Subject-based Student Mentoring at VU
OVERVIEW

Introduction

As part of VU's aims to improve first year undergraduate transition and retention, Student Mentoring is considered a valuable addition to the teaching and learning environment. As such, the Student Mentoring Working Party, set up in 2001, examined national and international Student Mentoring Programs and those which had already been trialed at VU to determine which form of mentoring would be useful to trial.

The working party determined that a Student Mentoring Program which

• provides extra support for students within students' academic subjects
• is group based 
• and gives academic credit to the student mentors

would be most useful to aid the university's attempts to improve first year undergraduate student transition and retention. 

Based on a program called Supplemental Instruction (SI) in the US and the University of Queensland's Peer Assisted Study Scheme (PASS), VU's Subject-based Student Mentoring Program has been adapted to meet the varying needs of VU's diverse student population and to fit  into our own institutional processes. 

Summary of the Mentoring Program

The Subject-based Mentoring Program is a student mentoring scheme in which students who have been successful in a specific subject conduct regular self-help study sessions for students new to the subject. It is based on the principle that peer collaboration can aid learning, help create a sense of belonging and can aid student retention. It has four key elements:

• It focuses on providing students with group based, peer support
  
• It runs in subjects that students have traditionally found difficult. This is in contrast to more typical academic assistance programs which focus on providing assistance to struggling students.
  
• All students in a targeted subject are urged to attend the sessions therefore students with varying abilities and backgrounds can participate. 
  
• Student Mentors are rewarded for their participation by academic credit. The Student Mentoring Program is usually made part of an existing elective subject. 
  

How can SLS help with the Subject-based Student Mentoring program?

SLS has an overall coordination role for the Subject-based Student Mentoring Program. In particular SLS work with staff in the following ways:

• discussions on how the program could assist students in your subject/course/program
• selection of student mentors
• training of student mentors
• observation of student mentoring groups
• evaluation strategies

If you would like to set up a Subject-based Student Mentoring scheme based on the information on this site please contact Gill Best, SLS, Tel: 9919 4147.

Three good reasons to incorporate the program in your unit

The student mentoring program is based on key principles within the student retention literature. Specifically, student retention is argued to increase if students

1. feel engaged in their studies and with their institution

2. feel they 'matter'

3. feel socially and academically integrated*. 

Subject-based Student Mentoring is just one way to improve students' experiences of university and ultimately to help VU's transition and retention efforts. 

As Joe Cuseo, Director of Freshman Seminar at Marymount College in Palos Verdes, California has stated

"any institutional policy, procedure, or practice which promotes active involvement, social integration and personal significance will likely promote their retention" (Cuseo, 2003)*. 

Subject-based Student Mentoring might be useful to you and your students if:

• you coordinate or teach a subject which students traditionally find difficult
  
• you are interested in helping your students to become more actively engaged in your subject
  
• you want some assistance to be available to your students
  
• you are interested in helping to improve student transition and retention

If you are interested in further reading on these matters see the Resources page.

*Cuseo, J. (Monday 10th November, 2003) From FYE discussion list FYE-LIST@LISTSERV.SC.EDU Re: Organizational/Administrative Processes & Student Retention.