Not just funThe importance of social transition

Krassimira Teneva, Jess InglisSamantha Jane Logan

Library & Student Support Services

Background / Context

• Student Transition and Progression• International Experience • Work with non-traditional groups of students

– mature students, carers and care leavers– international students

• Provide part of the SHU 'transition in' support offer

• Enable some ongoing transition support

Why is social transition important?

• students who do not transition successfully are less likely to persist (Thomas, 2002)

• they are more likely to experience academic difficulties and underachieve (Kantanis, 2000)

• they are likely to have lower self-esteem and confidence which can hinder their ability to engage fully with the academic process (Kantanis, 2000)

Social transition is thought to be crucial to student retention and success but is given little attention within institutionsHarvey, L., Drew, S. with Smith, M. (2006). The first year experience: a literature review for the Higher Education Academy. York. HE Academy

What does successful social transition look like?

• students have established support networks (peers, staff and family)

• students are involved actively in their university community

• students have a strong sense of belonging to the course, faculty, university

• students feel that they matter and they are appreciated

Adapted from Bigger (2005)

How and when do we make this happen?

• Two case studies– Mature student welcome programme - 'transition

in' support– Culture Connect - ongoing transition support

throughout the year

Understanding the mature student experience

For mature students university often represents a highly prized opportunity for career enhancement, personal achievement and self development. However, higher education can present mature students with significant challenges.

Research by Surrey University (2011) and the NUS (2012) shows that mature students are more likely to find social transition and developing a sense of belonging with their university difficult.

Summary of issues affecting mature students’ social transition and belonging

Different life experience to peers, which may lead to feelings of isolation and alienation

More likely to have skills gaps from non-traditional or disrupted educational experiences, potentially adding to feelings of alienation

Typically spend less time on campus, so less likely to make friends and develop peer support networks

More likely to suffer from anxiety and low self esteem, which may limit ability to make friends

Typical student events or social activities less appealing to these students

Busy lives / time poor - making it difficult to take advantage of opportunities which are of interest

Primary focus is often the course not social experience

Significant investment and vulnerability in a new identity as a learner

Role reversals may put strain on family support networks

More likely to experience financial difficulties, which may restrict ability to fully engage with student life

Mature students at SHU

• Ran two focus groups with current mature students in March 2015

• Some of the key themes to emerge from these discussions were social isolation and ‘culture shock’

• Students reported feeling underprepared and overwhelmed by the reality of university life

I looked around and saw no one like me. I thought ‘What am I doing here? I’ve made a mistake’

I was so overwhelmed on my first day. I rang my son and cried down the phone

I expected to start studying straightway. Fresher’s Week felt like a waste of time

I gave up a busy job to come to university, ‘hanging around’ just wasn’t something I was used to

Breaks and lunch times were hard. I just sat by myself

Focus group recommendations

• More information about the realities / practicalities of university life upfront

• More explicit and visible support for mature students on campus

• Opportunities to meet with other mature students

• Greater recognition of the mature student perspective among staff

Meeting the needs of our mature students

Mature Students’ Welcome Programme • Pilot running 16 – 17 September 2015 • For FT UG students aged 25+• 2 day induction to introduce students to university life and the

realities of study at HE level• Focus on peer support and developing resilience and coping skills• Using current mature students to help design and deliver the

programme• www.shu.ac.uk/mature• Plus social events for mature students in Fresher’s Week,

involving Mature Student Committee

What’s next?

• Masterclass sessions • Peer Mentoring programme • Good practice guide for staff• ???

How we can we work with you to facilitate successful social transitions for mature students as part of the course delivery?

Our cross-cultural volunteer peer mentoring scheme helping new students settle into university life.

Samantha Jane Logan, Scheme coordinator at International Student Support

Culture Connect

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CultureConnectSHU

• Approx. 4000 international students from 100 countries

• More challenging to socially adjust than home students (Andrade 2006)

• Perhaps moved abroad for the first time

• Unfamiliar culture/ education system

• Away from home support structure

• Can be a culture shock (UKCISA 2014)

• Friendships important for wellbeing, builds support structure (Coles and Swami 2012)

• Cultural / language barriers

• Meet people at accommodation/course but may have difficulties interacting (Coles and Swami 2012)

• Thus need help adjusting to life in a new country (Andrade 2006)

'You feel lost in new culture, new people, new roads and horrendous weather.' Mentee from Nepal

Importance of providing social integration support for international students

'I have not been to the UK before now, so I always felt lonely because I did not have any friend and it was difficult communicating with people.' Mentee from Nigeria

