STUDENTS HELPING STUDENTS

Students can participate in a variety of mentoring programs at VU both as a mentor and mentee. Some mentoring programs help you with specific subjects while others help you to make the transition to university in the first few weeks. Look below to find out if there is a program that interests you.

Staff looking for general information about peer mentoring at VU can find it here.

Staff looking for information specifically on Subject-Based Mentoring can find it here.

Student Rovers in the Learning Commons

During 2007, VU students with good academic results can apply to be Student Rovers in the new Learning Commons. Student Roves will assist other students with basic queries related to IT, library systems and learning issues, or refer them on to a relevant IT, Library or Learning resource or to an appropriate staff member. For more information contact Rob McCormack.

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Accounting Articulators (Footscray Park)

Students studying accounting in TAFE who wish to articulate into Accounting higher education will be able to meet with students mentors who have already articulated into Accounting higher education courses. The student mentors will be able to advise you on how best to make the transition to higher education, what to look out for and what to do to make the transition to higher education easily. During your first semester, your mentors will communicate with you via an on-line mentoring forum. For more information on how to join this mentoring group, or if you would like to be a mentor,contact Gill Best.

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Student Circles in Exercise Science, Human Movement and Physical Education (Sunbury)

Based in the Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Movement, this Student Mentoring Program focuses on easing the transition to university in the first semester. Student mentors, who are second, third or fourth year students, facilitate groups mentoring sessions prior to, and during the semester. First year students are allocated to a mentoring group, known as a Student Circle, and trained Student Mentors provide support and advice on matters related to study and university life. If you would like more information on Student Circles, either as a participant or mentor, please feel free to contact Dennis Hemphill.

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Orientation Hosts

Orientation Hosts are continuing Higher Education students who volunteer to work with Campus Orientation committees to make new students feel welcome on their Orientation Day. Hosts greet new students, take new students on campus tours and socialise with them at the campus lunchtime social activity. Hosts connect new students to the larger student body and generally assist them to find their way. Being an Orientation Host is a bit of fun, a way of making more friends, increases skills and is a pathway into other "Students Helping Student" programs. Add it to your CV! To volunteer to be an Orientation Host, contact your campus Recreation Officer or John Vernon who will introduce you to other Hosts and provide you with instructions before the day.

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cONEct-Mentoring

Mentoring of First year students by staff members in the School of Education. Each home group of students is allocated a Lecturer (not their current lecturers): and they meet up informally in a range of ways such as: coffee and chat, email, group meeting. The Mentor Lecturer becomes another significant other that the students can refer to for support, advice, and another friendly face that they know on the University campus. For more details contact Coral Cara.

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Career Bridge

Provided by Student Career Development and Student Counseling, the program focuses on providing final year students with a Mentor from a professional workplace. For further information on how to involve your students contact scdprojects@vu.edu.au

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Student Ambassador Program

The Student Ambassador Program allows current students to undertake volunteer work that will be attractive to future employers who desire graduates with excellent communication and leadership skills. It is also an opportunity to inspire other to consider tertiary education as an option for the future. For further information, contact Tammy Byrne.

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Accounting for Decision Making (Footscray Park & Werribee)

If you are studying Accounting for Decision Making at the Footscray Park or Werribee Campuses, you will be able to join a Mentoring Group to help you with this subject. Students who have done well in this subject run mentoring groups each week about the topics you are covering in he subject. For more information about how to join a mentoring group for this subject, or if you would like to become a mentor, contact Lily Wong

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Accounting Articulators Fast Track Program (Werribee)

Students studying Accounting in TAFE who wish to articulate into Accounting higher education will be able to meet with student mentors who have already articulates into Accounting higher education courses. The student mentors will be able to advise you on how best to make the transition to higher education, what to look out for and what to do to make the transition to higher education more easily. During your first semester, your mentors will communicate with you via an on-line mentoring forum. For more information on how to join this mentoring group or if you would like to be a mentor, contact Gill Best.

