Sanaa Zaki1, Anne Burnett2, Irene Benitez2, Kristin Anderson2
1University of Sydney, Faculty of Science (Student Life Portfolio),
2University of Sydney, Faculty of Science (Partnership Engagement and Outreach Portfolio)
Peer mentoring is an integral part of University Transition Programs. Whilst the evidence is clear that engaging with senior peers early in the degree has tangible benefits for students commencing tertiary studies, peer mentor programs fall short of what they set out to deliver due to significant declines in participation. This is especially relevant for international students who face additional burdens, that take priority over campus life engagement. The challenge is how to build a program that captures student attention, meets mentee/mentor expectations and delivers sustained participation. In this presentation we will share how the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney has tackled this challenge and redesigned Peer Mentoring using a student-focused lens.
Mentee/mentor feedback and a deep dive into the challenges international students face, unearthed key factors that impact participation. For international students these include cultural barriers, communication barriers and academic priorities. While domestic students reported competing social commitments, and no understanding of the value add. From this process, three themes emerged across both domestic and international students – Leadership, Community/Culture and Support. These themes formed the design framework for a program of events built around four focus areas (1)Engagement and Retention, (2)Study and Time-management, (3)Building Connections and (4)Wellbeing. A two-tier mentor system with enhanced leadership training, a structured environment for connecting mentor groups, and targeted coms strategy were key features of the program.
This student-focused approach resulted in significant uptake of leadership development by international students (30% of mentor leaders) and uplift in their participation (>50% attendance).