peer mentoring, the student perspective: business, humanities, social sciences and winchester school...
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Peer mentoring, the student perspective: Business, Humanities, Social Sciences and Winchester School of Art
Chair: Emma Lester, Education & Student Experience AdvisorWith Daniel Cernin, Jaz Rana and Charlotte Medland
Existing questions or concerns about peer mentoring schemes?
• Investment of resources• Engagement/success• Notion of students as ‘experts’• Distraction?
Peer support is an effective way to provide new students with support from the first day, and studies show that peer support has a positive effect on the first year student experience (www.ucl.ac.uk/transitions; Williamson, 2012).
A student’s success is largely dependent on the first year experience (Clarke et al, 2008; Tinto, 2002).
Research shows that students will withdraw from their course if they don’t feel integrated, both into their institution and socially (Black & MacKenzie 2008).
Withdrawal rate is highest in the first year, and the decision to withdraw is usually made within the first 6-10 weeks; ‘this needs to be “everybody’s business”’ (Kift, 2008).
Why is peer mentoring important?
Why is peer mentoring important?
Point of contact on the same level, somebody who has experienced transition recently. Low threshold to ask questions that are perceived as being too trivial to ask staff. (Brown, in: Black & MacKenzie 2008)
Students feel that their department cares about them because they provide this support; feeling of loneliness is reduced.
There is a correlation between social integration and academic performance (Longden & Yorke, 2007).
A mentoring scheme will offer social contact for students who are too shy to forge friendships themselves. (Longden & Yorke, 2007; Williamson, 2012)
Less queries for support services and staff members, as peers are usually first point of contact. (Muszynski, in Black & MacKenzie 2008)Beneficial for mentors, too, as they acquire vital transferable skills. They feel trusted by their department and value the opportunity to give something back.
How far have we come? Business School Buddy Scheme
• Recruitment and training
• Expectations: ‘Buddies’ look after ‘Freshers’
• Support Personal Academic Tutor
• Quality over Quantity
How far have we come? Business School Buddy Scheme
Recruitment • Ideally 14 buddies (2 x 7 UG courses) • CV and cover letter• Group interview
Business School Buddy Scheme
Training covers• Team building & Buddy Charter• Key issues faced by Business School students • Senior Tutor and supporting PAT system• Buddy role outline; Aspects and limitations of
role Expectations of meetings, Reporting & feedback• Having difficult conversations• Effective communication• Introduction to guidebook • Scenarios • Induction and planning first meetings
Business School Buddy Scheme
Expectations
• Attend training• Meet students at induction (random
allocation)• 3 meetings over first 6 weeks• Set up Facebook group• Report after each meeting • Attend a debrief• Support PAT • Paid for their time (basic rate)
An ever evolving scheme
• Based on student and buddy feedback
• Online vs. in person• Group vs. 1 to 1 • Frequency of meetings?• Format of meetings?
If I had unlimited resources
• Peer Assisted Learning scheme?
• Buddies in pairs 2nd and 3rd year looking after first year in each subject
• Buddies employed beyond first 6 weeks
• Buddies available for prospective students
• Alumni mentors looking after 3rd years graduating and entering world of work for the first time
Where are we now?
Peer Mentoring: student buddying and student family schemes
6.1 …At Southampton, it is not something that is currently offered universally. Although the University of Southampton has not previously had an institutional policy or strategy around peer mentoring, buddying or parenting schemes (where current students are matched up to new students to help facilitate the transition to university, and in some cases beyond that period), many local schemes exist across the University.
No two schemes are identical, and those that have been established have been set up by enthusiastic staff or student societies in order to enhance the experience for new first year students entering the University, providing a less formal point of contact to help to ease their transition to the new environment, and to provide some valuable mentoring experience for students in other year groups.
Where are we now? Peer Mentoring: student buddying and student family schemes
6.2 It is recommended that the University should support the work of faculties and student societies by offering central coordination to support such schemes, so that it can work towards offering every new undergraduate student access to a current student who would be able to offer advice and guidance based on their own experience.
This work will be taken forward by the recently formed UG Student Peer Mentoring (Student Buddy and Student Society ‘Family’ Schemes) Network, reporting to the Education Advisory Group and ‘Knowing our Students Group’ as appropriate.
Such peer mentoring schemes should not to be confused with the Peer Support scheme, which is being developed by the University of Southampton Students’ Union. In this scheme, a team of students are being trained in counselling skills to offer support to students in need.
Developments this year
Peer Mentoring Schemes in
Social Sciences
Winchester School of Art
Humanities
Daniel Cernin Social Sciences Buddy Scheme
• Academic President led scheme
• Selection of buddies
• Training
Social Sciences Buddy Scheme
• Attendance• Communication• Incentives
First Year Insight (F.Y.I) at WSA
By students, for students
Making use of the social media network Facebook, which WSA students already use for course specific
groups
Available outside ‘office hours’
The Prefect Approach: Group responsibility
Enhancing SUSU presence at WSA
“The general mentality is that this is a lunch room but this is really helping to break that perspective” –Mark Jerrom, L1 GA
“I would definitely see this more as a student space if there were more events like this” –Jennifer Hammond, Level 1 GA
“F.Y.I is good for information about what’s happening, it’s actually something helpful”
–Ed Carey, L1 FA
“Why didn’t we have this when we were first years!” – Charlotte Scarrow, L3 GA
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Humanities’ Peer Mentoring Scheme
Humanities’ Peer Mentoring Scheme
• Developed over 12 weeks in Summer 2014 by Verity Smith, a History student.
• Recruited 168 mentors from across the Humanities’ 7 disciplines: Archaeology, English, Film, History, Modern Languages, Music, and Philosophy.
• Launched on 22 September 2014 with a training day for all mentors, run by Verity and the 2014-15 Humanities Peer Mentoring Coordinator.
• Mentors were paired together and look after 10-15 students per group, depending on the discipline.
• Mid-Point Review took place on 12 November 2014 and outcomes are currently being actioned.
• End-Point Review will take place in Week 12 (January 2015), with final mentor feedback and recommendations for future development of the scheme.
Humanities’ Key messages for Peer Mentoring1. Ensure mentors are taking part for the right reasons.
2. Put new students at ease as quickly as possible in structured and safe, but relaxed peer-led situations.
3. Ensure that mentors & mentees alike understand their roles, and when to ask for more specialised guidance and help.
4. Set up a regular feedback system between mentors and the Faculty, so that students know they are making a difference, even while they are still taking part.
5. If the current mentoring scheme is not working, do not be afraid to change it!
Where are we now?
Schemes in every
Academic Unit across the University
(only 1 left to confirm)
‘PASS’ in Law
Medicine run by
MedSoc
Engineering
Buddies
Nursing and Midwifery Student run
Biological Sciences
BioSoc
ChemistryChemSoc Family
Ocean and Earth
SciencesSociety run
Physical SciencesPhySoc family
Electronics and
Computer SciencesJumpStart
GeographyGeoSoc
MathsSUMS Parent
Scheme
PsychologyPaid – linked with tutorial
groups
Existing questions or concerns about peer mentoring schemes?
• Investment of resources• Engagement/success• Notion of students as ‘experts’• Distraction?
Peer mentoring network
If you have an interest in this area
Please email Sarah Rogers to join the peer mentoring network!