Personal Mentoring
Mentoring is one of Pan-Atlantic University’s key commitments. Alongside research, teaching, and service, dedication to personal mentoring is a vital part of every mentor’s work at the University.
From the first year, each student is assigned a mentor to support their academic, personal, and professional development within the University community. (If necessary, students may request a change of mentor through the Student Affairs Department.) Meetings and check-ins may be arranged by either the mentor or the student, generally via email.
As part of the University’s commitment to student well-being, equity, and inclusion, mentoring also supports students who may require additional guidance, accessibility considerations, academic accommodations, or individualised support throughout their time at PAU.
The University continues to strengthen inclusive support systems that promote participation, belonging, and equal opportunity across campus life.
- To inform and guide students at the start of their university studies.
- To help develop personal habits and professional skills.
- To provide guidance on academic pathways.
- To help in the area of career guidance.
Mentoring has its own characteristics that set it apart from other teacher-student relationships.
- It is personal: it provides individual advice and guidance. It is offered to all students, even those who are only attending the University for a short time, including exchange and postgraduate students.
- It is voluntary, and therefore it is not subject to assessment and does not form part of the academic curriculum. This differentiates it from other teaching activities such as tutorials, which may be assessed and are compulsory, and form part of a subject.
- It is university-oriented: it does not replace initiative or responsibility but helps develop them. Furthermore, mentoring helps you expand your horizons beyond the merely academic: culture, sports, solidarity, etc.
- Ensuring you have good study skills is an important starting point. Think about it and make sure you discuss it with your advisor.
- Integration in the University: one of the advisor’s roles is to provide you with the information you need to become integrated into the University: your identity and core values. The advisor can provide you with informative material and address any matters of interest.
- Professionals from day one: being a university student involves a way of being, presenting yourself, and behaving. These translate into specific attitudes that prepare you for your future professional life. It’s not just a case of establishing general rules; these aspects must be incorporated through personal development, sometimes with the help and support of the advisor.
- Involvement and participation: culture, sports, and the various activities carried out on campus are ingrained in university life. In your journey through the University, the habit of knowledge and academic reflection is important, but so is the university experience, through activities that allow you to build relationships with other university students with whom you share common interests. Your advisor can help you uncover this experience. It won’t distract you from your studies; on the contrary, it will enhance them.