Welcome

Before we start…

• Meet the team!• Juan Tinoco, April Afoa and Eddie Escalante• Tell us about yourself and why you have joined the mentor program

• Icebreaker

• True Colors Personality Test

Orientation Outline

About the Program

Mentor Roles & Responsibilities

Time Commitment & Expectations

Mentor / Mentee Relationship

Goals of the Mentoring Relationship

Skills for Effective Mentors

Things to Avoid

Contacting Your Mentee

Keeping up Communication with Your Mentee

Confidentiality & Ethical Considerations

Mentor Program Background

• Institutional Review Committee findings on retention at UWest- Approximately 25% of UWest students drop out each year (mostly first year students)

• Retention strategy included creation a Peer Mentoring Program

• WASC recommendation

What is Mentoring?

Mentoring at The University of the West can be defined as a helping relationship between an experienced student and a new student, through which the mentor provides information, friendship, advice and support to the mentee, while also acting as a positive role model.

Mentor Program Mission

The UWest Peer Mentor Program is designed to provide a caring, thoughtful, and humane advocate/facilitator for first-year domestic and international students in their transition to the UWest community. Peer mentors provide support and access to resources that increase mentees success and engagement at UWest.

Program Objectives• To increase retention by alleviating initial isolation,

increasing student involvement and interaction, and providing the student with additional encouragement and inspiration to be successful by bridging the gap between student services and support systems.

• The UWest Peer Mentor Program accomplishes this by providing a series of programs and activities and conditions designed to assist students with their adjustment to university life.

The Role of a Mentor

What do you need to do?Assist your Mentee’s transition to UWest as successfully as possible, by:• Answering all of the questions your mentees have (or

pointing them in the direction of someone who can)

• Anticipating the questions that they may have

• Offering continuous student guidance, advice, support and friendship

• Act as a liaison between mentees and the university.

The Role of a Mentor

Ways in which a mentor might work with a mentee…• providing practical information and helpful hints• sharing your experiences• lending an empathetic ear during times of stress• giving lots of praise and encouragement• directing the first year student to other networks and

sources of support available on campus• arranging opportunities for first year students to meet

each other and widen their social and support networks

What Exactly is Expected of You?Mentor Responsibilities:

 • Meet with assigned mentees individually at least twice per semester, and once

as a mentee group.

• Initiate contact with your assigned mentees on a weekly basis, even if just to say hello and ask how they are doing.

• Participate with and help to promote to your mentees Wellness, Student Life, Residential Life, Career Services, UWest Student Government and other campus events.

• Serve as a role model and reliable resource by introducing new students to on-campus programs, services and activities.

 • Work cooperatively and collaboratively with the Mentor Program Coordinators

and fellow mentors.

The Role of a Mentor is NOT• A counselor, parent, teacher, tutor• A career experiment• Decision making for others• A dating agency• Creating dependent relationships• Being expected to solve all problems

Role BoundariesBe sure NOT to:

• Compromise your own study / work / life balance

• Be available to your mentee 24x7

• Put yourself in a situation where you are not comfortable – seek help from your Mentor Program Coordinator

You are not a teacher, a counsellor, a private tutor or a representative for academic matters and disputes. These services are provided by staff on campus. If you are unsure who provides these services, please ask the Coordinator!

You can help your mentees with self-directed learning, but this does NOT mean you do their assignments for them!

GOALS OF THE MENTORING RELATIONSHIP

1. Establish a positive relationship with your mentees.

2. Help your mentees to develop academic and life skills for success.

3. Assist mentees in accessing and utilizing academic and university resources.

(source: CSUN EOP Peer Mentor Resource Booklet)

The Mentorship Experience

The role for both mentor and mentee should be non-exploitative:

• 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 are however their advocate

• You must not act beyond your expertise - simply point them in the right direction The mentor is not an expert on everything – part of your role is to connect them to the student services at UWest; a facilitator.

