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The Peer Mentoring program is an undergraduate student support program that provides peer to peer support to first year undergraduate students entering their first semester of study in a group setting. This program is managed by the Access, Inclusion & Success (AIS) team in the Student Experiences Portfolio.
All commencing undergraduate students are matched with a peer mentor/s in their managing faculty, and placed in a small mentoring group (10-20 students) with other first-year students from their managing faculty.
Mentoring takes place across the first 6 weeks of semester with three main catch ups:
Welcome and connect - Meet your mentors and connect with other mentees in your group
You and our University - Find out how you can get involved at Uni and engage with the Monash community.
You, your study success and your assessments - Hear about what academic support services available at Monash, learn some new study tips and get help setting up a study group. Chat to your group about their experiences of assessment so far and get some tips on how to approach end-of-semester assessments.
Beyond this, mentors check in and offer support to their mentees at various times. Programs are faculty or school based, so the content is relevant for the mentees and they get to know a group of students in a similar area of study. Throughout the program, there are professional development and social opportunities for both mentors and mentees to attend.
Program aims
AIS Programs aim to increase participation, experience, retention, success and graduate outcomes of undergraduate and graduate coursework students, with a specific focus on students from low socio-economic (SES) communities and diverse backgrounds. They help build connections/networks, resilience and educational outcomes; encourage participation in a full range of co-curricular and enhancement activities; provide access to professional networks and increase retention and success.
Program benefits
Peer Mentoring Student Leaders
Peer Mentoring student leaders are current students in their second year or above who have undergone a competitive Peer Mentoring recruitment and training program. They are students with excellent communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem solving skills and who can provide faculty/school specific support to first year undergraduate students in their transition to university.
All student leaders go through a competitive application and interview process and receive training and ongoing professional development to support them in their roles.
In the Peer Mentoring program, there are three levels of student leaders:
Peer Mentoring Coordinator
Senior Mentor
Peer Mentor
Peer Mentoring Coordinator
Peer Mentoring Coordinators are senior student leaders who work closely with the Faculty and Portfolio of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) to manage key aspects of the program, ensuring it meets the needs of mentors and mentees. They drive engagement within their respective program though organising, running and evaluating peer mentoring related events and activities.
Coordinators oversee a team of Senior Mentors, who act as a ‘mentor to the mentors’ while providing assistance in running events and driving engagement across the Peer Mentoring program as a whole.
Senior Mentor
Senior Mentors are senior student leaders who have previously been in the program as Peer Mentors and have a desire to continue supporting and developing the program with increased responsibilities. These senior leaders support commencing mentors and foster resilience by supporting mentors to find the resources they need and to seek help when required, acting as a ‘mentor to the mentors’.
The Senior Mentors support the Peer Mentoring Coordinators in running events and driving engagement across the Peer Mentoring program as a whole.
Peer Mentor
Mentors are students in their second year or above who have a desire to help new students get started and succeed at Monash. They have strong interpersonal and communication skills and are willing to talk about their own university experiences. They go through a competitive application process and receive training and ongoing professional development to support them in their role as mentor and beyond.
All mentors are supported by Senior Mentors who guide them throughout the semester with any questions they may have.
Mentees who engage will benefit from:
Making friends with experienced and new students
Building networks and fostering resilience, which underpin successful educational outcomes
Developing a sense of belonging with the Monash community
Encouraging participation in a full range of co-curricular and enhancement activities
Being encouraged to get involved in Monash activities that suit their interests
Receiving tailored support and advice to connect them with Monash support services if required
Providing access to professional networks
Increasing retention and success
Student leaders who are involved will benefit from:
Being considered for the $6000 Monash Peer Mentoring Leaders Scholarship (peer coordinators only - check website for eligibility)
Joining our community of high-achieving Monash students
Developing leadership, communication and teamwork skills
Meeting and networking with senior Monash staff, alumni and community leaders
Their participation in the program being recorded on your Australian Higher Education Graduate Statement (AHEGS)
The opportunity to make a difference to someone’s life
Peer Mentoring Program Participants - Mentees
Peer Mentoring program participants are first-year undergraduate students in their first study period at Monash University.
This includes (this list outlines the general inclusions not all faculty specific agreements):
International and domestic students
Students completing DOTS or DOHE
Students who have completed a Foundation Year at Monash College
Students returning to study (completed previous studying coming back for a different UG - included if gap of more than 3 years, and if enrolled in 1st year units)
Student entering with a TAFE qualification with credit
Does not include (unless agreed upon at a faculty level):
Monash College Diplomas (entering into their 2nd year at Monash)
Transfer from another institution (if advanced standing granted >24 credit points. *First year units only)
Transfer from another course - should have received PM in the first year of their first course.
Undergraduate certificate courses
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