TOGETHER WE CAN REACH THE GOAL 

What does a mentor NOT offer a mentee?

A mentor can greatly support the mentees' approach to study and assignments and establish goals and a sense of direction by having a clearer overview of the course. However, it is important to ensure that the mentor does not get too closely involved in the mentees' academic work or make decisions for them. Rather than creating a dependency, the mentoring scheme pairings aim to empower students so that the mentee develops their own skills and understanding and can go on to work independently and confidently. While mentors can be highly supportive, they are not expected to act as counsellors. Sometimes a mentee may share personal information with their mentor because they have learnt to feel comfortable interacting with them. If this information causes concern (see Confidentiality and Boundaries section), we would ask you to encourage them to speak to someone in a position to help at the academy.  This has counselling and well-being services, and trained professionals run both. You can also suggest that the mentee discuss any issues with a member of the mentoring team as they are fully aware of how the university a student with problems or concerns.

As a final thought, a mentor is not expected to take the place of a lecturer and should never produce work for their mentee. 

What does a mentor offer a mentee?

Having a mentor can help a mentee explore options, gain practical advice, develop social and academic confidence and form strategies for dealing with any challenges. A peer mentor can really enhance the university experience of other students by reducing their stress levels and increasing their mentees' confidence and self-esteem. Having already progressed further on the course, the mentor can offer advice and tips, based on their own experiences and observation. These may relate to budgeting, adapting to the environment, enhancing study skills, raising awareness of available services, clubs and facilities, reassuring the mentee that it is quite normal to find aspects of their experience challenging and exploring ways for them to progress confidently.

Ending the mentoring relationship

A good reason for limiting the mentor relationship time at the start is clarity about how long the support is there for. This doesn’t mean that the relationship can’t continue. It requires a new request to be made, and both parties agree. Also, if the relationship doesn’t work out, don’t feel trapped. Changes can be made. Timings may not fit both parties’ timetables, so another mentor or mentee might work better. This is not a problem at all, so please speak to the coordinator or a member of the mentoring team as soon as concerns arise.

How often do we need to be in contact?

Peer mentoring is flexible and arranged around the availability and needs of both parties. We don’t dictate exactly when you have contact or for how long, but if there is a long silence, with no contact or meeting, a mentee may not feel adequately supported. We would suggest that every 2 to 3 weeks is ideal for contact. Most mentor pairs find their own pattern and recognise times of greater and lesser need. Even a brief email to see how the mentee is getting on can be experienced as supportive. One of the first things we suggest you do is compare academic diaries to identify times when both parties will be very busy or are fairly available. A mentoring relationship will differ for each pair of students and can last for just one semester or an entire academic year. Again, it is important to be flexible and work around the needs of those involved.  Some mentor relationships have continued beyond a year because they work so well and are experienced positively by both the mentor and mentee. Others have been just as positive but shorter due to the mentee reaching a level of confidence that means they don’t feel the need for further support. Either example is fine because they meet the needs of the mentor.