Peer Support: Academic Mentoring Handbook
University of Edinburgh
Introduction to Mentoring
Mentoring has many different meanings in a wide range of contexts, however for the
purpose of this programme we regard mentoring as" a Mentor supporting and
encouraging a Mentee to manage their own learning in order that they may
maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and
become the person they want to be." Eric Parsloe, The Oxford School of Coaching &
Mentoring.1 The most common types of mentoring in a university setting include
academic mentoring, peer tutoring and peer mentoring2.Mentoring students
through the transition to University will support them to manage the change in
educational attainment, expectations and become used to being autonomous and
self-reliant learners.3 The main aims of mentoring in this context are to support the
Mentee to set, work towards and achieve manageable goals to ensure they reach
their academic potential. This is a ‘personal/professional’ relationship and is often
characterised by the Mentor helping the Mentee to discover their own capabilities
and competences. A key aspect of mentoring is that it’s a tool of empowerment
which allows the Mentee to realise their academic potential.4 Mentoring is a
successful, sustainable model because it uses a resource which is in limitless supply,
our own accomplished students. This Handbook goes along with a fully
comprehensive training package.
Aims/Objectives:
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To assist a smooth transition to University life or to another stage ie honours
by giving undergraduate students the opportunity to meet with current
students in more advanced years in the same academic School.5
To help new students feel an early sense of belonging to their peer group,
school and the University.6
To assist the Mentee to set, work towards and meet their desired goals.
To offer support, guidance and experience to the Mentee in working towards
these targets
To work in an open, non-judgmental way and encourage the Mentee in their
chosen pursuit
Facilitate the exploration of needs, motivations, skills and thought processes
to assist the Mentee in making sustainable change.7
Support Mentee to develop study skills
http://www.mentorset.org.uk/pages/mentoring.htm
Driscoll, L., Parkes, K., Tilley-Lubbs, G., Brill, J. and Pitts Bannister, V. (2009). Navigating
the lonely sea: Peer mentoring and collaboration among aspiring women
scholars, Mentoring and Tutoring: Partnerships in Learning, 17(1), 5-21.
3
http://steer.stir.ac.uk/MentoringResourcesandSupport.php
4
http://www.mentorset.org.uk/pages/mentoring.htm
5
http://scottishmentoringnetwork.co.uk/mentoring-faq.php
6
http://scottishmentoringnetwork.co.uk/mentoring-faq.php
7
http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/coaching-mentoring.aspx
2
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Establish a reciprocal relationship were knowledge is exchanged in both
directions & collaborative relationship
Mentors are trained, prepared and flexible
Why introduce Mentoring
The Scottish Mentoring Network outlines the benefits of mentoring as ‘the ability in
the Mentee to set manageable, achievable goals and work towards these’.8
Mentoring is of benefit to the University as by mentoring students develop the skills
of facilitation, support and issue management and Mentees acquire the skills needed
to break down tasks, work towards goals and achieve their targets. It also benefits
the Mentor directly, developing their communication, inter-personal and negotiation
skills to a high level. Mentors will also learn to collaborate with others to further
their learning and ability to achieve their desired outcomes. All of these work well at
improving Graduate Attributes. It also directly benefits the Academics, as student’s
smaller questions and queries can be answered by others.9
Traditionally mentoring takes the form of one to one meetings but there is also comentoring and group peer-mentoring. Mentoring is extremely useful during
transitions supporting the seeking, understanding and applying of
8
9
http://scottishmentoringnetwork.co.uk/mentoring-faq.php
http://scottishmentoringnetwork.co.uk/mentoring-faq.php
new knowledge, skills and qualities. Guidance and support is important at this time
to build confidence10.
The concept of continued support after qualification is well established in many
professions for example medicine, teaching and social work. It’s a great way to
identify potential early, can improve student retention, encourage and support
disadvantaged groups and facilitate personal development11.
The purpose of this role is to support the Mentee to set, work towards and achieve
manageable goals to ensure they reach their academic potential. Additionally the
Mentor may help the Mentee to deal with the transition to University and managing
the change in educational attainment, expectations and become used to being
autonomous and self-reliant learners.
There is a significant body of research that reveals that mentoring activities benefit
all students, mentoring particularly increases access, progress and success of
students who traditionally struggle in tertiary education 12.
The most popular definitions, however, are in relation to career advancement and
professional development. Driscoll, Parkes, Tilley-Lubbs, Brill and Pitts Bannister
(2009) describe mentoring as a process where two or more individuals enter into a
coequal relationship that supports mutual mentoring for career and psychosocial
validation13.
