ACADEMIC MENTORING Dr. V. THANIKAHCALAM
POLYTECHNICS • Majority of polytechnic students are from lower middle class • A large number of polytechnics are self-financing • About 80% of the polytechnics are rural based.
POLYTECHNIC LECTURERS • The teachers of the polytechnics are new graduates without adequate exposure to industry and instructional systems technology.
POLYTECHNICS • Many polytechnics do not have Training and Placement Officer. • The vacancies of faculty vary from 40 to 70% even in Government Polytechnics • Most of the polytechnics do not have development planning for the faculty and staff
POLYTECHNICS STUDENTS • Majority of the students are not aware of the trends in industrial development • Are not aware of job potential • Lack of communication skills
STUDENT STRENGTHS • Motivated • Intelligent • Ready to acquire professional skills • Positive attitude • Achievers
STUDENT NEEDS • Advisors for academic planning • Coaches for academic activities • Mentors for overall professional achievement.
MENTORS • Influential senior faculty members who significantly help mentees reach their major life goals. • Trusted and significant leaders • Experienced and knowledgeable faculty members
• Facilitators • Committed to providing assistance for upward mobility • Guides • Friends • Encouragers • Supporters and Advisers
MENTORING PROCESS • A relationship which gives people to share their professional and personal skills and experiences and to grow and develop in the process
PROCESS - 1 • A complex, interactive process occurring between individuals of differing levels of expertise which incorporates interpersonal or psycho social development, career and / or educational development, and socialization functions in to the relationship (Carmil, 1988)
PROCESS - 2 • Carefully planned activities to encourage mentees to analyse and reflect on their work performance, and to review the proposed next step in their personal career management programmes. (Garrick and Alexander, 1994)
PROCESS - 3 • Facilitates the learning to learn of their employees / students, contributes to the process of meaning-making in the institution and hence to its responsiveness to its environment, while meeting the developmental needs of faculty / students (Beardwell & Holder 1994)
PROCESS - 4 • Involves teaching protégés how to advance in education and acquiring abilities.
PROCESS - 5 • Partnership between a more experienced faculty and student new to a role or the institution. It involves teaching, counselling providing psychological support and motivation (Lacey 1999)
PROCESS - 6 • Mentoring is a process of empowering individuals by helping them capitalize on their personal and professionals trengths, giving them the support and guidance to challenge themselves and take risks, and helping them to find an appropriate and rewarding career path. (Appelbaum 2000)
MENTORING PROGRAMME • Should focus on helping an individual to assess his / her experience, and strengths and weaknesses, and providing guidance and support to enable them to make the most of opportunities that arise.
BENEFITS OF MENTORING • Benefit to the protégé • Stronger culture • Better team work • Better uses of human resources • Promotion of ideas gained by the institution
PLANNING A MENTORING PROGRAMME • Address the key issues • Expectations of the programme • Structuring the programme • Measurement and Evaluation
STUDENT NEEDS • Enhancing the achievement • Getting good industrial exposure • Industrial Training
DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETENCIES • Problem solving skills • Financial management skills • Motivation for further education • Selection of projects • Improving communication skills • Maintenance skills
MENTORS • Heads of Departments • Senior Lecturers • Willingness to accept responsibility • Ready to listen • Scrutinizing student records • Evaluating the students aptitude • Fixing the goals
MENTORING PRE-REQUISITES • Allocation of mentors based on speciality • Matching of mentors and protégés • Listing to the expectation of the protégé • Scheduling meeting between the mentors and protégé • Exchanging e-mail Ids, phone numbers, addresses.
MENTORING PROCESSES • Identification of problems of the protégé • Reflective discussion with the protégé • Empathetic responding • Recognizing and assessing mentee’s needs
DISCUSSIONS WITH MENTEES • Reviewing the problems • Analysis of the problems • Enumerating the solutions • Evaluation of the solutions • Selection of priority solutions
SELECTION OF SOLUTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATIONS • Protégé’s readiness • Second review of the solutions • Consultation with mentor
SUSTAINING THE RELATIONSHIPS • Mutual respect • Managing the mentoring relationship • Encouragement • Nurturing • Right attitude
ROLES OF PROTÉGÉS • Set out achieve new skills and knowledge • Identification of development needs • Setting goals • Formulation of action plan to achieving learning goals • Seek guidance and advice in professional development
RESPONSIBILITIES OF PROTÉGÉS • Accept responsibility for their own decisions and actions, and maintain confidentiality • Acting on expert and objective advice • Carryout set tasks and projects
ROLES OF MENTORS • Facilitate the mentee’s learning and growth • Provide information, feedback and constructive comments • Evaluate the mentee’s plans and decisions • Support and encourage
RESPONSIBILITIES OF MENTORS • Highlight short falls in agreed performance • Maintain confidentiality • Manage learning experience in the work place • Select and advocate appropriate learning strategies • Invest time and effort • Maintain regular contact and communication with the mentee
BENEFITS TO THE POLYTECHNIC • Increased productivity • Improved management and technical skills • Excellence in performance • Supper leadership • Better recruitment and retention of skilled faculty
• Established networks • Improved delivery of services • Improved student commitment • Enhancing institutional culture and image • Valuing faculty through recognition of individual contributions
BENEFITS TO THE STUDENTS (PROTÉGÉS) • Acquiring intellectual skills and professional competencies • Acquiring problem solving skills • Acquiring self-confidence • Expanded vision • Improved communication • Improved satisfaction • Empowered to achieve
BENEFITS TO THE MENTORS (FACULTY MEMBERS) • Job satisfaction • Improved enthusiasm and intrinsic rewards • Professional recognition • Transferring experience and knowledge • Enhanced self-esteem • Super leadership • Contribution to create excellence
LIMITATIONS • Time • Unsatisfactory relationships • Protégés reluctance • Mentors reluctance • Unsatisfactory climate
HOW TO MAKE A MENTORING A SUCCESSFUL EVENT? • Discussion with the protégés • Periodical review of the progress • Discussion with the mentors • Networking of mentors to tackle special problems
SUCCESS FACTORS • Open discussion • Implementation • Review at various intervals • Replanning
PLAN FOR MENTORING IN YOUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE • Discuss with HoDs / Senior Lecturers • Discuss with the students • Plan the activities
THANK YOU!