Program Description

The Department of History Peer Mentorship Program (HPMP) provides an opportunity for third and fourth-year history majors and specialization students to work directly with undergraduate history students in a variety of co-curricular capacities. Focusing primarily on one-on-one peer mentoring of first and second-year history majors and specialization students, mentors will also be responsible for developing and delivering a series of workshops and activities throughout the year that will contribute to the following program objectives:

• the integration of students into university life;
• the enhancement of academic skills; and
• the building of community awareness.

Overview of Program

One of the core purposes of the HPMP is to work closely with undergraduate history students to help them with their transition to university life and learning. Mentors will be paired with a student (or students) at the beginning of September, and will be expected to communicate and meet with their mentee(s) throughout the year. Meetings will be held one-on-one or in small groups to discuss short readings, video tutorials, and/or pre-determined themes or questions agreed upon by the students. Mentors will also be expected to inform their students of upcoming workshops and events, and to encourage them to attend.

Though peer mentors will be expected to work directly with first-year students, the program also requires peer mentors to work collaboratively with the Department Peer Mentor Coordinator and with each other to develop and facilitate a series of workshops and activities designed to meet the objectives of the program. Such initiatives may include, but are certainly not limited to, the following:

• regularly scheduled “study halls” (perhaps around the middle of the semester, or for final exams);
• academic skills workshops dealing with writing, research, study tips, critical reading strategies, etc;
• an introduction to local archives and libraries;
• an historian’s introduction to the university;
• walking tours of local sites of historical interest;
• and other pertinent academic pursuits ...

Successful participation in the Department of History Peer Mentorship Program either as a Mentee or Mentor will be added to your Co-Curricular Record (CCR). This record complements your academic transcript when applying for jobs and when making application to a graduate or professional program.

Peer Mentor Duties and Responsibilities

The exact nature of mentoring varies depending on the specific needs of the mentee and the experiences and skills of the mentor. However, the following duties and responsibilities are expected:

• to meet regularly with mentee(s) in a place arranged by the history department (location and frequency of meetings will be announced);
• to work collaboratively with other peer mentors and the Peer Mentor Coordinator to develop a series of department-wide workshops/events to be held on a monthly basis throughout the  academic year;
• to participate in the training session(s) organized by the Peer Mentor Coordinator in the fall, and in program development meetings held monthly (the last Friday of every month during each term from 2 to 4 pm);
• to build a professional relationship with other mentors, and with student mentees and the Peer Mentor Coordinator;
• to be sensitive to diversity (understood in terms of culture, ethnicity, race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation), and also to different learning styles (all of this will be discussed as part of peer mentor training);
• to address any problems or concerns you may have to the Department Peer Mentor Coordinator; and
• to participate in a year-end assessment of the HPMP, and in doing so, provide concrete suggestions to how the program may be improved to serve changing needs and expectations of our student body.

Peer Mentor Qualifications

Mentors are typically in their fourth-year of a history program (including the Specializations), in good academic standing, and demonstrate the following:

• a genuine interest in history and learning (must be enrolled in the History Department Honours Program or be a fourth-year HBSc History Specialization student);
• good communication and time-management skills; and
• past experience in teaching, mentoring, or coaching is a definite asset (but not required).

Become a Mentee or Mentor Today!

If you are interested in participating either as a Mentee or a Mentor, please contact the Department Peer Mentor Coordinator, Dr. Steven Jobbitt at sjobbitt@lakeheadu.ca and/or Dr. Richard Maundrell at rmaundre@lakeheadu.ca, ideally prior to Sept. 1 for Mentors, and by the end of the first week of Fall classes for Mentees.

Applications received later are always welcome!