Høgskolen i Oslo

Peer Mentoring at Oslo University College, Norway

Magritt Lundestad, lecturer, Faculty of Education and

International Studies, Early Childhood Education

Høgskolen i Oslo

Høgskolen i Oslo

Peer Mentoring at Oslo University College

12,000 students/1100 employees, 7 faculties. Peer Mentoring: the last 10 years, at some

faculties Faculty of Edcuation and International Studies,

Early Childhood Education: peer mentoring program autumn 2009

Initiated by Head of Studies, applied for funding Funded by ” Intercult”, a ongoing program at

OUC aiming at developing and strengthening the multicultural student environment

Mentees:1st year students, mentors: 2st year students

Small scale program: 10 mentors, 14 mentees

Høgskolen i Oslo

The Norwegian Context

2009 : age 19 – 24, 34% in Higher Education Higher Education: available for all through reasonable

student loans Immigration in Norway: mainly from 1970 Students with ethnic minority background:

approximately 18% at OUC (1923 students out of 10 738), Faculty of Education and International Studies 13% ( 272 students)

Oslo, an expensive city: most students work in addition to student loan from the government

Students: busy, not very active participants in student life at campus

Experience from other faculties at OUC: hard to recruit mentors

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Aims of the Peer Mentoring Programme at Early Childhood Education

To promote retention among students with ethnic minority background

To develop students` intercultural competence

To enhance students` professional development by increasing awareness of cultural diversity and by promoting competence in mentorship

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1 - Questions in the Starting Phase

Only for 1st academic year students with ethnic minority background? Defined as a group with “special needs”? How would this be regarded by the students?

How to recruit mentors ? Payment? Development of professional competence and employability? Involvement in a new project ? To be a resource? A certificate to show to employers? Free lunches?

How to choose mentors? Interviews? What qualifications? How to create a mentor group with a variation of students?

What should the role of a mentor be? A person to introduce new students to life on campus? To show new students around? To share experiences regarding the studies? To provide academic support?

What should the focus of the training program for the mentors be? Mentorship? Intercultural competence? Communication? Ethics?

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2 - Questions in the Starting Phase

How to recruit mentees? Through email/learning platform/ through direct meetings? What should be emphasized? Academic support? Transition into student life? A guide to student support at campus ?

How many meetings/activities between mentors and mentees in a year ? When to meet? How to document the meetings?

How to match mentor and mentees? Same ethnic background or not? Age etc.?

How to involve the teaching staff/the study administration in the project? Active participants in recruitment of mentees/mentors? Members of project group?

How to develop a “culture for mentorship” in the organisation? Seen as for example “ not my task as a lecturer” or “ not necessary, students at university level should be able to manage on their own”

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1 - Choices made

For all 1st year students Recruitment of mentors: through personal email, through

learning platform, information in the classroom, through lecturers that recommended students as mentors

Mentors: application form, individual interviews, why they applied/ how they believed they could be a resource

Emphasized that we wanted a varied mentor group in the recruitment phase, age, gender, experience etc.

Reward: employability, to develop professional competence, a training program, a certificate, free lunches

The mentor role shaped by the students in collaboration with the mentee

Few meetings between mentor and mentee obligatory, 2 each semester. The mentor/mentee are free to do what they want to

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2 - Choices made

Documented by a log each semester by the mentor: what we have done, what I have learned, my challenges further on etc.

Training program: 2 half day meetings each semester, both for mentees and mentors. Free lunch, share experiences, lectures on mentorship, intercultural competence, to relate and communicate

Recruitment of mentees: through email, through learning platform, information in the classroom, through lecturers - used in many higher educations institutions, someone to shares experiences with, to have someone “ by your side” the first year, what to do chosen by the mentor/mentee

Matching of mentor and mentees: various solutions, age important

Both lecturers and administrative staff members of project group

Information about the project and the experiences at staff meetings. New Intercult project: ” A Culture for Peer Mentoring at OUC”