2. Welcome
Congratulations on being accepted to be a mentor.
In this handbook you will find all the information you need to mentor a group of new
students and help them in their transition to life at the University of Leicester.
You will find information on what is expected of you, the boundaries of your role, group
management techniques, and even activities to get your group talking.
If you have any questions, please contact your department Co-ordinator:
Biological Sciences
Dr. Jon Scott
js50@le.ac.uk
Economics
Korin Grant
kg53@le.ac.uk
Geography
Charlotte Brocklesby and Nicole Bragg
clb58@le.ac.uk/ ncb13@le.ac.uk
International Buddy Network
Elizabeth Cornish
elc38@le.ac.uk
Psychology
Dr. Steven Shimozaki
ss373@le.ac.uk
With thanks to University College London Transition Mentors Programme for the use of
their Transition Mentor Handbook 2011/12.
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3. Contents:
4 Role and responsibilities
4 Your Role
5 Confidentiality
5 Keeping Safe
5 Boundaries
6 Time Commitment
7 Working with your mentor group
7 The first group meeting
7 Meeting ideas
8 Further meetings
8 Icebreakers
10 Final Meeting
11 Group Dynamics
11 General guidelines
12 Inclusive groups
13 Reporting and Feedback
13 Online Materials
14 Useful Websites and Services
16 Appendix: Disability Etiquette Guide
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4. Roles and Responsibilities:
Your Role
Mentors are facilitators. You will be facilitating discussion and enabling the smooth
transition of students. It is your job to form a relaxed partnership with your group to make
them feel comfortable, so that they can express their feelings, ask questions and raise
concerns without fear or embarrassment. You should engage with your mentees the way
you would with friends, but be mindful of the responsibilities of your role and the influence
you may have on your mentees actions.
In your role we expect you to:
Maintain contact with mentees over the arranged period (1 term)
If you are matched with students prior to their arrival in Leicester, establish a
relationship with them by email before they arrive
Be available for students to contact you by email or phone. Aim to respond to emails
within three days of receiving them
Notify your students if you will not be able to respond to emails or phone calls for
any reason i.e. holiday
Meet your students regularly (e.g. once per week) for the duration of your
programme
Forward any enquiries or problems to the relevant department when you are unable
to answer a question or it is out of your remit
Encourage students to get involved in University life
Provide informal support for mentees
Attend welcome event where you will meet mentees
Complete any online training, and attend training workshop
Notify the Co-ordinator if any of your mentees are not responding or say they are no
longer interested in the programme
Complete meeting contact sheets and contact evaluation forms and return them to
the coordinator on the set dates
We don’t expect you to:
Try to solve your mentees personal/social problems
Try to solve a departmental or academic problem
Put yourself in a situation where you feel uncomfortable
Proof read your mentees work
Jeopardise your own safety or course work to support your mentees
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5. Confidentiality
You are not in a position to offer students total confidentiality (i.e. they don’t want
you to tell anyone). If they ask for your total confidence you cannot give it because
you cannot predict what they will tell you. If they really want this level of
confidentiality you can refer them to another source.
You are not in a position to speak to a third party on behalf of your mentee. For
instance you should not speak to their department, a friend, another student or
family member on their behalf.
If there is a concern for a student’s welfare you should inform your Co-ordinator who
may pass information on to the relevant department; i.e. Student Psychological and
Healthy Living Service or Student Welfare Service.
Confidentiality can only be provided by Chaplains, Counsellors, Doctors and the
Students’ Union whose actions are backed by professional codes of practice, and in
the case of the Chaplains, Canon law.
Keeping Safe
Arrange to meet in a public place. Do not arrange to meet in each other’s homes.
Take your mobile phone with you when you go to meet your group.
Always tell someone where you are going.
Record the names and contact details of the people you are meeting.
Trust your instincts. If someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t
take the risk. Make your excuse to leave and inform the coordinator as soon as you
can.
Boundaries
While you should be friendly as a mentor, and may well establish long lasting friendships
with your mentees, your ultimate role is to facilitate students’ integration into University
life, encourage involvement, and signpost to other services. Therefore in your role it is
important that you maintain personal and professional boundaries:
Do not read your mentees academic work even if they ask you to. This is not the
purpose of your role and it could jeopardise the relationship. If a student asks you to
help, let them know you are not allowed.
