2012 S1 Mentor Program Report - Unilife - Curtin University

START Mentor Program
mentoring.curtin.edu.au
A Reputation as a Leader in the Field
The Curtin Mentor Program continues to be known as a leader in the field, nationally and internationally. Staff
from other Universities, Government and Business organisations seek advice from START staff with regard to
commencing their own mentoring programs, and the program has also attracted international media attention.
Assistance and leadership provided to Curtin Student Guild to assist them with setting up a
Postgraduate Mentor program at Curtin.
Advice and information provided to external parties who had heard of the Curtin Mentor Program
through reputation and online presence and subsequently requested guidance and support:
o Northern Territory Government - Cassy Coggins, Senior Manager, Teach Remote, Department
of Education and Training. Teach Remote is commencing an online Indigenous teaching mentor
program.
o Master Builders Association - Clayton Jaworski, Apprenticeship Engagement Officer, Master
Builders’ Association WA. MBA WA is starting a Government funded Mentor program, and met
with START mentor program coordinator due to the reputation and relevance of the START
Mentor Program. Clayton was provided with set up ideas and methods; training information
and inspiration, and the offer of ongoing support should he request it.
o Challenger Institute of Technology – Meredith Parkins. Challenger Institute of Technology was
seeking to commence a mentor program for their first year students, and came to Curtin for
information and advice regarding the components of our program.
o La Trobe University staff have verbally advised START that they have modelled their Connect
Mentor Program upon the Curtin model.
The United States Newspaper, “The Chronicle of Higher Education”, ran an article entitled, “An
Australian University Boosts Retention with Mentoring” by David Wheeler in March, 2012. It described
the achievements of the Curtin START Mentor Program, and included interviews with the Mentor
Program Coordinator, Director of START, and a number of Mentors and Mentees. It was an extremely
positive story.
A refereed paper authored by Dr Susan Beltman, Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Curtin University
on the value of the program to Mentors was published in the International Journal of the First Year in
Higher Education in July 2012. The paper, titled “Institution-wide peer mentoring: Benefits for
mentors”, by Dr Susan Beltman Curtin University; Marcel Schaeben RWTH-Aachen University, Germany,
was published in journal number 2012 Volume 3 issue 2.
Conclusions and Recommendations for the 2013 Mentor Program
The START Mentor Program is definitely achieving its aims and improving the student experience for those
involved in the program. Its reputation is growing and as mentioned above, a number of administrative and
training updates have been implemented in 2012. Feedback and evaluation data from each year is used to
continually improve the program within current budgets and parameters.
Recommendations for future improvements that could be considered include:
Awareness raising with mentees/new students such as:
o More advertising across campus through flat screen displays at FSSOs and Student Central
o A recruitment drive or two in lunch hours with flyer hand outs
o A second OCC to new students in mid-semester to remind them to utilise and respond to their
mentors
o Posters in FSSO and Student Central (if appropriate)
o Regular use of New to Curtin Newsletter and Curtin Facebook to remind new students of the
program
o Availability to attend staff meetings within various Schools to explain the program to all staff, who
will then promote to new students
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