Delivering a vibrant and effective first year experience for disparate target groups necessitates collaboration with multiple service units – some of which may have other priorities. This workshop is all about engaging with assorted stakeholders and creating a tangible product without losing that all-important guiding vision – or one’s sanity!
EFYE2024 – CopenhagenWorkshop | Academic integration/belonging | Personal mental health/well-being | Social integration/belonging
Catering to the first-year requirements of disparate student groups is no mean feat at the FernUniversität in Hagen, where the distance learning set-up necessitates creativity, concientiousness and the commitment of staff members from multiple service units. Social isolation is a major risk in distance learning and peer mentoring is a suitable method to counter this. The first foray into student-led peer mentoring consisted of disabled and chronically ill students pairing up virtually; the successful precedence set has prompted the Department for Equal Opportunities in cooperation with the Centre for Learning and Innovation to broaden the scope of the project and include further groups such as first generation students navigating the financial and social sea change wrought by their upward mobility; student caregivers – a growing demographic in a country with an aging population; and, prospective international students who may or may not be resident in Germany. The Department for Equal Opportunities has devised a practicable programme for incoming students collaborating with the regional campuses, the Student Advisory unit, the student support services division studyFIT, the library, the international office as well as the faculties. In the initial stage, the students’ specific needs are ascertained, taking into account not only their intended academic paths and individual learning goals, but also their work and personal responsibilities. Failing this, participation in the project would be low. The students themselves take ownership of the process by organising the format, focus and frequency of their meetings. Peer mentoring aims to empower the students not only by peer-to-peer-contact but also by input regarding their specific needs. Participating as a mentee (typically first and second semester students) or as a mentor (from the third semester onwards) promotes social responsibility and fosters a team spirit. The question remains how such a peer mentoring project should be continuously refined to foster community building in a sustained and inclusive manner. Crafting a common vision amongst the many stakeholders and bringing it to fruition within a specified time frame is an ongoing challenge, but one to which the FernUniversität has successfully risen, to date. The process lends itself well to an interactive workshop. First, an account of the FernUniversität’s burgeoning peer mentoring project will be briefly shared. Thereafter, the workshop participants will assume various roles whilst working on a simulated albeit realistic task. Discussion, active participation and the production of a tangible output are central to the design of the workshop.
What do participants experience or learn?
Student mentor/tutor, Student, Education leaders, Academic teaching staff, Academic adviser.
Relevant for all students, but with a specific focus:
Students as leaders, Students as volunteers, Students as participants.