Use appropriate, clean language in front of your mentees.
Respect group members. Do not pressure them into doing anything they may not
want to do (e.g. drink alcohol).
Be aware of the limitation of your role. If there are any questions you cannot answer,
refer your student to someone who can help. You can refer to your ‘Making
Connections’ leaflet to do this.
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6. Do not give immigration advice. This is an illegal offence. You and the University
could be held liable if you give advice because you are not trained to give any
immigration advice. Everyone’s case is different and therefore you cannot speak
from your own knowledge.
Maintain professionalism and appropriate boundaries when communicating via
email or on social networking sites.
Time Commitment
Attend Welcome Event organised by your department/programme coordinator
Meet with students at least once a week
Take part in organised social events
Attend compulsory feedback session
Different mentoring schemes may have slightly different expectations in terms of
your time commitment. Contact your programme Co-ordinator if you need further
clarification.
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7. Working with your mentor group:
The first meeting:
Your first group meeting will be at a welcome event organised by your department in
the first or second week of term.
The first group meeting is about everyone getting to know each other and clarifying
expectations about the programme. Your department may provide you with an
activity to get you started, but the meeting should generally be quite relaxed and
informal.
Begin by introducing yourself and tell your group a little about yourself, your course,
what year you’re in, where you are from etc. Then ask each of your group members
to introduce themselves. You could also try using one of the icebreakers to get
people talking.
Ask some questions about how they’ve found the University so far. You can also tell
them about your experiences, but be careful not to dominate the conversation.
Spend some time discussing the aims on the mentor programme and how it will
work. You could start by asking them what they expect to get out of the programme
and correct any misguided ideas. Make sure they know what you can and can’t do as
a mentor, and let them know that if something arises which you can’t deal with, you
will be able to refer them to a person or service with the relevant experience.
Brainstorm a list of questions or concerns students still have. Is there anything they
are unsure about their course? Is there anything that they have not yet organised or
understood?
Discuss the structure of the mentor programme so that all students know how often
you will meet and what other activities are happening. Emphasise that the group is
for them so they should feel free to suggest activities and say what they would like to
do. Set the agenda for next week.
Discuss and agree how you want to stay in contact with each other and exchange
contact details as necessary.
End the meeting on a positive note and say that you’re looking forward to the next
meeting and hope to see them all there.
Meeting Ideas
A ‘meeting’ does not have to be a formal meeting where you ask your group lots of
questions for an hour. There are plenty of things you can do together. Here are some
examples of what previous mentors have done with their mentees, to get you started:
Attend a society event
Go shopping together
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8. Invite your mentees to meet your friends
Meet at your favourite local café for lunch
Give your group a campus tour. You could take them to the Careers Service, Student
Welfare Service, and Freemen’s Common Health Service etc
Show your group around the library and show them how to search for books
Show your group around the Students’ Union
Invite your group to a society event that you are involved in
Go to the New Walk Museum
Plan a trip to the cinema, theatre, a local gig, park, sports game
Show your mentees around the countryside, particularly if you live in Oadby
Do a sporting activity together
Make crafts together
Go to an open-mic night
If you are mentoring international students you may also like to do the following:
Go on a trip to a traditional English pub to try British food
Take your group to the supermarket, to explain the food, and teach them about
cooking
Invite them to celebrate a British holiday/festival with you
Further meetings
Start each meeting with a catch up with questions about how they’ve been, whether
they have encountered any difficulties this past week, or have any questions.
Do something fun!
Decide on the next time to meet.
Icebreakers
It is crucial for your group’s success that you learn everyone’s names and that they learn
each other’s. Knowing their names is a sign that you are genuinely interested in each person
as an individual and reduces any feelings of anonymity.
Icebreaker games are one of the best ways to learn names and people feel comfortable in a
group. The following games are suggestions that can help get people talking. Remember to
always ask people to repeat their names when contributing during the game.
Speed Dating
Line everyone up so they are facing a pair, give each person a question to ask their opposite
partner. Give each pair three minutes each to ask their question of one another. Then one
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9. side should move along to another partner, the opposite side stays still. Continue this until
the original pairs are back together.
