Mentor Magazine

WHO ARE MENTOR COORDINATORS

• Mentor coordinators are from the International Office and also students from various nationalities who supervise the Mentoring Program in general • Mentors are students and staff who volunteer to offer advice, respond to questions and provide information about campus and community resources to incoming freshmen. Mentors represent all academic and administrative departments across Eastern Mediterranean University A mentor works in collaboration with International Office to provide support and encouragement to students. Their goal is to create memorable and enriching experiences for EMU students, whether through group activities or one-on-one interaction.

bulletin

1

WHAT IS THE MENTOR PROGRAM AT EMU? The mission of Eastern Mediterranean University, International Office Mentoring Program is to enrich and support the lives of students at EMU through various leadership, mentoring and group activities. Our goal is to assist students in their transition to campus life and provide them with a network to encourage academic and social support throughout their stay at the university.

Mentoring Programme aims to develop and implement a mentoring scheme to support the students of Eastern Mediterranean University at all stages of their EMU life. The programme is additional and complementary to International Center, which deals with all issues regarding international students.

2 bulletin

mentor coordinators Derya Being a mentor coordinator helps to see the student’s both small and big problems that they face nearly everyday within and outside of the campus. Seeing the satisfied expression on their face after assisting them relieves the stress you live with them until their problem is solved.

Kiana I am form Iran but I am half Russian, so I can speak Persian and Russian.

I am currently studying at English Preparatory School and I advise the foreign students about the university and the EPS system.

Alysia Samaneh I am from Iran and I am doing my masters in the faculty of Architecture.

I help with the admission of international students and advise them on applying to EMU. I can speak Persian, English and Turkish.

Delarem I am working in Help Office, a sub-division of International Mentors in EMU. I am responsible for creating opportunities for those students who need more help in their specialized courses and for those who want to benefit from teaching others. Furthermore, we are innovative in holding private classes in cultural areas as well.

I am from USA. I am here as an exchange student from North Dakota State University. Being a part of the International Mentors has been a very new experience. I hope to be able to help other students that may be traveling or studying abroad in the future, so they will have the best experience they can have. My main responsibility is to contact exchange students and design the exchange program bulletin.

Anar I am Anar. I come from Azerbaijan.

I mentor the freshman Azeri students and I assist the International Center in collaborating and communicating with Azeri officials and committees.

bulletin

3

Perim

Elena

I am from England and I have been in the program since the beginning of the semester. I help with designing bulletins and international center magazine.

I am from Russia and I help students and applicants from Russian speaking countries with their applications and advise them on their accommodation, how to take part in international activities and I take Russian speaking guests for campus and city tours.

Medina I am from Nigeria. I assist the program with helping to announce the international events to the international students at EMU. I take part in organizing international events.

Setareh I am from Iran. I am glad that I have joined this group because I can accustom with different cultures.

Generally we cooperate at all the international events and activities held by International Office but main responsibility are to translate the website to Persian.

Kate I am from Russia. I came to EMU through AISECC program and I decided that I wanted to continue my studies in this beautiful campus. I work in line with AISECC and International Office. Our main target is to bring as many interns to EMU as we can and send them back to their country with satisfaction and come back to study here, like me.

Bakyt

Chisom I am from Nigeria.

I supervise the African students scholarships. I am the African applicants scholarship advisor. I am honoured to help the African society.

My name is Bakyt. I am from Kirgizstan. I mentor the South East Asian freshman students and I help International Center in organizing special events for the students from this area.

4 bulletin

mentors

In order to help the students at the various units of the university, there are mentors at: Ahmed Kasım International Center Students Advisor

Murat Aktuğralı Students Register Office Advisor

l Registrar Office l Dormitories l Sport Center l Computer Center

ahmed.kasim@emu.edu.tr

murat.aktugrali@emu.edu.tr

l Technical Affairs

Mehmet Şemi Technical Affairs Advisor

Muhammed Salamah Middle East Advisor for Scholarship and Admission

mehmet.semi@emu.edu.tr

muhammed.salamah@emu.edu.tr

John Eldridge

Kenan Başaran

Nigerian and Indian Students Advisor for scholarship and Admission

Cameroonian Students Advisor for scholarship and Admission

john.eldridge@emu.edu.tr

kenan.basaran@emu.edu.tr

Alireza Afshar

Fard Farzad

Iranian Students Advisor for Scholarship

l Offset, l Alumni and Career Center l Accounting Office l Public Relations and Press l Environment Office For detailed information about the responsible mentors please visit; http://ic.emu.edu.tr

