These pages aim to inform you about mentoring processes and resources. The University facilitates personal and professional development enabling individuals and groups to achieve their full potential. Mentoring is a dynamic way of facilitating such development.
What is a Student Mentor?
Let’s start with what a mentor is. A mentor is someone who likely has more work or life experience than you do, regardless of age. Someone that you look up to and that has achieved some things in their lives that you also hope to achieve. Someone that you can see similarities between who they are or what they have done and what you aspire to do or be as a person. A mentor can have varying responsibilities, formality of relationship, and time commitments. Every mentoring relationship is different. A student mentor differs in that this mentorship relationship is specifically tailored to help students succeed in school. Student mentors may meet weekly with students to encourage, listen and make suggestions on their current activities and classes. A student mentor may also allow a student to get involved in the mentor’s workplace to learn about the field and make connections.
Whether you are coming from high school, College, the workforce or another path, the change to university life can be challenging. To support you in your transition to your undergraduate program at university, you will be connected with a Mentor who is in the second or third year of your School. Mentors provide first-hand support to new students in the first five weeks of their study, when it matters most.
March 2020: Mentors are now available online
Mentors will continue to be available to support you via phone and email until the end of week 5 (3 April). Please approach us with any questions you have. This will be an opportunity for discussion and questions on issues which are concerning you at the moment. Mentors will continue to guide you on academic requirements, online queries and lots more.
What does a mentor do?
Each Mentor is assigned a group of first-year students from within their school. During the first five weeks of semester, Mentors organise weekly meetings with this small group. Meetings can include activities and discussion of issues such as academic requirements, finding support on campus and navigating university systems like Moodle. Mentors are also available to respond to text, email and phone enquiries.
Mentors will…
- provide access to a student network in your School
- introduces you to the student support structures at university, and
- orient you on campus, help you to understand the lingo and academic expectations.
More broadly, the mentor program…
- creates awareness of transition issues experienced in the first year at university
- provides a framework for constructive interaction between new students, mentors and staff, and
- enables new students to embrace the challenges and opportunities that university offers.
Online mentors
If you are a commencing online undergraduate student you will also be allocated a Mentor. Your mentor will be available to support you through the first five weeks of semester through live chat and forum discussions in the online student Moodle area. Your Mentor will help you connect with other online students in the same school, and are available to answer any questions you have about online study because they are also current students.
When will I meet my mentor?
Orientation Week is a very important time for first-year students because it provides a head-start in knowing what to expect in your program. You will meet your Mentor during this week.
If you miss orientation you can meet your Mentor in the first week of lectures. You will receive an email or text from your mentor after you complete your enrolment. If you are having trouble getting in to contact with your Mentor,