Mentors may boost the self esteem, self efficacy and overall satisfaction of the
student with the academic program14 (Ferrari, 2004). Mentoring appears to be most
successful when Mentor and Mentee are well matched in the areas of work and life
balance, research outcomes and aspirations for career advancement (Ewing et al.,
200815).
10
Preparedness to practice, mentoring schemes’ July 1999 NHSE/Imperial College School of Medicine
Preparedness to practice, mentoring schemes’ July 1999 NHSE/Imperial College School of Medicine
12
Barnett, J. (2008). Mentoring, boundaries, and multiple relationships: Opportunities
and challenges, Mentoring and Tutoring: Partnerships in Learning, 16(1), 3-16. Allen, T., Eby, L. and
Lentz, E. (2006). The relationship between formal mentoring program characteristics and perceived
program effectiveness,
Personnel Psychology, 59(1), 125-153. Fox, A. and Stevenson, L. (2006). Exploring the effectiveness of
peer mentoring of accounting and finance students in higher education, Accounting Education: An
International Journal, 15(2), 189-202.
13
Preparedness to practice, mentoring schemes’ July 1999 NHSE/Imperial College School of Medicine
14
Ferrari, J. (2004). Mentors in life and at school: Impact on undergraduate protégé
perceptions of university mission and values, Mentoring and Tutoring, 12(3), 295305.
15
Preparedness to practice, mentoring schemes’ July 1999 NHSE/Imperial College School of Medicine
11
Values and Principles underpinning mentoring
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Empowering people to change and shape their future
Promoting collaborative rather than competitive work
Recognising everyone has the power to pass on knowledge, skills and
experiences that would benefit others, not only teachers
Developing capability and confidence
Builds a sense of belonging to a community of learners
What is involved:
Mentor Roles & Responsibilities
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Support the Mentee to make an ‘Action Plan’ outlining their motivation and
goals
Meet on a one to one or group basis to review the Mentee’s progress
towards their desired goals
Use questioning techniques to facilitate the Mentee's own thought processes
in order to identify solutions and actions16
Utilise active listening and communication skills to ensure the needs of the
Mentee are being met within the mentoring relationship17
Share relevant academic experiences/problems you have overcome (if
appropriate)
Facilitate and encourage autonomous and enquiry-based learning, providing
the Mentee with the tools to find their own answers
Sign-post the Mentee onto other support services should this be necessary
Attend continuous training to ensure the you have the appropriate skills to
support the Mentee in their journey
An interest in developing themselves and others
Capable of building trust and maintaining confidentiality
Record meetings for review and evaluation
Mentees Role:
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A desire and ability to engage in the mentoring process
The time and commitment to pursue their goals
An understanding of the role and boundaries of the Mentor
Being punctual and prepared for meetings
Must respect the confidentiality of the relationship
http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/coaching-mentoring.aspx
http://scottishmentoringnetwork.co.uk/mentoring-faq.php
Mentor Expectations
What we expect you to do:
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Offer support and a listening ear to the students you support
Have an open, accountable and non-judgemental attitude towards the
students you are working with
Offer academic guidance and in part general studying good practice
Create a safe and welcoming environment were students can share their
worries or concerns
Be there to consistently support your students
Let people know if your not coping
Report any concerns to the appropriate person
Respect boundaries and confidentiality
Respect different cultural values and work in a non-discriminatory manner
What we do not expect you to do:
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Solve all the Student’s problems
To deal with serious welfare issues for example self-harming, eating
disorders, suicide.
To act as a Counsellor
Deal with complaints from students about accommodation issues, finances or
immigration.
To become inappropriately involved with one of the students you are
supporting
To take responsibility for the students emotional state or action
Helpful Hints
Be accessible
Check your e-mail, answer messages quickly. Be prepared to meet people at
reasonable intervals.
Be encouraging
Mentoring should provide a safe space for everyone, no matter what they need.
Help to build confidence by encouraging new ideas and explorations.
Be on time
Start and finish on time, and you will encourage participants to do the same.
Be respectful
Don’t use, or allow others to use discriminatory language. Respect everyone’s
abilities as well as their needs
Be collaborative, not competitive
Remember you are not a teacher – mentoring is about students helping each other
Watch out for time thieves
Don’t let mentoring take over your life – as tempting as this may be- be aware of
how much time you are spending, and protect your own work time. If you are
getting too many demands for help, get together with your Key Contact and think
about how you can either help more efficiently, or pass on a persistent problem to
the right member of staff.