Roll the dice
A different way to ask the questions above. Bring a dice to the meeting: everyone takes
turns to roll and each number represents a new question to answer.
1. Why did you choose this degree programme and Leicester?
2. What did you do last year?
3. What has been the best thing that’s happened at university so far?
4. What has been the most challenging aspect of university so far?
5. What has been the most unexpected thing about university so far?
6. What are you most looking forward to during your time at Leicester?
Things in Common
Each student pairs up with another student who they don’t know. They must find three
things that they have in common then introduce each other to the group with their findings.
You may then find that others in the group have the same things in common.
The Magic Wand
Imagine you have a magic wand that allows you to change three things about the University
of Leicester. You can change anything you want. How would you change yourself, your
programme, the facilities, the place you live, etc? This can be done as a large group or in
pairs or small groups.
Ball toss
Everyone stands in a circle. Throw a ball around and say the name of the person you throw
it to. Add a second ball into the circle at the same time to add to the speed!
Memorising names
Go around in a circle. The first person says their name, then the second person says their
name and also the first person’s name, the third person says their name and the first and
second person’s name, and so on around the circle. A game where it’s good to volunteer to
go first, as the last person has to remember everyone!
Truth and Lies
Each person has to say three things about themselves; two of which are true and one which
is made up. All three should be believable but perhaps odd enough to trick the group. The
group then guesses which statement is the lie. Whoever is right records one point and the
winner is the person who has the most correct guesses at the end.
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10. The final meeting
The mentor programme officially runs during the first term, so after this point, if you want
to continue meeting with your group it would be on your own accord.
Your department may have a celebration to mark the end of the mentoring programme.
This is an opportunity for you to celebrate the time you have had with your group. At the
final meeting be sure to wish your group well in the rest of their degree. Also, try and leave
time to get some feedback from your group about how they think the programme has gone.
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11. Group Dynamics
General guidelines
All groups will be different because of the people within them. Some groups will get along
immediately, while others may take a little longer to flourish. Here are some general
guidelines on how to manage your group.
Listen carefully, try not to interrupt, and respond to questions people ask.
Explain yourself clearly and perhaps in different ways if people appear confused
about what you say – especially if you have people in your group for whom English is
their second language, or who might have other communication difficulties.
If your group runs out of things to do, take some time out to review progress so far,
ask them how they feel the group is going and if they have any suggestions for
improvement.
What If you have a problem with your group?
Managing a mentor group is not always easy. If you are having problems with your group or
simply need advice, remember you are not on your own. You can always contact your
programme Co-ordinator who is there to support you. You can also talk to other mentors to
see what has or hasn’t worked for them.
What if one of your mentees is not responding to your emails?
There could be a range of reasons why someone is not responding to your emails. They may
simply not have received them, may not want to be involved in the programme any longer
but don’t want to tell you outright. In most cases it is nothing to worry about. Try and follow
up with a text or phone call if you haven’t heard from them after a few days.
If you have not received responses to your emails from someone that would normally
respond and you have a reason to be concerned, make your programme Co-ordinator aware.
What if your group dwindles to only one or two mentees?
Try and get in touch with your group members to find out why they are no longer coming to
meetings. It’s worth emailing everyone a few days before each meeting to remind them. It
may be that the times of meetings have been inconvenient or that the group is not fulfilling
their expectations. Some students might find that they no longer need the support of a
mentor group. Remember that this is not a reflection on you. However if your group does
dwindle, let your Co-ordinator know because they may be able to merge your group with
another, or allocate you more mentees.
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12. What if one of your mentees wants to drop out of the programme?
If this happens, try and find out why they no longer want to be involved. They may no longer
need support, or they could be feeling uncomfortable within the group. If there is a problem,
there may be an opportunity to resolve it. Whatever their reason for dropping out, inform
your Co-ordinator.
What if one of my mentees wants to switch groups?
If one of your mentees asks to switch groups, don’t take this personally. It is possible that
they just want to join a group with their friends. Speak to your Co-ordinator about arranging
this.
Inclusive groups
It is important to try and be as inclusive as possible with your group to make sure no one
feels left out. It is likely that you will have a very diverse group of students from different
cultural, social, ethnic and educational backgrounds. Try and be aware of differences within
the group and make everyone feel comfortable.
