Experienced students help freshmen in a new mentor process

24 November 2017 by Bernd Wollenweber

Older students can dispense their experience to new students. This can benefit students, teachers and the university. A mentor scheme has therefore been established in the bachelor programme Agrobiology.

The overall aim of the mentor scheme is to increase study skills and reduce the dropout rate among Agrobiology bachelor students. Periods of particular importance for supporting students in this regard are at the beginning of the course and before the first exams.

The basic idea behind the mentor scheme is that older students, who are well established in the academic and social environments (mentors), will guide first-year students (mentees) about life as a university student. Through own experience with study strategies and habits the mentor can put him or herself in the freshman’s shoes and make the implicit requirements to being a student clear.

First mentors are ready

The first three mentors in the bachelor programme Agrobiology have taken a two-day course to prepare for entering into a professional mentor-mentee relationship with the aid of facilitation and conversation skills.

In addition to the training, the mentor’s work comprises conversations and meetings with the mentees. Topics for the meetings could be: what does it mean to be a good, successful student, what are the expected skills, motivation, loneliness and community, and performance anxiety.

The function of the mentor is thus:

To help adjust expectations to the studies
To help the student’s integration and retention in the academic life in the programme
To give the student sparring with regard to good study habits and strategies
To clarify the skills and tools the student needs to learn (e.g. group work, management of literature, writing assignment, spreadsheets)
To put the elements of the programme in perspective e.g. thematise the role of the supplementary subjects
To support the student’s integration in the social life in the programme

The mentor can take various initiatives with the mentee, such as recommending contact to student counselling, course coordinator or the person responsible for the programme. The mentors must thus always supplement the efforts of the tutors, teachers and student counsellors in ensuring a good student environment. Follow-up from the mentors via the mentor meetings will help those responsible for the programme and the courses to adjust quickly in response to various challenges. At the end of the project, each mentor will receive a certificate for completion of mentor training and the role as a mentor.

Success criteria for the mentor scheme are:

For students: Increased well-being and integration on the course and in the academic environments. Improved study habits. Use of skills and tools
For mentors: Career-improving: Development of project leader skills, improved communication skills, coaching experience, consciousness about own study strategies, personal and academic development and creation of network. Certificate
For teachers: Motivated students that master student life. Insight into students’ challenges and daily life. Input to development of the teaching environment
For the department: Fewer dropouts. Increased student activity. Improved student satisfaction. Possibility for using the scheme to profile the programme

Establishment of alumni network

Several initiatives to establish an alumni network at ST have been taken to maintain contact with our alumni. Thus each department will establish alumni sites on their websites, where the department’s services to alumni will be shown. In addition, LinkedIn groups and lists of alumni will be established.

An ST alumni day will be held in Aarhus on April 5, 2018 with a welcome and a lecture. Thereafter there will be events in each department. AGRO, ANIS and FOOD have decided to coordinate this event which they plan to hold in Foulum.