Peer Mentoring Students supporting students throughout the student lifecycle

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Peer MentoringStudents supporting students
throughout the student lifecycle

• Baljit Gill
• Learner Enhancement Manager

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Aston University

• 7,000 undergraduate students
• Mature students 11
• Ethnic minority 59
• State school 91
• Living at home 37
• West Midlands 47
• Birmingham 23
• Non-continuation 6

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Background research at Aston

• LPN (Hartley, 2006) progression and achievement,
  placement, career planning, HE experience
• Mature students (Ulrich, 2005) HE experience,
  awareness of and satisfaction with available
  support
• Living at home (Arya and Smith, 2005) Affect of
  residential arrangements upon use of facilities

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Established research

• Hay (1995) guide or role model
• Newcombe Wilson (1966) - peer group influence
• Kram Isabella (1985) peers as mentors
• Yorke (2000) first year experience

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What is Peer Mentoring?

• A one-to-one, non-judgemental relationship in
  which an
• individual mentor voluntarily gives his/her time
  to support and
• encourage another
• Active Communities Unit, Home Office 2001

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Peer Mentoring across the student lifecycle
Pre-Entry
Employment
Transition
Placement
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Embedding Peer Mentoring at Aston

• Small scale pilot to universal programme
• Recruitment and marketing
• Compulsory training
• Matching
• Flexibility

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Feedback and Evaluation

• Baseline questionnaires
• Regular review meetings
• Mentoring Record
• Exit questionnaire
• Open door policy

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Benefits to mentors

• Improve communication and interpersonal skills
• Reinforce study/work skills
• Increased confidence and motivation
• Enhanced CV
• Recognition for skills and experience
• Fulfillment and personal growth

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Benefits to Schools

• Aid transition of first year students
• Enhanced placement preparation
• Reduce routine enquiries
• Cross-year collaboration
• Skills development (PDP)
• Attractive to potential applicants

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What makes Peer Mentoring work?

• Voluntary
• Flexible
• Universal
• Positive
• Compulsory training
• Collaboration with Schools
• Senior management support

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What next?

• Potential to Succeed HEFCE/Paul Hamlyn
• What is Peer Mentoring?
• Role of Peer Mentoring in student retention and
  success
• Models of Peer Mentoring
• Project aim to identify interventions that have
  made a measurable impact on retention,
  progression and achievement

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What our students say

• The extra help was a fantastic bonus! An
  excellent scheme, I would advise any 1st or 2nd
  year to join the programme. I have learnt how to
  take advice and then develop on it. For example,
  my mentor would suggest ways of improvement for
  my cover letter and I would have to expand on
  that. I would not be given the answer on a
  plate.
• 2nd year mentee

I was able to convince her otherwise about
leaving uni 2nd year mentor
Excellent - gives students the support they need
to fully maximise their university experience.
First year mentee
Helping first year students settle in, being
available to answer any silly questions that
arise while entering university life and
environmentthe chance to think about positive
aspects of university life and refresh my
knowledge about the subject Final year mentor
Brilliant to be supported by people who have
been where you are and have got through it 1st
year mentee
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Contact

• Baljit Gill
• b.k.gill_at_aston.ac.uk
• 0121 204 4778