For students with English as a second language, speak more slowly and clearly if
there are any misunderstandings, try to find a different way to say the same thing, or
ask the group to help you explain.
Avoid stereotyping or making judgements about people.
Remember that everyone has a different background and you can’t make
assumptions about anyone.
Create a general atmosphere of openness, sensitivity and respect in the group by
being respectful yourself.
Do not allow racist, sexist or other inappropriate jokes or comments in the group.
If a student has a disability that might limit their participation, ask them (individually,
perhaps at the end of the meeting) if there’s anything you can do to help them
participate fully in the meetings.
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13. Reporting and Feedback
Your coordinator may ask you to provide updates on how the programme is going. They
should only take you a couple of minutes to fill in, but they are very important to the
development of the programme. While we would like you to meet with your group every
week, and we hope everything will run smoothly, we are aware this isn’t always the case.
Please try and be as accurate in your reports as possible so we can understand if there are
any issues and try and make changes.
At the end of the programme you will also be expected to complete an evaluation. Again,
your feedback is incredibly important for us to improve the programme for students in the
future.
Leicester Award
If you are gaining accreditation for your involvement in mentoring it is essential that you
complete and return reports to gain credit.
Online Materials
If you would like further information, or would like to recap on anything covered during the
training workshop you can do this at our website: www.le.ac.uk/ careers/ld/peer-
mentoring
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16. Appendix:
DISABILITY ETIQUETTE
Many non-disabled people have surprising apprehensions and fears when interacting with
disabled people. The purpose of this disability etiquette information is to give you a few
guidelines about this interaction, but most of it comes down to basic common sense. In all
communication with disabled people, it is important to understand that there are some
widely used words and phrases that give offence, because they reinforce prejudices and
preconceptions which should be challenged.
This section looks at language, behaviour and common courtesies which should be used
throughout the communication process. Try to remember this terminology when meeting or
working with disabled people. Most importantly, do not get ‘hung up’ over language and
behave as naturally as possible. If in doubt ask the person you are talking to for advice,
rather than use words that offend.
Language
Use ‘disabled’ person rather than ‘handicapped’ person. This word derived from a
fourteenth century horse racing term where those riders with gifted horses were
required to ride with a cap in one hand. This ‘cap in hand’ terminology is offensive to
many disabled people as it implies begging.
Refrain from using the word ‘disabled’ as a noun, i.e. ‘The Disabled’; it implies a
homogenous group separate from the rest of society. Disabled people are all
‘unique’ individuals: ‘The Disabled’ do not constitute a group apart. Use ‘disabled
person’ or ‘person with a disability’.
A person is not a condition; avoid referring to an individual by the condition they
have. An ‘Arthritic’ is a ‘person with arthritis’; a ‘Spastic’ is a ‘person who has
cerebral palsy’.
Avoid attaching labels to people with or without disabilities. For example, the word
‘normal’ has no real meaning if we are all different. It also implies that disabled
people are ‘standard deviations’.
Words to be avoided:
VICTIM - use person who has/with/person who experienced.
CRIPPLED BY - use person who has/person with
SUFFERING FROM - use person who has/person with
AFFLICTED BY - use person who has/person with
WHEELCHAIR BOUND – use wheelchair user
CONFINED TO A WHEELCHAIR – use wheelchair user
MENTAL HANDICAP – use person with learning disabilities
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17. MENTAL ILLNESS – use person with mental health problems
INVALID (literally means not valid) – use disabled person
DEAF AND DUMB – use a person who is deaf and without speech
MUTE – use a person without speech.
Offering Help
Most disabled people do not need any extra help. The commonest reason for
requiring help is a restrictive environment.
Disabled people are all individuals; some will be very confident in asking for help,
others will struggle on regardless.
Never leap in, assuming what help is needed and how to provide it. Offer help if you
feel it may be required by enquiring “Are you OK?” or “Is there anything I can do?”,
or “Do you need some help?”
Disabled people have every right to say no.
Disabled people may get stroppy; this can be for various reasons. For example, they
may have been offered help seventeen times that day already, or they are simply
being rude and unreasonable. If you believe it to be the latter, you should confront
them. Allowing disabled people to get away with inappropriate behaviour is just as
patronising as patting them on the head.
