Giving support during the studies

Auditor mentoring

Subject-specific initial support for refugees
Giving support during the studies
Image: Christoph Worsch (University of Jena)

Information for participants in the auditor programme

Our mentors are students from the University Jena. In their leisure time, they support international students with their first steps at the University or accompany them during their studies in the department. Refugees are also supported in the auditor programme. Mentors help them with structuring their schedules, signing up for courses and other things. They also explain them how to prepare themselves for the preferred subject and then study at a German university. When participating in the programme, auditors are automatically assigned with a mentor.

Information for mentors

In addition to the staff of the International Office, students of the University Jena support the participating refugees with their start in the auditor programme as volunteer mentors of the International Office. Mentors for refugees in the auditor programme are only assigned according to their departments.

Frequent questions from mentors

  • What exactly are my tasks?

    As a mentor in the auditor programme, you help the auditors with structuring their schedules, maybe registering for courses and at the University Computer Centre, and explain how to prepare themselves for the preferred subject, and then study at a German university. This takes place within the scope of enrolment in the auditor programme for refugees (generally on Tuesday afternoon before lectures start, this year: 5 April, 4 p.m. at the International Center, Johannisplatz 26) and in one to two additional one-hour tutorial dates which you can offer, for example, at a PC pool or in a cafeteria. Within the scope of enrolment, you give your mentees the respective course cards and the sheets we prepared, including your contact data and the tutorial dates.

    It would be nice if your mentees could reach you by e-mail, via mobile phone or other means of communication if they have any other questions.

    In the auditor programme, we do not assign mentors on a one-to-one basis but rather one to three mentors per department, depending on the number of interested parties for a specific department (or a department group, e.g. for teaching training study programmes). If you are in a mentor group, you will meet beforehand and can then coordinate the times for the mutual tutorial dates.

  • How will I be trained?

    For all auditor mentors, there is a special information event, usually on the Monday in the week before lectures start (this year: 4 April, 4 p.m., at the International Centre, Johannisplatz 26) lasting approx. 1.5 hours in the afternoon. The content of the information event is as follows:

    • structure of the auditor programme
    • information about the supervision responsibilities, including going through the course cards together with the mentees
    • coordination/communication of the times/procedures for structuring schedules
    • introduction to the other mentors from your own department
    • if necessary, checking/supplementing your contact data.
  • When does the supervision take place?

    The supervision is mainly concentrated on the week before the beginning of the lecture period (training date, enrolment of the refugees on Tuesday afternoon before lectures start, possibly a one-hour tutorial) and the week after the beginning of the lecture period (min. a one-hour tutorial, visit together to a lecturer in your department). The objective is that the participants in the auditor programme complete their course card with your support by the end of the first week of lectures at the latest. Your mentees might then contact you again if they have questions about the department.

  • How do I sign up?

    You can sign up as a mentor here. External link
    Under remarks, please specify that you are mainly (or only) interested in supporting refugees who are interested in your field of study. Each semester, we compare the registrations of refugees (particularly their academic interests) with those of mentors who are interested in supervising auditors and who are available. Afterwards, we write to mentors who are specifically needed for supervising refugees a few weeks before the beginning of the lecture period. Please be sure to answer this e-mail so that we know if we can count on you!

    We will then give you the names and contact data of your mentees personally at the information event for mentors (How will I be trained?).

  • What do I get for the supervision?

    The activities as a mentor are voluntary and are unpaid. All mentors are given an activity certificate and a book gift certificate at the end of the supervision period (approx. beginning of May or middle of November). Moreover, you can receive further intercultural training free of charge for which you obtain a certificate of participation. We will train you for this activity. You might be able to expand your foreign language skills as well as your intercultural experience. Quite often, you will also experience deep gratitude for your support. Who knows, maybe you will re-discover the University in this way and even make friends for life!

Information

Training: Mon, 4 April 2022, 4 p.m., room is yet to be named
First meeting: Tue, 5 April 2022, 4 p.m. + 1-2h Tutorium, room is yet to be named

Contact

IB-Mentoring-Programm

Internationales Centrum, Haus auf der Mauer
Johannisplatz 26
07743 Jena Google Maps site planExternal link

Opening hours:
siehe Hinweis unten

Postal address:
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Internationales Büro
IB-Mentoring-Programme
Fürstengraben 1
07743 Jena
Germany

Notice

The office hours of the coordination office can be found on the website of the Team International Students.