Essential Criteria

Mentors must be in their second year or above and actively enrolled with load during the semester of the SmoothStart program.  To be eligible for all the benefits mentoring offers, mentors must participate in five core activities:

• Mentor training day  (or parts thereof if an experienced mentor)
• SmoothStart Day
• Weekly contact with small group of new students throughout the first term
• Attend all of social activities scheduled throughout the semester for at least half an hour or, if unable to do so, participate in a project agreed upon with the Coordinator
• Provide feedback to the Coordinator as directed

Further information about the role of a SmoothStart Peer Mentor is available from the SmoothStart Coordinator.

Mentor Training Day

All new mentors are required to attend the entire mentoring training day.  In 2010, the training day will be held on Monday 15 February.

The purpose of the Mentor Training day is to:

• Build team rapport amongst mentors
• Clarify the role of a peer mentor; discuss the boundaries of the mentor role
• Raise awareness of issues such as;
  • managing cultural diversity
  • managing potential conflicts or tricky situations
  • resources which new students may need
• Practice icebreakers and campus tours
• Be clear about specific allocated tasks to be undertaken on SmoothStart Day
• Discuss social events and planning for the program
• Discuss UniStep
• Clarify expectations of mentors and reporting requirements to the program coordinator
• Provide you with your program t-shirt
• Provide you with some of the training material on a USB

You will receive specific information about the venue and times of the training day once you have been approved as a peer mentor.