L&T Conference January 2007 Peer Mentoring Pam Clayton – SSN Chris Pickering – Skills Centre Shelley Li - LUBS

Introductions and group exercise Background to peer mentoring at Leeds Process and roll-out A departmental perspective Q & A What next Peer Mentoring

Consider the issues of importance to a new student to Leeds. If you wish, break it down into: before arrival, at arrival, intro week, teaching week 1 and term1 to Xmas. What do they need to know? What would be helpful to know? What would help them to take control of their studies, their social life, their network? International Students Mature Students Home undergraduates straight from school Home undergraduates who have taken a gap year Widening participation students Post graduates In your group

What does your department currently do? What works well? What could you do better? What do students say they would like more of? Who should take responsibility for the non-academic aspects of student welfare? How do you know whether a student is making the most of their opportunities here, or is lonely and/or unhappy? If you currently run any form of buddying/mentoring, what are the benefits? Consider

Initial research and collation of good practice: 10 schemes in existence on campus 5 formally evaluated Radiography, Geography, Sports Science, MUMS, Philosophy External schemes: Oxford, Sheffield, Trinity College, Manchester Piloted with International students Gone ‘live’ with LUBS, Biological Sciences, Geography and Law. How we developed the scheme

A new student, either home or international, who has chosen to have a peer mentor to help them become familiar with the University, living and studying in Leeds. What is a Mentee?

A 2 nd (or 3 rd ) year student, studying at Leeds Enthusiastic to share their experiences and offer support to a new student An advocate for your School What is a Mentor?

The initial training event 2.5hrs Introductory social event 2 hrs Contact time Initial month 1 hr/wk in mentoring groups Thereafter 1hr/month in person, phone, Expectation to remain in contact through academic year, with the first few weeks of semester 1 being the critical ones Continues after Christmas to catch the potential problems which arise when students return in January Their commitment

Advising Counselling Career experiment Decision making for others A dating agency Creating a dependency relationship Friendships may develop but making a mentee a personal friend is certainly not the focus of the scheme Peer Mentoring is not…..

Features Voluntary basis both 1 st and 2 nd years Student guidelines for participation Group based approach Resources: booklets and web pages Undergraduate focus at this stage The programme does not aim to replace existing mentoring arrangements, but provides an opportunity to establish Peer Mentoring as common practice across the institution where there is little provision. Peer Mentoring

Process Cross faculty agreement and selection of faculty coordinator Staff attend ‘train the trainer’ sessions provided by the Skills Centre Pre-printed booklets and application form for recruitment Departmental staff train mentor volunteers and collect references Booklets sent to confirmed 1 st years Applications received and groups allocated September Social event to introduce group members October Evaluation semester 2 Certificates awarded before summer exams Peer Mentoring

Objectives A consistent approach Raise awareness of staff and students Enhance the student experience Peer element within the hierarchy of student support Equip students with supplementary skills Improve sense of belonging Peer Mentoring

Faculty participation 2006/07 University of Leeds Business School Biological Science School of Geography School of Law ‘Scholars’ through C&RO Student Support Network

A departmental perspective: - Gone ‘live’ this year – logistics of the scheme - Things that went well - Benefits to students – “Good to have a mentor from the same course as you as they can be very helpful with advice about books and what’s to come on the course” - Benefits to department Peer Mentoring

Training the Trainer dates: January:February: 16 th th th 1-48 th nd th rd th st th 2-5 Peer Mentoring

Contact: Pam Clayton Skills Centre 15 Blenheim Terrace Woodhouse Lane Peer Mentoring