“REACHING MORE OF THE HARD TO REACH – MENTORING IN THE CURRICULUM”

1. “REACHING MORE OF THE HARD TO REACH – MENTORING IN THE CURRICULUM” Brunel Pro-Active Mentoring Programme An integrated, targeted approach to alumni mentoring A pilot study for the MERITS Project (Minority Ethnic Recruitment Information Training & Support) Project Team: Jonathan Wolff, Head of Careers Service Kulvinder Birring, Senior Careers Adviser Mariann Rand-Weaver, Director of Undergraduate Courses - Biological Sciences

2. “REACHING MORE OF THE HARD TO REACH – MENTORING IN THE CURRICULUM” • In this session we will cover: • Rationale behind the Brunel Pro-active Mentoring pilot • Key aims and features of the pilot study • How the pilot was integrated into an academic module • Purpose and content of preparatory networking session • Mechanics of organising the mentoring • “Hands-on” look at the objective setting exercise • Feedback – what the students thought of the programme • QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

3. RATIONALE BEHIND BRUNEL PILOT (1) • High proportion of Brunel students are Black/Asian • 5,000 (out of total of 12,000) across Brunel • 50% of students on Uxbridge campus • five departments are more than 60% non-white • Mentoring schemes do not support majority at Brunel: • only a small number of places • attract only well-motivated, employable people • those who need them most have little Careers Service contact • happen outside courses - not linked to departmental initiatives • some students don’t wish to be seen as having problems

4. RATIONALE BEHIND BRUNEL PILOT (2) • If a scheme is to reach specific groups (e.g. Black/Asian): • Best way to do this is by targeting courses with highest ratios & ensure ALL students on the courses take part in the scheme

5. AIMS OF THE PILOT STUDY (1): • To deliver an innovative mentoring scheme which will: • Be inclusive for all students within a targeted group • Enable students to take responsibility for the process • Link with other skills initiatives within targeted department • To produce a range of support materials for mentors/tutors

6. AIMS OF THE PILOT STUDY (2): • To pioneer transferable methodologies for: • Targeting/working with students from specific groups • Integration of mentoring/networking concepts into courses • To develop mentoring & work experience opportunities

7. FEATURES OF “PROACTIVE MENTORING” (1) • Mentoring programme integrated into skills module • Within Biological Sciences • Training provided for participants in: • Networking skills • Setting objectives for their mentoring & networking activities • Participants attend an "Alumni Fair” • Mentoring opportunities organised at this event • Fair attended by Brunel Alumni & other employers

8. FEATURES OF “PROACTIVE MENTORING” (2) • Participants work with a mentor and are encouraged to: • Develop other contacts • Arrange other work-shadowing/experience opportunities • Project team ensures those most in need benefit • Pilot activities linked to module assessment process • Pilot forms used as integral part of assessed learning logs

9. NETWORKING SESSION • Key objective: • Develop students’ confidence for networking activity they will be required to carry out prior to, and during, the mentoring programme • Session Outcomes • Understand how they’ve used contacts already • Understand how contacts can help them in Career Planning • Able to identify networks they already belong to • Understand how to make contacts and use them effectively

10. CARD SORT EXERCISE • Focal activity for mentoring preparation sessions • Enables participants to set learning objectives for both their networking and mentoring activities • Participants record objectives at end of exercise and have to record progress • Mentoring outcomes model • Derived from first principles • Explains relationship between different groups of outcomes • Functions as a general Career Planning model