U N I V E R S I T Y
O F
C E N T R A L
F L O R I D A
R E G I O N A L
C A M P U S E S
UCF Daytona Beach
College of Arts & Humanities
MENTOR STUDENT HANDBOOK 2015 - 2016
2014-2015 PHOTOGRAPHY UNDERGRADUATE MENTORING PROGRAM HANDBOOK
You are Serving as a Peer Mentor When… • You help students achieve the potential within them that is hidden to others – and perhaps even to the students themselves. • You share stories with students about your own educational career and the way you overcame obstacles similar to theirs. • You help students overcome their fear of a professor and help them to ask questions in a class or visit the professor during office hours. • You show a student how you mastered time management to do well in your classes. • You listen to a student describe a problem and explore resources at the university to deal with the problem. • You help a new student understand a particularly tough bureaucratic rule or procedure – and you explain it in a way that the student is willing to come back to you to learn about other difficult regulations. • You help a new student understand how to use resources at the university, such as the Student Academic Resource Center (SARC online) or Student Services.
(Adapted: Rosen College of Hospitality Management, n.d.)
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I.
HELPING YOUR MENTEE Set Goals You may help your mentee set goals by helping them understand a mnemonic device (memory strategy) for recalling the components of a welldesigned goal. A SMART goal is one that is: Specific –The goal is clearly stated and indicates what the student will do to achieve it. Example: I will achieve at least a “B” average this semester by spending 25 hours per week on my coursework outside of class. Measurable – The goal is important and progress toward reaching the goal can be measured or tracked. Example: I will earn at least a “B” average this term and I will assess my progress toward this goal by keeping track of all grades earned in my courses. Actionable – Identifies the actions or behaviors the student will engage in to reach the goal. Example: I will achieve at least a “B” average this term by (a) attending all classes, (b) taking detailed notes in all classes, (c) completing all assignments before the due dates, and (d) studying for all major exams. Realistic – The goal is attainable and the student is aware of the time, effort, and skill it will take to attain it, as well as obstacles to be encountered along the way. Example: Achieving a “B” average this term will be a realistic goal because my courses are manageable and I only work part-time. Time-specific – The goal has a deadline and a timeline that includes a sequence of short-range, mid-range, and long-range steps. Example: To achieve at least a “B” average this term, first I will obtain the information I need to learn by taking detailed notes in all classes and assigned readings (short-range step). Second, I will study my notes and readings before major exams (mid-range step). Third, on the day before my exams, I will hold a final review session for all information previously studied, and will review feedback after my exams are returned to improve future performance. Stay Motivated Strategies that you may use to help students stay motivated toward achieving their goals. Visualize reaching long-range goal. Picture the goals that really matter by creating mental images of future success. Put goals in writing. Students are more likely to remain aware of written
(Adapted: A Handbook for Peer Mentors: College Tips & Success Strategies to Share with Students, Metz, Cuseo & Thompson, 2013) -3-
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2014-2015 PHOTOGRAPHY UNDERGRADUATE MENTORING PROGRAM HANDBOOK
Stay Motivated (continued) goals and likely to pursue them. Written goals serve as a contract that holds them accountable to their commitments. Keep a record of progress. A regular record of progress increases motivation because it provides feedback about whether or not students are on track and moving toward their goals. Reward yourself for reaching milestones. Students need to reward themselves for achieving the short and mid-range goals along the path to the ultimate goal. Use peers as a social resource for achieving goals. Harness the power of social support by surrounding yourself with peers who are committed to achieving their educational goals. Manage Time and Tasks Effective task- and time-management involve three key processes: 1. Itemizing– listing key tasks that need to be completed toward a specific goal. 2. Prioritizing– beginning tasks in order of importance. 3. Scheduling – deciding when tasks are to be started and completed. Encourage students to rank tasks in order of importance: One strategy for prioritizing tasks is to divide tasks into: ‘’A,” “B,” and “C” lists. The “A” list is for critical tasks-what must be done now. The “B” list is for important tasks-what should be done soon. Finally, the “C” list is for optional taskswhat could or might be done later.
II. HELP MENTEE IDENTIFY CAMPUS RESOURCES Make use of campus resources by connecting students to the UCF Daytona Beach Resource Guide: http://regionalcampuses.ucf.edu/campus/daytona-beach/ Connect with Key Members of the Campus Community Research shows that students who become socially connected with other members of the campus community are more likely to remain in college and complete their degree. Tips for helping students make connections with the (Adapted: A Handbook for Peer Mentors: College Tips & Success Strategies to Share with Students, Metz, Cuseo & Thompson, 2013) -4-
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campus community, include the following: 1. 2. 3. 4.
5.
6. 7. 8. 9.
