Mentoring Students from University of Nottingham Ningbo Campus

1. Mentoring Students from University of Nottingham Ningbo Campus Dr Nick Thomas Department of History

2. The Challenge • Degree in International Studies at Ningbo since its foundation • History is lead department in partnership with Politics • Four year degree – one year of language, then three years of academic study

3. In second year of academic study students can choose to visit UK campus, usually for a Semester • They take second year options alongside home students • 83 students in 2010-11 • ??? In 2012-13

4. Quickly became clear Ningbo students were struggling • Not integrating into seminars • Language and cultural barriers • Not accessing academic or pastoral support

5. Each student from Ningbo given a personal tutor: two UNNC Liaison Officers • Induction session run specifically for them on arrival • Extensive pastoral support system in the department • Gateway to wider support systems elsewhere in the University

6. Yet do they know what a personal tutor is? • What are their assumptions about pastoral support? • What are they expecting from us and from being here?

7. Further issues • Two campuses on different sides of the world • Colleagues who have never met • Assumptions by both sides on curriculum, induction, advice, support, etc provided on each campus • Desire to work more closely

8. Mentoring system • Introduced 2010-11 • Groups of 4 Ningbo students allocated to a mentor • All mentors are student volunteers from second and third years • There is a vetting system in place

9. Students can link mentoring to the Nottingham Advantage Award • Training sessions provided • Desire among many home students to make contact with international students • Light touch to supervision of the process

10. Negatives: • Some groups don’t gel or the mentor loses interest • Some Ningbo students want friendship to be very intense • Social events don’t really work – very different expectations, home students don’t attend

11. Positives: • Ningbo students like having a contact who is a student • Some groups work very well indeed – socialise, make regular contact, etc • Sense of integrating students into the life of the department • More to be done?

12. Investigations • Desire to explore student experiences, find out what we do well, what we can change • Carole Mallia’s research on Ningbo • Senior Tutor Network funding 2011-12

13. Findings • Culture shock: Britain is not what they expected, feeling of exclusion, Ningbo students group together • Academics seen as authority figures: mentoring scheme helps to bridge gap

14. Concerns before arriving: • Food, sex, the weather, accommodation, safety, British drinking culture • Will they be at a disadvantage? • How will they be perceived?

15. Language: e-mail is preferred communication as a result • Students often visit academics in pairs • English is non-inflected • English is full of smoke screens/ diplomacy

16. Chinese universities don’t run personal tutoring or mentoring systems • System of appointments in advance is alien – again mentoring system helps here

17. Chinese students tend to wait to be approached, whether socially, personal tutors or mentors – very rarely ‘break the ice’ themselves • Making something voluntary or saying ‘it would be a good idea’ means they usually don’t do it

18. Instrumentalisation: • Does it impact on my marks? If not I won’t do it • Impact on mentoring and pastoral care

19. Possible solutions • Dividing Ningbo students between personal tutees • Advice guide for staff and mentors • Focussed training for mentors and tutors • Mentoring scheme for all students, home and international

20. Conclusions • Very much feeling our way through this situation – there is no plan! • Desire to avoid essentialisation – deal with individuals • International students have particular needs, but good practice for them often benefits others - inclusivity