EL P
AN
D B
EI N
G I
NV
OLV
ED
RESOURCES ON CAMPUS
University Resources When wanting to get help on campus…
Health Services A friendly reminder that tuition covers the co-pay costs of seeing a doctor at the health clinic!
Study Abroad Every student should try to get to study abroad as a way to take their education to an
international level.
UT Arlington Traditions Every student should be involved with student traditions!
CONTACT US
E. H. Hereford University Center, lower level B120 C
Phone: 817-272-6054
E-mail: [email protected]