What Mentors Bring
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A well-developed, autonomous learning style
A comprehensive understanding of their related discipline
Strong communication skills
Leadership skills and the ability to work unsupervised
The ability to de-compartmentalise the subject area involved, supporting the
Mentee to have a thorough understanding of the Discipline
Involve mentees in planning how and what they learn
Mentors encourage experiential learning
Mentors coach Mentees towards their goals
Planning Sessions:
Mentor Meeting Outline
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Identify the main focus of the meeting
Reflect on successes and challenges since the last meeting
Set the Agenda
Discussing how to resolve any issues which have emerged
Setting, action planning and reviewing the specific goals of the Mentee (this
will take up most of the meeting and is the core element)
Reflect on how you are progressing through your Learning Log/Journal
Clearly plan the logistics of the next meeting
Possible Topics:
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Effective use of the library
Settling into University
Time management
Getting the best out of lectures or seminars
Effective note taking
Research techniques
Avoiding plagiarism
Referencing and quotation
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Essay writing
Exam revision
Self review
Learning from teaching
Solving problems
Developing good study habits
Oral presentations
Agenda setting is useful to:
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Provide structure to the session - to enable you to have a clear picture of
what to work through during the session
Make sure from the start that Mentee’s have a significant say in what is
covered
Make sure Mentee’s are encouraged from the start to raise any issues of
concern or interests to them
Ask the Mentee what they want to cover. Spend as long as it takes to write up points
for discussion. You can use your ‘Goal-setting Plan’ for inspiration, when the
Mentees’ ideas have been exhausted, agree the order in which you will work
through this agenda and how long approximately it will take for each item. Structure
the mentoring session by working through the agreed agenda items. You can begin
writing up agenda items on the basis of comments or requests made by the Mentee
in the previous session. Next, ask open-ended questions to discover information.
Providing structure
As a Mentor, you need to find the balance between offering enough structure to
keep the session on track whilst allowing individuals the freedom to express their
ideas. Using session plans when meeting with staff can help this process, as can
some of the following ideas.
i. Work systematically through the agenda
Once the agenda has been agreed, stick to it. Spend some time on each point. Ask
open-ended questions to begin discussion. Later, summarise the main ideas related
to it before moving on to the next item.
ii. Use a variety of techniques to keep the session interesting
Keep the session informal but also make sure you focus on what needs to be
achieved. Spend some of your time sitting with the Mentee and if appropriate some
time at the board. Lead general open-ended discussion. Provide information visually
and verbally (see below)
iii. Provide information visually and verbally
Some students learn better visually, others verbally. Try to make use of both, e.g. by
using pictorial representations (diagrams) and verbal illustrations (lists and
mnemonics).
iv.
Summarise important points
At the end of each agenda item, summarise the main points. This will work even
better if you can encourage the Mentee to provide the summary for you.
Asking questions
Key to encouraging discussion is asking questions of your mentees that make them
do the thinking and talking. Below is some general advice on the types of questions
you might find useful to ask:
Types of questions
i. Probes
The task of the Mentor is to help the Mentee to begin to process information
beyond the superficial level of delivering the 'right' answer.
Examples:
“What makes you think that?”
“Why do you think that?”
“Can you tell me how you arrived at that answer?”
ii.
Clarification
Used when a Mentees’ answer is vague or unclear. The Mentor can ask the
Mentee for meaning or more information.
Examples:
"What do you mean by…?"
"Could you explain that in a little more detail?"
"Can you be a bit clearer about that?"
"Anything else you would like to add?"
"Can you be more specific?"
"In what way?"
iii.
Critical Awareness
Used when the Mentor suspects the Mentee does not fully understand or
wants the student to reflect on an answer.
Examples:
"What are you assuming here?"
"Could you give an example of that?"
"How would you do that?"
"Are you sure?"
"What makes you think that?"
"How have you come to that conclusion?"
iv.
Refocus
Encourages the Mentee to see a concept from another perspective by
focusing on relationships.
Examples: "How is that related to…?"
"How does that tie into …?"
"How does that compare with …?"
