Establishing a Constructive Mentoring Scheme for Engineering Students - A Case Study

Abstract

The students of generation Z are more independent, technology savvy and socially connected. Even though technology has shrunk the universe and all knowledge resources seem to be just a click away, inculcating moral values, providing continuous technical guidance and psycho-social assistance for a holistic development cannot be provided by mere technological tools and the virtual world wide web. Teaching is a noble profession with no materialistic benefit and is service oriented. The teacher not only strives to create an atmosphere conducive to learning as an instructor, but also imparts the necessary skills needed for lifelong learning while playing multifaceted roles such as mentor, facilitator, motivator, guide and advisor. Mentors with technical expertise and social experience are required to steer the students in the right direction at the right time. This case study apprehends the outcome of a sequential mentoring process that is being practiced in our institution. It has greatly influenced the personal and professional development of the engineering students right from their first academic year. The end-to-end process of mentoring which encompasses an extensive induction programme, cultivation of healthy relationships through various mentoring models, sustenance of the mentor-mentee relationship, and closing the loop by facilitating the graduates contribute mentorship back to their alma mater is elucidated in this work. This structured mentoring strategy helps the students tap their latent potential and attain the personal and professional outcomes. The study highlights the importance of ‘knowing the mentee’ through a personality assessment test without judging them and thereby helping them achieve their short-term goals and long-term aspirations. This structured mentoring strategy enhanced the students’ performance in academics, active participation in co-curricular activities, both inside and outside the institution and also shaped them into a holistic individual. Such impacts were observed by collecting the student participation data and a feedback survey. Keywords—Mentoring; teacher-student relationship; induction; cultivation; redefinition.