NEAR EAST UNIVERSITY
Student Mentorship – Principles and Procedures
Description
Student mentorship is designed as a role for current undergraduate students in their second, third or final year of study. The role encompasses the following duties:
a) Assisting new students in their orientation to the program by providing them with information on issues such as course selection, access to materials and locating classrooms;
b) Assisting advisors in reaching out to their students and following their progress;
c) Forming a bridge between the student experiences and the departmental requirements;
d) Keeping track of student complaints/feedback and sharing these with the department by attending departmental meetings periodically;
e) Assisting the department in organising academic and social events
The student mentors will be appointed for a period of one academic year, following an application and selection period based on the criteria outlined below. Their names will be listed in the departmental/faculty websites as part of staff and they will be given a desk to be used within the department. Those students who serve in this position for one year will be able to re-apply for the position in the following year and can continue to mentor their peers if given the role again. They will also be provided with a certificate at the end of the academic year, indicating that they have served as a student mentor during the given year.
Ethical behaviour is of utmost importance in this role. Confidentiality should be observed at all times and the main focus of the mentors should be the wellbeing of the students that they are mentoring.
Eligibility
To apply for student mentorship, the applicants should satisfy the following criteria:
a) should be an active student who has completed his/her first year in the program
b) should have a CGPA of minimum 2.5/4.00
c) should not have more than 180 ECTS credits to finalise their program of study
d) should not have received any warning letters for any behavioural/academic offenses within the department
e) should be knowledgeable about:
i. the history and academic vision of the university
ii. the history of the department and recent changes
iii. the requirements for graduation from the program, including program competencies
iv. the regulations related to different issues regarding undergraduate students (e.g. Academic Regulations, Summer School Regulations, Dormitory Regulations, etc.)
Selection Process
A deadline for applications will be announced by the rectorate at the beginning of the academic year. Applications for student mentorship should be made to the relevant department via the candidate’s NEU student email address by the given deadline. Applicants should fill in the application form and outline their reasons for their application. An up to date CV with two references listed at the end should accompany the application form.
All applications will be reviewed by the departmental executive board. If there are more than 10 applicants, they will be shortlisted by the head of the department to 10. The candidates will then be interviewed by the departmental executive board and a decision will be made based on the evaluation of the board. Each department can appoint one student mentor in a given year. However, in cases where student population is dense, with the decision of the university’s executive board, the number student mentors in a given department can be increased to a maximum of 3. Candidates will then be informed and they will start their position by the guidance of the head of the department.
Termination
The mentorship role is assigned for a year and it will terminate automatically at the end of the year. In case of any misconduct, the mentorship will be terminated immediately by the departmental board.