Transcript Slide 1

The 2010 Mentor
Preparation Program
Jim Elliott
START Manager
Ebonee Lynch
Mentor Program Coordinator
While you’re waiting – introduce yourself to three people you don’t
already know
Materials that you should have…
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Name tag
Schedule for today
Mentor handy guide
Cap
Mentor Program Brochure
Unilife support services leaflet
Support Services Map
A green and a yellow activity card
Training Day Outline:
8:30
Registration
9:00
Welcome, Introduction and Evaluation data
9:10
The role of a Mentor
What is a mentor?
What is expected of you?
What are the role boundaries?
What will you be required to do?
What are the gains other than those recognised by Curtin?
9:30
Guest Mentor Speakers
9:45
Effective Communication
Effective communication
Communication channels – some practical tips and tools to use
10:10
New student Issues Activity
•Think pair Share:
What will new students face?
What do you wish that you knew when starting University
10:30 – 11:00
Morning Tea
Diversity Issues Session
11:00
New to Perth issues
11:15
Cultural diversity Scenarios
11:45
Culturally Diverse Panel
Duty of Care and Support Services
12: 00
Curtin Support Services ad Duty of Care
12:30
Lunch and Meeting with your Mentor Program
Coordinating staff member (Agenda)
1:30
Individual Area Sessions
3:00
Administration and Evaluation
3:30
End
What is the mentor program all about?
• A little story…
A triple-win
• The program has gains for:
– Mentees
– Mentors
– Curtin
What do they get?
Positive
Negative
What they liked…
Helped you find
your feet
Take the stress out of
starting Uni!
What did they
want?
“My mentor was an excellent
mentor. Bonnie helped me
when ever I needed help
whether it was tests,
assignments, info about
lectures or tutes. She always
replied my emails (the day
after!) and offered to meet up
with our group during breaks
she was always friendly and
helpful”
“He was great. Always
available ready to help and
always smiling! A smile is all
you need from time to time to
get through the day”
“She offered a lot of advice on
what’s important; she’s helped
me at all times and has given
me a lot of confidence in the
course”
Real Data From The Mentee
Evaluations
The Influence Of Mentors On The Mentees
Decision To Continue At Curtin If Considered
Withdrawing
1 - Yes Essential
2 - Yes Significant
3 - Yes a little
4 - No, Mentor Not Involved
The Impact of Mentors on
decisions to persist at Curtin
If considered withdrawing, Mentors influence on decision to
continue at Curtin
Percentage
1 - Yes Essential
1%
2 - Yes Significant
4%
3 - Yes a little
9%
4 - Mentor Not Involved
15%
5 - N/ A – Never Considered
72%
The Average Of Indictors Of Mentor Impact Across All
Participating Schools
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Average Ranking
What’s in it for you?
• Leadership experience
– This will not be the last time you are in a
mentor/mentee relationship
• Making a difference to other students
• Meeting people
• Recognition of your contribution
What’s in it for Curtin?
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Reputation
Positive student experiences
Builds a sense of community
Effect on staff workload
Helps keep bums on seats
The Role of a Mentor
What is a Mentor?
A Mentor is a current Curtin student in the same course
as you who can assist new students with an introduction
to uni life and will give them an understanding of life as a
Curtin student.
The general idea is to assist new students to successfully
transition into University to become:
• Independent learners in a new environment
• to enable student success and an improved student experience
• to link new students to appropriate sources of support in a timely way
• Participate in the training, and the scheduled events throughout the
period of being a mentor
• Assist new students beginning university
• Actively offer support to your mentees
What are some personal gains for Mentors?
• Experiences that can be taken beyond university
into your workplace and beyond
• Build on the ability to develop relationships with
people
• Personal growth and professional development
• Different perspectives on issues
• Enhanced communication and leadership skills
• A way of making a contribution
• Enhanced communication and interpersonal
skills
(Harris, P & Daley, J, 2006)
Leadership + Teamwork + Cultural
Awareness + Effective communication 
SUCCESS IN CAREER
As a mentor you will gain skills such as:
• People coordination and management – This is irrespective of your
management level
• Team work – You are accountable for a group of students, be aware of
the value of this
• Cultural awareness – Learning to respect, learn from others and be
exposed to other cultures
• Networking – you will need these skills for the rest of your life
• You are now working with your professional network, you are guiding
this association
What is expected of you as a Mentor?
• Listen & question
• Utilise your communication and
interpersonal skills
• Pass on what you know
• Offer a different point of view
• Offer support, encouragement
• Give well-informed advice
• Refer on where appropriate
• Celebrate success
What are the role boundaries?
