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STUDENT MENTORS:SUPPORTING LEARNING AND LIVING

AT TSHWANE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

TUT SEMINAR ON STUDENT SUCCESS

20 AUGUST 2014

Presenters:

PROF ELSABE COETZEE

(Acting Dean: Faculty of Humanities)

MR WELCOME MTHIMKHULU (student mentor)

MR LERATO MPHASHA (student)

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FACULTY OF HUMANITIES

12 500 students

8 departments

Campuses: Soshanguve South and Soshanguve North,

Polokwane, Mbombela and eMalahleni

150 permanent academic staff

64 learning programmes

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STUDENT MENTORS:SUPPORTING LEARNING AND LIVING AT TUT

Does the following sound familiar?

“I know I must learn, but everything is too much”

My interpretation: (“everything” equals “life”)

Therefore “life is too much”

Same message – differently phrased – not really unknown or unexpected

Therefore my opinion: We are too quick to link poor academic performance to laziness, unpreparedness and mischievous

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COMPREHENSIVEAPPROACH TO STUDENTS’ SUCCESS

(Biren, Gregerman, Jonides, von Hippel & Lerner, 1998); (Volkwein & Carbone, 1994)

This approach emphasizes

The impact of institutional structure, resources, and programmes on student learning and development

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Focus on-students’ interaction with the social structure and-Integration into the institution

Responses/Retention efforts concentrate on-living-learning setting that give student a “home-base”-Mentoring programmes (other students act as expert guides and models)-Students interact not directly with university, but through the intermediate peer environment

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FACULTY OF HUMANITIES INTERVENTION TO ADDRESS POOR ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE

2013:

Appointment of 2 student mentors for Success Rate Improvement

Increase after 3 months to 4 and for second semester 6 mentors due to enormous demand

2014:

Appointment of 8 student mentors for Success Rate Improvement

Another 3 appointments, Current total 11 student mentors

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MR WELCOME MTHIMKULU: A STUDENT MENTOR

• I am a 3rd year Education student• First Success Rate Improvement Mentor appointed in 2013• Strict conditions for us to qualify as mentors

All of us are distinction candidates in our programmes• We have 2 offices with the necessary equipment to communicate with

students• We report directly to the Dean, we cooperate with HODs and lecturers • We have regular discussions with the Dean and we must submit 4

written reports per year

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WHO ARE OUR TARGETED STUDENTS?

• Students who faced academic exclusion and were allowed back on probation

• Students who performed very poor after each assessment cycle

• Any other students who need our assistance

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TASKS OF STUDENT MENTORS

• Retrieve the list of students “on probation” from Faculty/Departmental administrators

• Contact every student• Introducing ourselves and explaining the purpose • Arrange personal conversations with individual student • Convince students to speak about themselves• Address the fear of “being labelled” and the quilt of poor academic

performance

UP TO THIS STAGE OUR MAIN AIM IS TO ESTABLISH A TRUST RELATIONSHIP AND GAIN BASIC INFORMATION

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TASKS OF STUDENT MENTORS (CONT)

• Decide on assistance needed by the student• Refer student to the Student Development and Support division • Stay in contact with the SDS coordinator• Receive reports from SDS on student’s progress• Monitor already identified student’s academic performance after each

test cycle• Contact “new” underperformers after each test cycle• Continuous conversations with all identified students• Be visible on campus as much as possible• Recommendation to HODs/lecturers regarding subjects in which

tutoring is needed

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FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

MOST IMPORTANT:•Interaction between students and the academic, social and support systems of the university

OTHER FACTORS:•Personal and financial circumstances

•Choice of student programme, academic literacy and preparedness

•Time management skills and approach to studies

•Students’ motivation and belief in own ability

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CHALLENGES THAT MENTORS ARE FACING

• Getting hold of a student

• Winning the trust of identified students

• Convince student to speak about themselves and their problems

• Address the fear of “being labelled”

• Handling large numbers of students

• Find sufficient private spaces for conversations with students

• Ensuring that students continue in the support programme11

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NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THE MENTORING PROGRAMME

• Number of students who were/are mentored by us and referred to SDS (Student Development and Support division of TUT) for specific training and development:– 2013: 230– 2014: 300

ONLY 300 OUT OF A TOTAL OF 12,500?? IS IT MAKING A DIFFERENCE?

WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT

“Every single student that is ‘saved’ by our efforts, is a LIFE and future career that is ‘saved’”

“YES WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!”

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SUCCESS STORY OF MR TONA LERATO MPHASHA

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CONCLUSION

FACULTY OF HUMANITIES

2013•Decrease academic exclusions with 46%•Overall success rate of 80%

We strongly believe that student success does not ONLY depend on effective teaching and learning

Focus should be on the whole learning and living environment

Using students as guides and role models is one effective way in addressing the problem of poor academic performance

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THANK YOU