• If you have issues, you can ask for a mentee to be reassigned

Contacting Your Mentee• Mentors are responsible for initiating contact with their

mentees

• Mentors will send an email to mentees within one week of the start of the relationship, to introduce themselves and arrange the first meeting

Tips for Sustaining the Relationship

• Be there – keep commitments, be responsive and be present in interactions

• Invest the time to get to know what is important to your mentee and be open to learning from him or her

• Do not bring someone else to the meetings unless you have discussed ahead of time

• Respect your mentee’s ability to make his or her own choices; do not criticize preach, or tell a mentee what to do

Tips for Sustaining the Relationship

• When discussing concerns, focus on asking questions and listening, share possible solutions, and follow-up on the outcome

• Be patient and flexible

• Look for and celebrate progress

• Know your limits; if a problem is of a serious nature, contact the program administrators

Characteristics of a Successful Mentor

• Wants to help others

• Has good knowledge of UWest (and a willingness to find out!)

• Demonstrates honesty, integrity, and both respect and responsibility

• Effective communication skills

• Is sensitive to how their mentees are feeling – attends and responds to both

content and feeling

• Spends time communicating with mentees

• Open minded, deals well with diverse individuals

• Willing to acknowledge, as a mentor, that a mentee may not necessarily ask

for help.

• Reference - http://humanresources.about.com/od/coachingmentori2/qt/formal_mentor.htm

The Student Lifecycle:What Questions When?Weeks 1 – 2

• Homesickness

• Family relationship issues because they have moved away from home

• Feelings of uncertainty in adjusting to their new environment

• Feelings of inadequacy and social rejection fears

• Time management difficulties

• Independent living issues

• Anxiety in establishing new friendships

• Organizational stress related to academic study

Weeks 2 – 4

• Homesickness may still exist

• Financial strains may increase due to lack of

budgeting experience (or just from being

poor – most students don’t have enough

money!)

• Frustration in accessing information and

using technology

• Feelings of being overwhelmed and overly

extended

• Difficulty managing study commitments and

other commitments

• Question reasons for taking course

• Loneliness

The Student Lifecycle: What Questions When?

Weeks 4 – 6

• Concerns with meeting academic expectations

• Increased anxiety concerning completing assignments

• Continued feelings of being overwhelmed and over extended

• Increased anxiety associated with accessing information needed to complete assignments

• Financial pressures – lack of money, bills start to come in

• Possible questioning reasons for undertaking course

• Homesickness continues

Weeks 6 – 8

• Feelings of being burnt out • Depression • Homesickness continues • Pressure to find paid work • Increased academic work pressures

associated with meeting deadlines for assignments or tests

• Increased alcohol or other substance consumption

• Relationship pressures - possibly issues with friends or dating issues

• Sickness — lack of sleep and not eating well

• Stress and panic related to up and coming exams

Face-to-Face Communication Tips

• Be present; do not think ahead to what you or the other person

is going to say next

• Be open and accept other points of view

• Paraphrase to show attempts to understand what is being said

• Do not make assumptions; clarify anything that is unclear

• Maintain appropriate eye contact and open posture

• First listen to your Mentee

• Practice mindful communication

Face-to-Face Communication Tips

Practicing Effective Communication Skills• Get them talking – their passions and interests, the course,

their experiences so far, your experiences• Open ended questions - Why do you like … ? Tell me

more about … What do you think about … ?• Be patient - Mentees may need time to communicate their

issues• Be responsible - Follow up on an issue and get back to

them when you say you will! Even if it’s to say “I haven’t got an answer yet but I’m still working on it”

• Thank Mentees for turning up to your meeting!• Remind them to contact you if they need help 

More Tips for Mentors• Try to ensure your mentees feel supported regardless of

who they are, where they are from, their socioeconomic background, choice of Major etc.

• Maintain proper boundaries – you do not need to put yourself in harm’s way nor allow destructive behaviours to go unmentioned (report to Program Coordinator if necessary)

• Arranging meetings – Mentors have found that offering to pay for a coffee can work. Ask yourself: What would make YOU want to go to a mentor meeting? What would be valuable to you?

• First impressions count - your first contact (especially face to face) with your mentees is going to say a lot about you.

Questions or Concerns?