Don’t:
• Compromise your own study / work /life balance
• Be available 24/7
• Put yourself in a situation where you are not comfortable – seek help
from your mentor program coordinator and the various support
avenues
• Meet alone off campus
• You are not:
 A teacher
 A counsellor
 A private tutor
 A representative for academic matters and disputes
What are you required to do as a Mentor?
• Remain in contact with your mentor program coordinator
• Remain in contact with your mentees and communicate using
the various channels
• Encourage your mentees to construct their iPortfolio
• Active involvement in the school's StartUp Week with new
students
• An expectation that you will meet your mentees on campus
either individually or as a group during the semester
• A minimum of two mentor meetings with the Mentor Program
Coordinator in your area during the semester
• Participation in the evaluation process at the end of the
semester
Guest Mentor Speakers
9:30 – 9:45
Brooke Jones
Rhiannon Italiano
Kaye Lirio
Email Netiquette…
What is wrong with this email to mentees?
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Wassup my HOMEYS????
Yo Homey,
What’s cracking? I’m busy as a mofo and have no time for my stupid
assignments.
What’s going down with your uni work?
Im busting for the weekend so I can frost myself and hit the town. You down?
Outty for now,
Mr Mentor man (ps like my cartoon … ha ha ha)
Effective Communication
Mentoring will involve aspects of interpersonal skills
Interpersonal Skills:
One aspect of leadership is Interpersonal skills. To develop these you
must:
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Communicate powerfully
Inspire others to high performance
Build trust
Develop others
Collaborate and develop strong teams
Involve others in communication
To develop others, develop yourself
(Zenger, J and Folkman, J, 2004)
Effective Communication
Communication channels
Some practical tools to communicate effectively with your mentees:
• Meet with your mentees on campus – if they do not attend StartUp
Week, organise an alternative time to meet with them
• Blackboard – utilise the online environment ask your coordinator to set
up a Mentor Program unit or section under one of your units
• Utilise email – it is a good idea to get the students preferred email and
show them how to divert their Oasis email
• Use text / phone if you are comfortable with this
• Schedule meetings with doodle: http://doodle.com
• Online forum: http://forumotion.com
New student Issues Activity
Think pair Share:
What will new students face?
What do you wish that you knew when starting
University?
Share your thoughts
Morning Tea
10:30 – 11:00am
The Diverse Campus…
• Everybody is not the same
Who is new to Perth?
• Most International students
• Most students from rural WA
• Australians from other states
All will experience some degree of culture shock
Being new to Perth
Culture Shock…
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An initial exciting period – feeling UP!
Disappointment and/or confusion – feeling DOWN!
Adjustment period / Recovery – feeling UP!
Sense of isolation – feeling DOWN!
Adjustment period / Recovery – feeling UP
Cultural Diversity Scenarios and
being new to uni and/or Perth
• …the diverse things at Curtin
that you may face as a
mentor…
Scenario 1 - Age
You have met with your mentees and you find
you have a group with a range of different
ages. You receive an email in week 2 from one
of your mentees, Karen who does not seem to
be coping well with the return to study. She
has been out of study for 20 years and is
finding it hard adjusting to University and in
particular the study aspects.
Scenario 1 - Age
Age is not 100% correlated with anything but….
We can expect more mature-aged students to :
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Be juggling study with family, job and other commitments
Have not studied recently
Have less familiarity with IT issues
Know what “cc” on email originally referred to
Younger students may have age-related issues to do with:
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identity formation and maturity
career path choice
personal independence
relationships and sexuality
Scenario 2 - Religion
• After meeting your Mentees for the first time,
you find out Hassan is religious. You have not
been contacted by Hassan very much through
the semester. It is nearing exam time and
Hassan has contacted you with a concern that
an exam may clash with a religious holiday or
event. What could you advise the student to
assist him?
Scenario 2 - Religion
There is great variation in the significance different students attach
to their religion – from it being of central importance to virtual
irrelevance.
Curtin has just about any religious group you can think of.
It is easier to be unintentionally offensive on religious grounds than
almost anything else.
Scenario 3 - Disability
It is nearly the exam period and the draft
timetable has come out for students. You
receive an email from Beth, one of your
mentees who has a particular query related to
extra time allowance. She says it is because of
a disability but does not define it. How can you
assist or direct this student to some help?
Scenario 3 - Disability
Most disabilities are not obvious to an outside
observer. This includes:
•Physical
•Sensory
•Learning
•Mental Health
•Long and short term medical conditions
Many students choose not to disclose a disability,
and may be sensitive about the matter
Scenario 4 – International Student
It is week 3 and you receive a text from Yuko,
who arrived from Japan just before the
semester started. She is a little distressed
when you meet. She does not like the course
she is in and would like to change; she is
having a problem setting up a bank account
and is also feeling a little homesick. What can
you do to assist this student?
