Mentoring System
The process of Mentoring is an individualized form of counseling and guidance activities. It addresses the needs of the students to have a friend, a counselor and a confidante on the campus. The practice is aimed at fostering a better rapport between the students and the teachers at a personal level. Effective mentoring begins with the faculty and depends upon the healthy relationship between faculty and students.
Mentor
A mentor is a teacher acting both as a friend and a role model who supports and encourages a student in his/her academic and personal growth. The mentor guides a student in his /her academic pursuits and emotional and psychological development, particularly in the latter’s’ transition phase. The mentor also guides his wards in how much they should try to achieve and how. Lyallpur Khalsa College has adopted and implemented a Mentoring System as a student support measure. The system, though flexible, functions along well-defined lines.
Each faculty member is the mentor of a group of 25 to 30 students allocated to him/ her by the Head of the Department. The teacher mentor collects personal information from the ward without touching sensitive issues or forcing any information out of the wards and then provides the needed counseling to the wards. Critical issues are brought in the notice of the Head of the Department. The teacher meets the wards informally outside class hours as well and guides them regarding their career options. A documented record of the mentoring process is maintained by the mentor teacher and the Head of the Department for reference purposes.
Types of Mentoring:
- Professional Guidance – regarding professional goals, selection of career, higher education.
- Career advancement – regarding self-employment opportunities, entrepreneurship development, morale, honesty, and integrity required for career growth.
- Course-specific – regarding attendance and performance in the present semester and overall performance in the previous semester.
- Lab-specific – regarding Do’s and Don’ts in the lab.
Responsibilities:
The Mentor
- Meets the group of students at least twice a month.
- Continuously monitors, counsels, guides and motivates the students in all academic matters.
- Advises students regarding choice of electives, project, summer training etc.
- Contacts parents/guardians if situation demands e.g. academic irregularities, negative behavioral changes and interpersonal relations, detrimental activities etc.
- Advises students in their career development/professional guidance.
- Keeps contact with the students even after their graduation.
- Intimates HOD and suggest if any administrative action is called for.
- Maintains a detail progressive record of the student (format attached).
- Maintains a brief but clear record of all discussions with students.
The HOD
- Meets all mentor of his/her department at least once a month to review the proper implementation of the system
- Advises mentors wherever necessary.
- Initiates administrative action on a student when necessary.
- Keeps the head of the institute informed.
The Academic Council
The academic council of the institution discusses mentoring related issues at least once a semester during its meetings and revises/upgrades the system if necessary.
