The ‘Mentorship Project’ (Peer Mentor) of Izmir University of Economics, which has been ongoing for 8 years to accelerate the adaptation process of young students who are new to the campus, was successfully implemented this year as well. Within the scope of the project, 197 mentors were selected from IEU students in the second, third, and fourth years. Peer mentors were paired with 2,700 mentees from different departments. The mentors, who are part of the project initiated by IEU for the first time in the Aegean Region, will assist their new fellow students throughout the semester, provide support in promoting the departments, and share information about campus facilities. The project, which has been ongoing since 2015, has reached a total of 14,700 students.
IT SET AN EXAMPLE
Students, who joined the Mentorship Project this year, received comprehensive training. Among approximately 450 applicants, 197 peer mentors were selected and informed about all the units at the University. Mentors received training on various topics, including how to interact with their peers, which communication methods to use, and what kind of questions they might encounter. Özge Kulaçoglu, Coordinator of the Alumni Relations Office, said that they successfully implemented the project and set an example for many universities throughout Turkey.
ADAPTATION PROCESS SPEEDS UP
Kulaçoğlu said, “This year, with the new students who joined us, the University has grown even more. We are a strong and closely-knit community with approximately 23,000 alumni and 11,000 students. The Mentorship Project is especially important for students who are new to the school. Familiarizing new students with the campus and getting them acquainted with the opportunities the University provides can be time-consuming. However, thanks to the Mentorship Project, we complete this process very quickly. The project is also very valuable for the social development of students who are trying to get to know the campus and meet students from different departments. Because when making the pairings, we group students from different departments.” Expressing their happiness at receiving numerous positive feedback from students, Kulaçoglu stated that they would continue to create new projects and wished success to all students in the new semester.