• Volunteer work - events did not always overcome students' complex social integration needs

• Example: Guinevere lacked confidence with UK students due to beliefs about herself/others

• Mentoring helped Guinevere question underlying assumptions and move forward

• Mentoring filled this gap in support

• Adjustment gradual process (Andrade 2006)

• Mentoring assists students to adjust (Rock and Donde 2008a) by providing longer-term support (Owen 2011)

• Mentoring supports ‘…transitions in knowledge, work or thinking’ (Clutterbuck 2004, p13)

• Improves student satisfaction by addressing current issues during student journey (Owen 2011)

• Support personal, someone to talk to who will actively listen (UKCISA 2014)

• Once new students, mentors understand challenges faced and can share insight (Emelo 2011)

• Prevents students isolating themselves, becoming part of their community (UKCISA 2008)

• Pilot Project 2013-14 with 44 students, 22 countries

• 'Learning through sharing'

Why one-to-one peer mentoring?

'The scheme gives me a sense of having a partner, who will support and encourage and even push me to quickly adapt into the new environment I am living.' Mentee from Vietnam

Official launch Culture Connect 2014-2015

International student mentee /

Same country mentor

International student mentee /

UK mentor

International student mentee / Different country

UK student mentee /

International mentor

Female mentee /

female mentor

Female mentee /

male mentor

Male mentee / female mentor

Male mentee / male mentor

Undergraduate mentee /

undergraduate mentor

Postgraduate mentee /

postgraduate mentor

Undergraduate mentee /

postgraduate mentor

Postgraduate mentee /

undergraduate mentor

Same course

Different courses

Same faculty

Different faculties

Mentee younger /

mentor older

Similar ages

Mentee older / Mentor

younger

• October to April / January to April

• 146 students, 33 countries

• 36 UK students, first UK mentee

• Students from all faculties

• Mentors familiar with support services / extracurricular activities

• Experience in a particular area, passed on that knowledge (MacLennan 1995)

• 'Wherever you're from, you belong'

• High satisfaction rate

• Hallam Award eligibility

• Matched - gender and extracurricular activities preferences

'I think if you had the choice, you'd have your own ideas of what you think of someone you'd get on with. But not having the choice, it puts you into that situation where you have to like learn different things and how to like get on with someone.' Mentor from UK

'…When you go out to real life, you are actually meeting everyone. You are meeting people from a different age, different gender, so you don't have a choice… for your colleague, you don't have a choice for

your boss.' Mentor from Malaysia

Diversified mentoring relationships

Diversity in the matching

Pairs may have differed by• culture• race• gender• religion• disability• sexual

orientation • personality• experience• and more!

• Same culture providse strong supportive mechanism (Coles and Swami 2012)

• Cross-cultural more challenging, greater scope for learning (Clutterbuck and Ragins 2002)

Reverse mentoring

Culture

Learning

Challenging perceptions

'Initially I was nervous to be allocated to a mentor who is an undergraduate student… However, my experiences during this programme have proven me otherwise. I really enjoyed myself throughout my journey and my relationship with me mentor has been very relaxing and open.' Mentee from Pakistan

'To be honest, like at first I thought it would be a massive problem because she is older than me, so I felt like I couldn't advise someone that is older... she actually looked up to me as opposed to looking down.' Mentor from Sri Lanka

'I dint know anything about Czech before I started and I thought awww if I'm honest, it doesn't sound like an interesting place. But actually I've learnt a lot and discovered it's actually quite an interesting place and I'd like to go there.' Mentor from UK

'Now I always feel happy and comfortable when meet other people. I am no longer have

stereotype in my thinking. It's so great!' Mentee from Vietnam

'I came to this project to help new students to settle in. I did not expect to learn anything from it… I learned that I can be a mentor and guide mentee through the process.' Mentor from Lithuania

'At first I was apprehensive about meeting my mentee as I was worried as to how well we would be able to understand each other… We were able to overcome this by helping each other out.' Mentor from UK

'Erm, I think that we are very very

different… like I'm very external and

she's very internal… I think it kind gives us more to talk about.'

