All Ireland Society for Higher Education
| Name: | Leslie Shoemaker |
|---|---|
| Email: | leslie.shoemaker@dit.ie |
| Institution: | Dublin Institute Of Technology |
Staff Mentoring is an area within third level education that is quite ambiguous in terms of its definition and purpose. In recent years it has been recognised that the 'non-academic' needs of third level students, such as the social, personal and psychological ones, have often been overlooked and are largely unrecognised by the staff who have direct contact with them. Yet it is these issues which can have a significant impact on the learner's academic success as well as his/her successful transition to the workforce. This has been supported by a recent study in the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) that revealed four categories of first year students: the at-risk student, the struggler, the average student and the confident student. The needs identified for the first two types of students relate to personal identity issues such as confidence, career choice, and course choice. Academic issues pertaining to study skills relate to the first three categories of DIT students. In light of this information a new role, the Student Liaison Officer (SLO), was created for one department in the Faculty of Engineering. The role of the SLO is to provide 'hands-on' guidance to the individual student. Also, when required, the SLO will make referrals to other DIT support agencies. The objective of this paper is to show how the Student Liaison Officer has assisted the first year students with their transition to third level education and has contributed to the improved retention of students for this one engineering programme.