General Behaviour and Information
When offering assistance to a blind person, ask them directly what you need to do,
but as a rule allow the person to take your arm. You should guide rather than lead or
propel the person. Advise on steps and other obstacles as they occur.
To help a blind person sit down, place their hand on the back of the chair and tell
them what you have done.
Advise a blind person when you are leaving them as they may end up talking to fresh
air.
Introduce yourself by name on meeting a blind person, as they may not recognise
your voice.
In welcoming a blind person to a room in which they have not been before, give a
brief synopsis of the ‘geography’ (shape, size and windows) and contents (furniture
and people) of the room.
If a Guide Dog is present, always ask the owner’s permission before you pat the dog.
Leaning on a person’s wheelchair is often annoying for the occupant; it sometimes
makes the chair move. But do not allow the chair to become a barrier to appropriate
physical contact.
When talking to a person in a wheelchair for any length of time, get to their eye
level.
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18. Do not grab the back of someone’s wheelchair to push them along. Wheelchair
users usually either move around under their own power, or use powered chairs. If a
person is struggling ask if they require assistance.
Never touch or move crutches or walking sticks without the user’s consent; you may
make the person lose balance or make it more difficult for the user to stand if they
are sitting.
Establish if a deaf person can lip-read. Look directly at the person and speak clearly
and naturally. Do not shout or exaggerate lip movement, as this will distort
understanding.
Facial expressions and gesturing help deaf people understand you. Face the source
of light and keep hands, cigarettes and food away from your mouth when speaking
and do not wear sunglasses. If difficulties occur, use written notes. Avoid clothing or
jewellery that can distract from your face if regularly communicating with a person
who lip-reads.
Many deaf people prefer to use sign language; it is a language like any other, with its
own grammar. Interpreters should be provided if deaf people are present at
meetings or in an official interview situation. Find out if you need BSL (British Sign
Language) or SSE (Signed Supported English) interpreters.
If you are with a deaf person and an audible warning, fire bell or an announcement is
given, make sure they understand what is happening.
If someone has speech impairment do not finish the end of sentences or pretend you
understand them when you do not. Always ask them to repeat themselves, even if it
takes several attempts.
Do not make assumptions about the existence or absence of disabilities – some
people have hidden disabilities, e.g. people who have epilepsy, sickle cell anaemia,
dyslexia or other specific learning difficulty in a higher education context.
Conversation and Common Courtesies
Talk directly to a disabled person rather than through a companion. Relax and make
eye contact.
Do not be embarrassed about using common expressions, such as “See you later” or
“I’ll be running along then”, which may relate to a person’s impairment.
Many jokes are based on humour that exploits an individual’s impairments. These
are thoroughly offensive and should be challenged in the same way that you should
challenge all racist, sexist and heterosexist jokes. Silence implies agreement.
Resist the temptation to ask negative or intrusive questions like “What’s wrong with
you?” or “Have you always been like that?” When you meet someone, it’s more
constructive if you ask positive questions.
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19. If you are organising a meeting or conference to which you hope to attract disabled
people, consult disabled people on access issues. Also, ensure you have a statement
on your posters, welcoming disabled people and advising on access provision.
Ask a disabled person which position or seat is best for them; e.g. some people need
an area which is well lit, and another person may prefer a higher chair.
Shaking hands: advise a blind or partially sighted person that you are about to shake
their hand; they may not be able to see your hand. If you are uncertain about
shaking hands with a wheelchair user, ask the person. They may say, “Please do”;
proceed in the normal way. With a very few people, because of lack of movement,
you may have to take their hand. Occasionally someone may say no, because
movement hurts them.
If food or refreshments are available, explain what is there if a person is unable to
see, either because they are blind or partially sighted, or if they are a wheelchair user
and the table is too high. Ask if they require assistance, either to be served or in
other ways.
These notes are reproduced with the permission of Dr. Stephen Duckworth of:
Disability Matters Ltd.,
The Old Dairy,
Tiebridge Farm,
North Houghton,
Stockbridge
Hants. SO20 6LQ
Tel: 01264 811120; Fax: 01264 810889; Web: www.disabilitymatters.com
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