Scenario 4 – International Students
Approximately a quarter of Curtin students are
International
The proportion varies a lot between courses
Major issues include:
• Poverty
• Homesickness
• Family expectations
• English language
• Religion
• Exposure to “western style” education
• Etc.
Scenario 5 – New Country Student
One of your mentees has just moved from
Esperance to Perth. This is his first time away
from home and he is living in student housing.
Consequently he now has to look after himself
with things such as budgeting youth
allowance, shopping, and cooking – which are
all things that he has never had to do before.
What kind of suggestions do you have to assist
him?
Scenario 5 – New Country Student
Every country student has to move away from home,
whether he/she is ready or not.
No country town in WA has a population bigger than
~30,000
They are often lonely
Not every country student is a farmer
However, they do speak English….
Scenario 6 – Assessment Issues
This week you have received a text from a
distressed Mentee who has received her first
assignment back and failed just by a fraction.
She is very disappointed and upset about this
as she put in an immense amount of effort
and research on this one and was sure that
she was on the right track. What are the steps
that you take to assist this student?
Scenario 6 – Assessment Issues
The first major assessment is a key point for many new students
They can be very unsure about the standard expected, and the
amount of work required.
Some may react negatively to a poor result
Scenario 7 – Personal Issues
Jenny contacts you on the phone crying and sounding
devastated. After some time you finally manage to
calm her down and find out what exactly that she is
upset about. It turns out that she has been dumped
by her boyfriend of 1 year and she is extremely down.
She has turned to you for some help. What can you
suggest to assist this Mentee or how can you point
her in the right direction?
Scenario 7 – Personal Issues
• Bad stuff can happen to
anyone at any time
• What you may consider
relatively trivial may be a big
deal to someone else – be
prepared to listen
• You can probably be helpful
with smaller scale situational
issues, but less so with
significant mental health
issues
• Recognize your role
boundaries – more on
support services later
today…
Culturally Diverse Panel
11:45-12:00
Michelle Harris
Kaye Lirio
Chris Hossen
Curtin’s sources of help and your duty of
care
– It is important to be familiar with what is available….and to
link your mentees to the right service in a timely way
The University Life Portal
• http://unilife.curtin.edu.au/ - this page has:
– A link to every support service offered at Curtin
– A service finder, in case you are not sure which service you
might need
– You’ll find a link to this from the Current Students web
page and anywhere that has the “Don’t Drop Out, Drop in”
button
Risk Management
• The role for both
mentor and mentee
should be nonexploitative:
– You do not have to be a
close friend
– It is not a dating service
– Any private knowledge
mentors gain about an
individual should remain
private
– You are not your
mentees’
“representative”
– You must not act beyond
your expertise
– The mentor is not an
expert on everything
Risk of harm
• In the unlikely event of a mentee threatening
self-harm or harm to others:
– Do not try to manage this yourself
– Contact the Counselling Service immediately – ph
9266 7850
– Or Contact Lifeline
All hours 13 11 14
Web address http://www.lifelinewa.org.au/
The Learning Centre
The Learning Centre
Level 1, Library
http://learningsupport.curtin.edu.au/home/index.cfm
– Offers a range of seminars and workshops
to assist students to get better academic
results
Counselling Services
Level 2, Building 109
Ph 9266 7850
• A free and confidential service.
• Appointments are required but counsellors may be
seen on short notice for emergencies
• Includes a group program
• http://counselling.curtin.edu.au/
• Disability Support Services are also located in the same area
• http://counselling.curtin.edu.au/disability.cfm
Health Services
Level 1, Building 109
Ph 9266 7345
• Provides comprehensive general practice
patient care plus overseas immunization.
• http://healthservices.curtin.edu.au/
START
Building 102
Ph 9266 1663
• Student Advisers support new-to-Curtin students and
responsible for transition programs run each semester.
• http://unilife.curtin.edu.au/newtocurtin/index.cfm
• Also available for one to one chats
• Can also refer you to other services on and off campus to
support your life while at Uni – a great starting point for
students who are unsure who they need to speak to.
• Email - [email protected]
International Student
Advisers
Building 102
Ph 9266 2434
[email protected]
• For International students, we can assist with:
– A smooth transition into university life
– Personal issues
– Academic concerns i.e. conditional status, struggling with units, course
etc
– Advice on how to handle complaints and grievances
– Liaison between student and faculty or School (Course Coordinator,
Unit Controller etc.) if you have problems explaining yourself
– Any other situation that you are unhappy with or unsure of
• http://connect.curtin.edu.au/isa/
Housing Services
Building 103
Phone 9266 4430
• Advice on all accommodationrelated issues
• Eg: finding on-campus, offcampus and private sector
accommodation, paying fees,
transferring rooms.
