Stellenbosch University
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Auxin - 23 April: “The fruits of the spirit mixed with street smarts”
Author: Nothemba Nqayi
Published: 11/04/2019




AUXIN hosted by​​


The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL)

Title of Presentation

“The fruits of the spirit mixed with street smarts". Reflections on the first five years of a peer mentoring programme for first-year students on the Extended Degree Programme within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Summary of Invitation

The CTL hereby invites you to a lunch-hour “padkos session" as part of the AUXIN Project. The AUXIN Project aims to create growth opportunities for SU lecturers.

Title and Name of Presenter(s)

Ms Shona Lombard

Short Biography of presenter(s)

The presenter has been lecturing full time on the Extended Degree Programme (EDP) in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) since 2011. Across the years her academic duties have included teaching and/or coordinating on three of the support modules that form(ed) part of the EDP: Introduction to the Humanities 178, Introduction to the Humanities 188 and Texts in the Humanities 113 and 143. In 2015 she also launched the Mentor Programme on the EDP of which she is still the coordinator.

Blurb
(Including conclusions and
implications for Teaching and Learning at SU)

 
Since the mid-1990s, extended curricular programmes (including EDPs at Stellenbosch University) have been introduced at institutions of higher education “in response to a growing national demand for alternative access routes to university and improved success of inadequately prepared students" (Young, Loots, Louw & Wagener, 2010). Although specific support modules within the EDPs are aimed at assisting the students with the transition process from basic education into higher education in order to increase their chances for academic success, the unique support that can be offered through mentoring can make a profound contribution to the successful integration of these previously 'disadvantaged students', many of whom “…need further support, being the first generation undertaking a university career" (Wisker, Exley, Antoniou & Ridley, 2008).          

Under the guidance and leadership of Dr Gillian Arendse (former Head of the Centre for Mentor, Tutor and Leadership Development at SU), a formal peer mentoring programme was introduced as an additional support mechanism for the EDP first-year students within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in 2015. This mentor programme aims to create a safe space within which first-year EDP students are able to interact with a senior EDP student, their mentor, and the sessions are focused on sharing experiences related to transitioning the gap between school and university.

In 2016 and 2017 the presenter conducted a FIRLT-funded study to examine the social and academic impact of this peer mentoring programme for first-year students. The quantitative and qualitative data gathered during this study, together with annual evaluation processes, have indicated that the mentor programme does provide safe, supportive and challenging spaces that promote critical and creative thinking which can result in positive behavioural changes for both the mentees and mentors.

Since 2017 the presenter has also been involved in a process which aims to award co-curricular accreditation for the mentors and super mentors (former mentors who now act as a coach for new mentors) involved in this peer mentoring programme. As an example of an experiential learning process (Kolb, 1984), this mentor programme provides ample opportunities for transactions between the mentees' and mentors' personal knowledge and the social knowledge gained through interaction with each other in this space of development.

During this session the presenter will reflect on some of the most important lessons learnt since 2015. This includes sharing results of data gathered, reporting on some of the structural changes introduced to the programme since 2015 and sharing plans for the future of this programme.

Articles
(Bibliographic information of 2 easy-to-read articles on the topic)

Crisp, G., Cruz, I. 2009. Mentoring college students: A critical review of the literature between 1990 and 2007. Review of Educational Research, 50: 525-545.

Terrion, J.L., Leonard, D. 2007. A Taxonomy of the characteristics of student peer mentors in higher education: findings from a literature review. Mentoring and Tutoring: Partnership in learning, 15(2):149-164.

Books:
Collier, P.J. 2015. Developing effective student peer mentoring programs. Virginia: Stylus.

Firth, L., May, G. & Pocklington, A. 2017. A student's guide to peer mentoring. London: Palgrave

Key Words

peer mentoring, Extended Degree Programme, experiential learning

Date of Presentation

23 April 2019

Venue

Room 3008, Faculty of Education

Please RSVP by completing the Google form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqtAwQGhYM9nKv0JeZVpkyhGew7LqVX79QLYMo-aZlHE7C9w/viewform?usp=sf_link

Enquiries

Ms Nothemba Nqayi
nothemban@sun.ac.za
021 808 3717

Cancellations

If, for some or other reason, you are no longer able to attend the AUXIN, we request that you please CANCEL your registration at least 24 hours before the time, by contacting Ms Nqayi (contact details above). There are certain financial costs incurred by the CTL for each AUXIN, and the request is to minimise financial implications.

More Information

A podcast will be available on the CTL website after the session: www.sun.ac.za/ctl