Iranian Students Advisor

alireza.afshar@emu.edu.tr

fard.farzad@emu.edu.tr

Abdollah Mobarakia

Esmaeil Khaksar

Iranian Student Advisor for Scholarships and Admission

l Personnel Affairs

Iranian Students Advisor for Scholarship

YOUR VIEWS We’d really like to hear from you.

We would like to start a question and answer section within this Bulletin so…

If you have anything you wish to contribute or ask please contact The Editorial team:

Kenan BAŞARAN abdollah.mobarakia@cc.emu.edu.tr

esmaeil.khaksar@emu.edu.tr

kenan.basaran@emu.edu.tr

bulletin

5

SPECIFIC DUTIES of MENTOR COORDINATORS • Promoting the activities of the International Center and assisting in the event • Assisting in outreach activities such as orientations, information tables and fairs • Serving as a mentor to a group of new students; contacting individual new students in mentor group on a weekly basis, or as required • Serving as a liaison with specific student associations • Staffing the International Centre when needed and performing related office tasks which include responding to in-person, phone and email inquiries • Supervising subject-specific tutoring and course related assistance to individual students as required and in accordance with program guidelines • Translating the website information into various languages • Providing information about university policies, procedures and services • Sharing strategies for success, both academic and social • Maintaining records and statistical information related to the activities if the Student Success Program Centre and mentor activities • Directing new & returning students to appropriate university resources according to their needs

nooroz celebrations with mentors The Nooroz Celebration at Eastern Mediterranean University is an organization dedicated to producing the annual Nooroz festival and celebration of the traditional Iranian new year. Each year a different event is coordinated with the help of International Office and Iranian society at EMU. Groups and volunteers put together shows, performances, gatherings, displays, and a variety of festive activities to allow the community as well as the university at large to share in this wonderful time of year.

This year, a group of Iranians came from Iran and celebrated the Nooroz in North Cyprus. At the special night EMU organized for these guests, mentor coordinators helped with the organization and greeting of guests.

6 bulletin

MENTOR ATTENDS AN EXPEDITION TO PROMOTE

EMU IN TURKEY

This is the time of the year when EMU attends educational exhibitions and goes on promotional trips. Our mentor coordinator attended a fair in Turkey and promoted Eastern Mediterranean University in the best way possible. Being a student from Iran and speaking English and Turkish fluently as well attracted many attendees to the fair.

bulletin

7

MENTOR HELPS TO FIND EMU STUDENTS

volunteer tutors Our mentor coordinator responsible for help desk in the program is working hard towards finding volunteer tutors for students who are facing difficulties in their classes. Our volunteer tutors work one-toone with the students and try to support them in the weak areas of their subjects.

Help desk is designed to meet the needs of the students with the areas of courses where they have problems.

mentor recruitment

Mentor applicants are given ample information regarding responsibilities and time commitments when becoming a mentor yet present mentors are working on developing the website of Mentor Program of Eastern Mediterranean University as an instruction manual. This website will become a tool for the university to learn the roles and responsibilities of mentors and how the mentoring program works for the benefit of the students.

Serving as a Mentor is a valuable form of service that directly impacts the University community. By volunteering your time, energy and knowledge about college life, you contribute enormously to the success of the entering class by helping them become acclimated and integrated into the University community!

A relationship with a faculty/staff mentor gives students: • Personal advice about managing academic life • Help in networking for future • Non-judgmental support from someone who takes a special interest in them.

A relationship with mentors allows students to: • Share experiences and help others avoid similar obstacles • Develop/improve upon organizational and leadership skills • Enhance their undergraduate experience and expand their network Apply to become a mentor by downloading and filling in the form from http://ic.emu.edu.tr and submitting it to mentor@emu.edu.tr

8 bulletin