• http://housing.curtin.edu.au/
Curtin Careers Centre
• Building 599
• Phone 9266 7802
•
http://www.careers.curtin.edu.au/
• Support for any career-related
issue – including course switching
• Can also put you in touch with a
mentor already working in your
profession
Curtin Volunteers (CV!)
Curtin Hub, Building 599
Ph 9266 3954
• A non-profit, student-led organization
that gives Curtin students and staff an
opportunity to give back to the
community through a huge range of
rewarding programs and projects.
• Extremely useful to help new students
build a social network and improve
conversational English
• http://cv.curtin.edu.au/
Recreation@Curtin
• Getting off your butt and being active is a top stress
management tool
• The new sports stadium offers a ton of activities in
addition to existing facilities
• Ph 9266 7052
• http://recreation.curtin.edu.au/
Curtin Business School students
• CBS also offers a range of support services for
CBS students
• See See the Communication Skills Centre
– Building 407, Room 202
– Phone 9266 3079
• http://www.business.curtin.edu.au/business/currentstudents/writing-and-study-skills-support
Financial information
• Student Central, Building 101
• Phone 9266 2992
• http://scholarships.curtin.edu.au/
• Emergency Loans information:
http://studentloans.curtin.edu.au/
Centrelink
• Building 106
• Phone 132 490
• http://www.centrelink.gov.au/
• Contact page:
http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/intern
et.nsf/contact_us/index.htm
Student Central & Faculty Student Service
Offices –
there is often an administrative solution to some problems
• See website for a vast
array of services –
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Enrolment
Fees
Examinations
Appeals
OASIS / eStudent
Lots of other essential
things…
• http://students.curtin.edu.au/
OASIS-based resources
• It is good to familiarise new
students with all the stuff
they can access from OASIS
• The StartUp Channel is
especially useful
• Let’s log in…
• http://www.curtin.edu.au/
Student Guild
Building 106A
• Phone 9266 2900
http://guild.curtin.edu.au/
• Student Assist http://guild.curtin.edu.au/go/student-assist
• (check out Bookshop Grants….)
• Recreation http://guild.curtin.edu.au/go/guild-rec
The Library
Not so much a support service as an absolutely
essential tool for new students
Other key
resources
• Before moving on – think…
• Are there any other key learning resources in
your area that a new student should know
about?
• Labs, common rooms, whatever?
Lunch and Meeting with your Mentor
Program coordinator: 12:30 -1:30
Grab some lunch and meet your coordinators in:
School of Science – 405.205
School of OT and Social Work – 402.217
Pharmacy – No Lunch Meeting (3:30-4:30 in 405.205)
Physiotherapy – 405.204
Biomedical Science, Psychology, Education, MCCA,
Design, Spatial Science – 405.201
Computer science – 314 (Mike’s Office)
Afternoon Session – 19th February 2010
1:30 – 3:00pm
Group C: 46
402.216
Education
MCCA
Fashion Design
Design
Group D: 105
405.201
Biomedical
School of Public Health
Computer Science
Spatial Science
Psychology
School of Science
Pharmacy
Group E: 30
405.204
Physiotherapy
School of OT and Social Work
A bit of the admin stuff
• Registration
• Evaluation
• Risk Management
The Mentor agreement
• Submit the Mentor agreement online:
• http://mentoring.curtin.edu.au/mentors/Agreement.cfm
Recognition of your role
• There is financial recognition for your role
• The possibility of a bonus voucher
• When you have completed your period as a mentor, it is
added to your student record as a Supplementary Statement
of Student Achievement
• You can collect a Certificate of Participation from START
• Mentees are invited to nominate mentors for additional
recognition – see
http://unilife.curtin.edu.au/newtocurtin/mentoring/mentee_gains.cfm
Evaluation processes for the Mentor
Program
• It is important to obtain evaluation data:
– To validate your role (and pay you!)
– To improve the program
– For research purposes
• Let’s look over the Evaluation process at
• http://unilife.curtin.edu.au/newtocurtin/mentoring/evaluation_2010.cfm
Mentor evaluation
• I use your feedback to:
– Report on this program to the University
– Provide information to future mentors and
mentees
• See previous mentors comments at:
http://unilife.curtin.edu.au/newtocurtin/ment
oring/mentor_gains.cfm
Mentee evaluation
• We collect your mentees feedback to:
– Report on this program to the University
– Provide information to future mentors and
mentees
– Mentee evaluation:
• http://mentoring.curtin.edu.au/staff/evaluation.cfm
• See previous mentee comments at:
• http://unilife.curtin.edu.au/newtocurtin/mentoring/mentee_
gains.cfm
Any queries
• If a mentor or mentee has any concerns, make
contact with…
– Your course coordinator / Coordinating staff
member
– Ebonee Lynch, Mentor Program Coordinator
• Phone 9266 9822
– Jim Elliott, START Manager
• Phone 9266 1821
– Email us at [email protected]