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Accounting Information Systems (Footscray Park and Werribee)

If you are studying the Accounting Information Systems at the Footscray Park or Werribee Campus, you will be able to join a Mentoring Group to help you with this subject. Students who have done well in this subject run mentoring groups each week about the topics you are covering in the subject. The mentors encourage you learn from each other as well as giving you tips and advice based on their own experiences of the subject. For more information about how to join a mentoring group for this subject, or if you would like to become a mentor, contact Despina Whitefield.

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Mentoring for Chinese Students Onshore and Off-shore

This mentoring program focuses on providing support for Chinese students both before they leave China and when they arrive in Australia. The program involves the development of a DVD of Chinese students' experiences of making the transition to studying in Australia and fact-to-face group mentoring sessions when Chinese students arrive in Australia during their first semester. For further information contact Darko Hajzler, Gill Best or Fiona Henderson.

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Student Circles in Arts (Footscray Park & St. Albans)

Based in the Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development, this Student Mentoring Program focuses on easing the transition to university in he first semester. Student mentors, who are second or third year students, facilitate group mentoring sessions during the semester: two at the beginning, two in the middle and two before the exam period. First year students are allocated to a Student Circle and a Student Mentor provides support and advice to their Student Circle group. Student Mentors are trained in basic facilitation skills by staff from the Faculty, Teaching and Learning Support and Student Services. If you want to be a Student Mentor, be in a student circle or simply want to know more about the program, contact Associate Professor Michael Hamel-Green.

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Career Bridge

Provided by Student Career Development and Student Counseling, this program focuses on providing final year students with a Mentor from a professional workplace. For further information on how to involve your students contact scdprojects@vu.edu.au

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Certificate 3 ESL TAFE with Mentors from Bachelor of Education (-12 & Grad. Dip. in Education - Secondary (Footscray Park & Footscray Nicholson)

If you are studying ESL in the Certificate 3 TAFE, you will be able to join a Mentoring Group to help you develop your English language skills further. Students who are training to be teachers have taken part in a training program so that they can help you to learn from them and from each other. For more information on how to join a mentoring group for this subject, or if you would like to be a mentor, contact Gill Best, Martyn Brogan or Rachel Judd.

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Student Circles in Sports Administration (Sunbury)

Based in the Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development, this Student Mentoring Program focuses on easing the transition to university in the first semester. Student mentors, who are second or third year students, facilitate groups mentoring sessions during the semester. First year students are allocated to a Student Circle and a Student Mentor provides support and advice to their Student Circle group. Student Mentors are trained for their role. If you want to be in a student circle in Sports Administration, or if you would like to be a student mentor, or want to know more about the program, contact Zhu Zhang or Gill Best.

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Programming in Computer Science and Math (Footscray Park)

If you are studying 1st year Programming, you will be able to join a mentoring group to help you develop your computer programming skills. Student who have done very well in this subject are mentors to students who are new to the subject. For more information contact Iwona Miliszewska or Gill Best

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Meet the Local Program (MLP)

The Faculty of Arts Education and Human Development invite both local and international students to volunteer their time and participate in MLP. The objective of MLP is to develop friendships between local and international students. For more information contact Esther Newcastle.

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Management Accounting (Footscray Park)

If you are studying Accounting for Decision Making at the Footscray Park Campus, you will be able to join a Mentoring Group to help you with this subject. Students who have done well in this subject run mentoring groups each week about the topics you are covering in the subject. The mentors encourage you to learn from each other as well as giving you tips and advice based on their own experiences of the subject. For more information about how to join a mentoring group for this subject, or if you would like to become a mentor, contact Stephen Winstanley.

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Meet and Greet Programme for University Preparation Students (UP2)

This new program connects students in the University Preparation Course in the English Language Institute with students who have made a successful transition into the degree program. Students pass on tips and advice about moving from UP2 into the degree.

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Paramedics (St Albans)

In this student mentoring program, later year students assist students in practical laboratory classes so that they gain more confidence in their practical paramedics work. This program mirrors the mentoring that occurs 'on the job' in the Paramedics field.  For more information contact Tina.Ivanov@vu.edu.au or Gill.Best@vu.edu.au

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