Connect with the campus administrator and meet Dr. Linda Thacker. Connect with Student Services and campus leaders who can direct you to key community members and potential job opportunities. Connect with peers who commute to campus from the same area. (Encourage students from same geographic area to carpool) Join a student organization, club, or volunteer service group, whose members may share the same personal interests or career goals as you do. Connect with motivated classmates with whom you could work together in teams to take notes, complete reading assignments, and study for exams. Connect with faculty by visiting faculty during office hours, talking briefly with them after class, or communicating with faculty by email. Connect with the Student Academic Resource Center for academic support: http://sarc.sdes.ucf.edu/ Connect with an academic advisor to discuss and develop future educational plans. Connect with a college librarian to get assistance on an assigned research project.
Helping and Connecting Students Helps You! Connect Students with Faculty Research shows that students who interact with faculty are more likely to remain in college and get more out of their college experience. As a peer mentor, you can help students connect with faculty: • Encourage students to take advantage of faculty office hours. • Share your personal experiences with students, including how you approached faculty and asked questions. • Encourage students to attend faculty events such as scholarly presentations on campus. • Advise students to participate in activities, such as field trips. • Invite faculty as guest speakers for mentor-mentee group activity.
Faculty are more likely to remember students, who have approached them, (Adapted: A Handbook for Peer Mentors: College Tips & Success Strategies to Share with Students, Metz, Cuseo & Thompson, 2013) -5-
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2014-2015 PHOTOGRAPHY UNDERGRADUATE MENTORING PROGRAM HANDBOOK
and who show interest in their course material. Faculty are more likely to write letters of recommendation for students who they know. Connect Students with Academic Advisors Advisors not only assist students with class scheduling and graduation requirements. They also are a great source of information and can connect you to university resources. A few examples of support that an advisor can provide include: • Assist students with choosing or changing majors, or selecting a minor • Alert students to opportunities regarding their major • Share academic policies with students • Direct and guide students to college and departmental contacts and opportunities • Help students construct a plan to graduate and graduate on time • Assist students with choices, plans, and activities related to opportunities after graduation • Serve as mentors, student-support agents, and partners for peer mentors
III. DEVELOP MENTOR-MENTEE RELATIONSHIP Form Supportive Relationship with Mentee Periodically invite your mentee to an informal get-together at places that are comfortable and favorable to conversation. For your first get-together, you may suggest a brief meeting (no longer than an hour) so that it does not appear as though you are asking for a major commitment. You may go overtime if the conversation is going well. At your first meeting, learn about your mentee’s background, interests, experiences and goals. Keep track of what you learned in this first meeting and build on it to guide your future conversations. Encourage Communication with Mentee Communication and listening skills are important to the mentor-mentee relationship. Passive Listening – is “hearing the words with our ears, but not thinking about those words with our mind because the mind is partially somewhere else.” Active Listening – is “a process that is critical in all mentoring roles. This process can be enhanced by: a) listening with focused attention on the student’s message; b) listing to both verbal and nonverbal (body language) messages; and c) listening with concern (interest and empathy).” (Adapted: A Handbook for Peer Mentors: College Tips & Success Strategies to Share with Students, Metz, Cuseo & Thompson, 2013) -6-
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Positive Feedback – “it begins and ends in a warm, non-threatening manner; it preserves students’ self-esteem, recognizes their personal achievements, and reinforces their progress.” Positive feedback can be delivered by using the following “warm-cool-warm” sequence: 1. Warm (compliments), e.g. start with a positive comment 2. Cool (challenges), e.g., follow compliment with a challenging and supportive suggestion 3. Warm (compliments), e.g., end challenge with a positive comment Make Crisis Referrals Based on severity of issue you may refer students to one of the following areas: 1. Student Services (non-imminent danger) (call 386.506.4021) 2. Campus Safety (call 386.506.4444) 3. Call 911
IV. TRAINING MATERIALS Form Supportive Relationship with Mentee The Virtual Leadership Academy for mentors will help you develop your leadership skills. • This is a required resource that you may complete at your own pace. https://webcourses.ucf.edu/enroll/D3LPF9 The College Level Study Skills Inventory provides immediate feedback on students’ approach to study skills and suggests areas of improvement. • This is a recommended (not required) resource for mentees • Mentors may also explore this option as well http://sarconline.sdes.ucf.edu/?page_id=344
IMPORTANT CONTACTS If you have any questions, please contact us. Email is preferred. Angela Edwards-Johnson, Coordinator Tammie Thomas, Co-Coordinator Angela.Edwards-Johnson@ucf.edu Tammie.Thomas@ucf.edu 386-506-4055 386-506-4009 (Adapted: A Handbook for Peer Mentors: College Tips & Success Strategies to Share with Students, Metz, Cuseo & Thompson, 2013) -7-
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PHOTOGRAPHY UNDERGRADUATE MENTOR STUDENT HANDBOOK 2014 - 2015
UCF Daytona Beach 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Daytona Beach, FL 32114 386.506.4021 www.ucfdaytona.com