Students as Agents for Change in Learning and Teaching Report on Peer Mentoring Scheme School of Arts, Languages & Literatures. Sam Goodman

Rationale Main aim: to cover an identified gap in the provision of skills training and continuous professional development for postgraduate students Intended to rectify identified gap in provision by: - providing informative/discursive workshops on specific topics (where applicable/able) - information on routes of progression and employment. Run by SALL post graduate students as a means of ensuring that information accurately and honestly reflected the current postgraduate student experience.

Benefits to Research Community The experience of moving to a new University and new environment can be particularly challenging for some students. Peer support helps make this process manageable. Wide variety of workshops, events and general support helps develop PGR’s networking skills. Connects PGRs with the wider academic community at Exeter University.

Respondents by subject. 8 PhD 6 Translation MA 9 Creative writing MA 2 English w/ Film MA 26 English Studies MA

Areas of interest by subject Languages: Study skills, English language support. Creative Writing: Information on employment within the industry, publishing advice, workshops on literature not covered on course, time management skills, writing research proposals, poetry. English (straight): referencing/presenting essays, essay support, formulating essay titles/research questions, time management, essay writing workshops, writing research proposals. English (Film): Meeting people, routes for progression (MA to PhD). English (Theory): Discussion groups, balancing work/study, meeting people, advice on publishing, writing/managing the dissertation. English (Vict./Rom.): Essay writing, research skills (utilising archival material), transition to PhD (“what is expected of me at this level?” etc). English (Ren.): Study skills, meeting people, accessing special collection texts, career progression, essay writing/support. PhD: Meeting people, deadlines, expectations, managing a PhD, structuring your writing/project, opportunities to practice public speaking, keeping motivated throughout study.

Action from findings. Social integration events. Subject-specific workshops. Skills-based training. Proposed/planned events.

Barriers to success. Team members withdrew due to external pressures. Lack of common skills-base within the organisational team/heterogeneity of respondents. Timetabling. Reluctance of PGR involvement (confidence/capability)

Recommendations 1. Volunteers should be recruited from a wider section of the department – every effort should be made to recruit volunteers from English, Modern Languages, Creative Writing. 2. Volunteers should commit to the project for a substantial amount of time or take responsibility for the organisation of one event across the year. 3. Timetables for all MA courses should be provided at the earliest opportunity. 4. The scheme should be made available to all students throughout the new college of Humanities etc and every effort should be made to recruit volunteers from those subjects. 5. PhD volunteers for workshops should be sourced in the first term to aid ease of planning throughout the year.

Any questions?