Nuts and bolts session

Title: Building community on University campuses – the role of mentor programs

Pat Hanley

Abstract

Student mentoring at the Townsville campus of James Cook University began in 1996 after Learning Adviser Peter Hanley was inspired by reports of successful mentor programs at the first Pacific Rim FYE Conference in 1995. The program has developed since then based on the application of action research methodology and feedback from other mentor programs. On the first day of Orientation Week 2003 more than 2000 commencing students at the Townsville campus were welcomed by 350 mentors who hosted students on their first day and followed them up several times during First Semester.

Peter Hanley carried out a survey of mentor programs in universities around Australia in May 2003. In the session at the conference, Peter Hanley will briefly describe the development of the JCU program and the results of the survey. There will then be the opportunity for participants to share their own experience of mentor programs.