Mentor from Sri Lanka

• By sign-posting students to support, mentors help strengthen networks across the university (Rock and Donde 2008a)

• Thus enhancing services for students, providing greater support and promoting self-learning (Husband and Jacobs 2009)

• Mentoring not a training programme (Owen 2011)

• Mentors help mentees to find the skills

needed to rise to challenges by themselves and come up with their own solutions (Tims 2011)

• Taking responsibility for own lifelong learning helps students remain competitive in today's job market (Colley 2003)

• Peer support with Learning Sets

• Speaking to others completing similar transitions gives students realistic expectations time it will take to adopt new behaviours (Grant 2010)

• Learning sets helpful as members discuss professional/ personal concerns and get group support (Mead, Campbell and Milan 1999)

Learning in and out of the classroom

'…I can make friend with my mentee… and many new friends from various countries during social events, trainings and learning sets of the scheme. I learnt from their experiences.' Mentor from Vietnam

'I feel have gained a lot of skills from this experience that has also helped me in my work and my uni work. It has developed my confidence in working with new people'. Mentor from UK

• Developing mentoring skills transition requiring changing old behaviours, which needs training / encouragement (Ellinger and Bostrom 1999)

• New mentors need ongoing support to avoid being discouraged / to persevere through adjustment period (Grant 2010)

• All participants receive a induction at start of programme, and monthly training

• Training important to ensure interest and mentoring skills are sustained (Rock and Donde 2008b)

• Opportunity for them to get together as a group and discuss mentoring related issues

• Interact with people from different cultures

• Training not just for mentors!

• Training opportunity to negotiate expectations

• Mentoring may be directive in home country but Culture Connect a journey of self-discovery

• Understanding what is involved improves mentees' confidence/ commitment (Alred and Garvey 2010)

• Students skilled mentees, take ownership of the process, prepared to ask questions, be challenged , learn and do not wait to be told (Garvey and Galloway 2002)

• Highly relevant to Higher Education

The Culture Connect scheme isn't just a scheme it is a global community where different people meet together and talk along with having discussions on how we are getting on in the scheme and make new friends.' Mentor from UK

'The various training and social events organised... have allowed me to share my past experiences and further collaborate with other people... pushed me to step out of my comfort zone to observe and learn from other people experiences.' Mentee from Pakistan

How we engage our volunteers

Developing life-long reflective practice

• Can be challenging to manage mentoring relationship (Garvey and Galloway 2002)

• Mentoring needs time for dialogue, exploration, reflection (Owen 2011)

• Reflection way of learning from experience to inform future practice (Bolton 2009)

• Pairs need opportunities to reflect on learning, reviewing each mentoring session, reflecting on feedback from partner to improve (Clutterbuck (2009)

• Guides, online reviews and group discussions

• More self-aware, question themselves and moderate their own behaviour (Owen 2011)

• Reflective practice is essential e.g. Physiotherapy, counselling, teaching and other disciplines

'I have developed cultural intelligence and eliminating stereotyping and assumptions, these are due to my ability to reflect on discussions during trainings and my interactions with my mentee.' Mentor from Nigeria

'I believe this reflective skill would be very helpful for my future career... to explore theories, beliefs and assumptions that I learnt previously and apply them to the practical working environment.' Mentor from Pakistan

Inspiring a global perspective and enhancing future horizons

• Intercultural understanding becoming valuable to employers due to globalisation (Andrade 2006)

• Mentoring provides a way for students to ‘…cross borders, to gain access to alternative perspectives’ (Blake-Beard 2009, p14)

• Student feedback suggests members developed a wide range of skills relevant to course/ future employment

• Cultural awareness, time management, helping skills, communication and language skills

• Specific relevance to international business, hospitality, language courses and healthcare students

'I am just going global being in Sheffield… I felt I was a small part or member of a big family… I can assure myself now that I don't have to physically travel around the world to embrace the beauty behind every culture and people.' Mentee from Nepal

'Everyone is different… Respect is very important because it is the basic thing of people get along with each other… I cannot say this culture is bad or wrong due to the different social background… I can respect it.' Mentee from China

'It breaks down all the fears that many people feel today due to lack of understanding of cultural differences and language barriers. It embraces these differences and you have the chance to make friends.' Mentee from UK

Ambitions to grow the scheme in 2015-2016

• Embed the scheme in the course delivery in relevant disciplines to support students with

• social transition• developing intercultural awareness & cross-

cultural skills

• Increase the number of British students involved as mentors and mentees

• developing an intercultural understanding should be an integral part of the student experience at SHU for all students

How can we work collaboratively to make cross-cultural exchanges an integral part of the student experience at SHU?

'In my view Culture Connect scheme is a very useful scheme not only for new comers who join the university but also for the existing students as they both can learn, share, enjoy, make new friends… and learn about each others culture… and gain general knowledge as well.' Mentor from Pakistan

'I found it interesting to understand why they thought there were barriers to approaching or spending time with English students and how they felt due to this.' Mentor from UK

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