Redirecting Questions
(How to effectively turn questions back to the Mentee or How not to give answers)
There will be times, especially in early sessions, when the Mentee will expect you to
provide direct answers to their questions. There may be times when it is appropriate
for you to answer questions, however, mentoring sessions should be about
discussion of ideas, and so mentees’ should be discouraged from taking the easy
option of Mentor telling them what they need to know. If the level of direct
questioning becomes a problem, it may be worth reminding the Mentee that a
mentoring session is NOT a tutorial, or lecture.
Some useful, general redirection questions
"What do you think about that?"
"What information would you need to answer that?"
"Let's try and work that out together."
Other useful and challenging process questions
"What do you need to do next?"
"Can you suggest another way to think about this?"
"What is it?" (i.e. definition)
"What is its purpose?" (i.e. why)
"When would you use it?"
The following are some ways of encouraging participation:
i. Ask open-ended questions
The best questions are usually open-ended (that require more than a yes, no or short
answer). Open-ended questions are better because they require Mentees’ to
provide lengthy and therefore more substantial responses. The more Mentees’ talk,
the better the Mentor is able to understand their ideas and thinking.
ii. Encourage student verbalisation
As discussed above, when Mentees put their ideas into words it helps them to
process information. Also, when a Mentee verbalises an idea it helps their learning
processes.
iii. Wait for Mentees’responses
Mentees’ may need time to think and gain confidence when asked a question. After
a while they will usually respond with an answer or another question. Waiting for
answers is a difficult but important skill – it can be very tempting to answer
questions or jump in with another question or answer – learn to be patient and this
will usually lead to better discussion and more group involvement.
iv.
Encourage questions
Mentees’ questions form the raw material of a mentoring session. Always ask if
students have questions and offer plenty of time to answer.
v.
Redirect questions
When asked a direct question, try to turn this back to the Mentee. This is a useful
skill to master as it means Mentees’ have to think for themselves and don’t depend
on the Mentor for answers. Mentees’ become more confident when able to provide
answers for the group.
vi.
Place the emphasis on Mentees’ ideas
Always encourage students to share their thoughts, because students build new
concepts upon their own ideas and new course material.
vii. Delayed positive reinforcement
Remind the Mentee of correct ideas they have offered earlier.
viii. Be a role model by using “I” statements yourself
The Mentors’ experience can help them relate to the Mentee
ix. Give permission to acknowledge fears and anxieties
Reassure the Mentee that some parts of their studies are difficult and will probably
take some time and effort to understand.
x.
Avoid interrupting student answers
The mentoring session should be a safe and comfortable environment for students
to try things out, attempt answers and make mistakes. Remember it is often from
making mistakes that our best learning comes about.
xi. Use positive reinforcement
This can have a positive effect on learning and confidence.
Examples of positive reinforcement include offering praise for an answer (even if not
correct), using a posture of interest and concern, maintaining eye contact, smiling
and nodding and making positive comments.
xii. Repeat the Mentee’s responses
This can act as positive reinforcement, to summarise or clarify comments and enable
others to hear comments.
Encouraging independent learning
Many students need to learn how to study material effectively and to use their time
wisely. Their course handbook will contain aims, objectives, and/or learning
outcomes. Each of these will give an indication of what the student is expected to
learn and achieve. The Mentees’ can use these and any other course documents as a
guide to what to learn.
They will also need to discover various ways to find answers to questions.
i.
Emphasise the importance of text books and their notes. It is all too easy for
students to bury their lecture notes away and not look at books until they
really have to.
ii.
Encourage independent effort.
iii.
Discuss essay strategies, exam strategies and study skills. Offer advice and
lead discussion on ideas of appropriate ways to prepare for and write essays,
revise for and approach exams.
Encourage Mentees’ to learn from assessment. Marking criteria provided in course
guidelines can be an important source of information. It can also be pointed out that
tutor’s comments are important. Assessment is not just about getting marks. It’s also
about learning what to do next time! Encourage students to always be reflective in
their work and not just to seek feedback when things have not gone quite right.
Confidentiality
The particular content of the mentoring sessions is confidential to those within the
group.
2: Mentees must have confidence that their discussions and individual contributions
to sessions will not be repeated outside the session.
3: However, in order to protect members from accusations of plagiarism, and to
ensure that sessions are conducted appropriately, Mentors are required to maintain
a record of the discussion topics from each session.
4: For further information on dealing with disclosure please refer to the Code of
Confidentiality and the Confidentiality Policy.
