Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The Curator School has launched at Novosibirsk State University. The organizational meeting for the project, which is being implemented Department of Youth Policy and Educational WorkThe event took place on March 13. Experienced first-year student mentors attended, but the majority of those in attendance were university students who expressed interest in becoming mentors in the next academic year. This year, over 200 applications were submitted for the project, a record high compared to previous years.
Olga Yakovleva, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Educational Work at NSU, opened the meeting. She noted that the community of first-year mentors has been growing recently, and it is crucial to improve not only the number of mentors but also the quality of their work aimed at facilitating the adaptation of recent students and supporting them during their first year at the university.
"We hope that this audience includes more than just those who want to work with first-year students. We hope that you are willing to share and promote the university's values, that you want to make it better, and that the integration of first-year students into NSU's academic and social life is more effective," said Olga Yakovleva.
At the request of current first-year student mentors, the Curator School underwent significant changes this year: a full-fledged educational module was added, aimed at teaching the basics of pre-psychological support.
First-year mentors will also learn as much as possible about NSU's internal regulations, student social support measures, the organization of the academic process, exam schedules, and internet safety measures during three to four sessions led by subject-matter experts. Furthermore, mentors must have knowledge of university locations, student clubs, sports sections, and other associations.
"In my opinion, a mentor should be more than just an assistant; they should be a surrogate parent and a bit of a friend to the first-year student! They are a guide for the freshman into the world of NSU, able to support them in difficult situations and resolve conflicts within the group. However, a mentor should not subsequently assume 100% responsibility for their student or be in constant contact with them 24/7. Therefore, the goal of our school is to provide important and relevant information on the main areas of study at NSU and to teach mentors how to interact with first-year students. Using the acquired skills, a mentor will help the first-year student adapt to NSU," said Grigory Polivkin, head of the NSU Mentor School project and a graduate student in the Geological and Geophysical Faculty of NSU.
Classes will run until the end of April. This will be followed by a field trip to the Oleg Koshevoy Educational Park, where the School's program will continue with project-based activities, team-building training, and group activities.
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