Boundaries:
Personal
 See the person not the behaviour
 Maintain your respect for the other person even when they choose not to
follow what you believe to be the best course of action
 Follow what you believe to be the best course of action only if it fits within
the project rules
 Do not feel that you have failed if the relationship does not work out
Emotional
 Try to understand the other person’s thoughts and feelings
 Remember, you may not understand a situation when you see only a part of
it
 Even if you have had a similar problem, you may not fully understand the
other person’s difficulties
 Everyone has different ways of coping. Your way of coping may not be right
for another person
Organisational
 It is your right to ask what the project does to maintain it’s boundaries and if
they are consistent with the project’s expectations of volunteers
 It is your responsibility to maintain contact with the project
 It is both your right and your responsibility to accept support in your role as
a
Mentor
Do
 Be aware of your own personal boundaries
 Avoid getting into situations that could be misinterpreted
 Think before you say ‘Yes’
 Remember that the main focus of the relationship is the needs and progress
of the person you are there to support
Don’t
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Take the other person to your own home
Get involved in a inappropriate relationship
Get emotionally over-involved
Give or lend money to the other person
If you are ever in doubt about a boundary issue, speak to the Key Contact
about it.
Mentor/Mentee Contact:
Contact with group members will at all times be professional and appropriate to the
role of Mentor:
1. Mentors and Mentees will treat each other with respect and courtesy at all times.
2. Mentors’ will advise the Key Contact if his/her Mentee is, or becomes, known to
them as a friend outside the context of the group. In these circumstances it is
recommended that it would be in the interests of both if the Mentee moves to
another Mentor.
3. No personal information, i.e. phone or address will be exchanged or requested
from students within the context of the group. Email contact will be made via the
student university mail system. Mentors should not ‘friend’ group members on
Facebook or any other social media for the duration of the mentoring relationship.
4. If the Mentee raises a welfare concern about him/herself or another, Mentors will
advise them to contact the appropriate service within the university, and tell the Key
Contact that such a request was made. Mentors will immediately advise the Mentee
that such discussions are not part of their role. Mentors will not engage in discussion
of the problem, both for their protection, and that of the student concerned.
Potential Problem Areas
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Mentor and Mentee do not bond or feel they are not suited
Mentor or Mentee show a lack of commitment to the relationship
Either party becoming overly involved
Inappropriate relationship forming
Difficulties due to time/workload constraints
Breaking of confidentiality
Relationship is interrupted due to external circumstances
Dealing with Difficult Incidents
Difficult incidents do not happen often, but it is better to be prepared as far as
possible should something occur during your session. We have tried to cover the
most likely occurrences here, but the unexpected can always happen! If in doubt, a
good rule of thumb is: never try to bluff. If you don’t know something, say that you
will find out and come back next week with a response. If you are not sure whether a
request or question is appropriate, don’t be pushed into making a response on the
spot. Check with the Key Contact. The Complaints Policy will also be made available
to both parties should an early resolution not be found.
If you encounter any of these issues, particularly around confidentiality then please
speak with your Key Contact or Katie Scott Peer Support Development Worker with
EUSA at katie.scott@eusa.ed.ac.uk.
Learning Log/Journal
This provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on how the relationship is going, what
has been gained in terms of the Mentors own development, what have been
challenges and how have these been faced. Key Questions;
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What was your initial view of mentoring before becoming involved
How has this view changed
What have been the key successes
What have been the key challenges
What strategies did you develop for dealing with these
What have you learnt personally from the relationship
How do you think your professional development has benefitted from the
experience
Support and Supervision/ Review
Both the Mentor and Mentee should have separate, regular support and supervision
which will involve appraising the relationship, reviewing each persons progress and
dealing with any issues arising. The frequency of these meetings should be
negotiated at the start of the relationship. The Key Contact will also meet with the
Mentee and Mentor together to set and review collective goals. The Key Contact
may ask you to fill out various documents throughout the mentoring role to ensure it
can be fully reviewed and evaluated.
Endings
It is extremely important that mentoring relationships works to a clearly defined
time schedule and comes to a planned end. This allows both the Mentor and the
Mentee to deal with the loss of this relationship, ensures all issues are resolved and
offers a great opportunity to celebrate what has been achieved by the match. The
final meeting may be based around sharing feedback on:
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To what extent were the goals of the relationship
achieved?
 What have been the main learning outcomes for
both parties?
 What went well, what could be improved, and what are
the lessons that have been learnt from this?
 What are the next steps and future opportunities
for both parties?
Contact Details
If Mentors or Mentees have any further questions about Peer Support please
contact your Key Contact or Katie Scott the Peer Support Development Officer with
EUSA.