Are you interested in supporting students during the pandemic crisis? UTS has a number of programs that staff can express interest in supporting.
Lots of details appear below. We’re collecting expressions of interest, so have a read, then link through to the survey to register your interest.
As soon as we have a large enough pool of fantastic UTS staff we’ll be back to you by email or through one of the existing platforms the programs use.
Thank you!
HELPS online conversations program
Main purpose of the program
- For international students to connect with each other as a group, online using Zoom.
- To alleviate social isolation and to support international students in their confidence to speak English with others through online conversations.
- To reduce anxiety for the student and provides more engagement with the university.
What cohort(s) of students does it assist?
- International students studying from home in isolation
- May be Faculty based
What you will do
- Facilitate regular, online group conversation sessions for international students.
- Encourage students to become more confident in their speaking, listening and informal conversation skills.
- Facilitate non-threatening, informal conversation practice by encouraging an exchange of experiences about living in Sydney and studying or working at UTS.
- To attempt to alleviate social isolation and student anxieties while they are learning online and waiting to return to their studies on campus.
- No English teaching experience is required, though program evaluation has consistently shown students see improvements in their English fluency and accuracy.
What sort of hours/weeks are needed
- The HELPS online conversation program requires a minimum 1 hour per week.
Can you take holidays from involvement?
- Yes—you can communicate any times you can’t be available, with the students
What training or preparation is needed?
- There will be a guide for Conversation Leaders to assist them in facilitating sessions as well as resources and ideas available on Canvas.
What connectivity/access is needed?
- WiFi
- Zoom connection on PC/Mac/Laptop/phone
HELPS online buddy program
Main purpose of the program
- A staff member is matched with an international student to be a friendly contact person to chat with whilst they are studying from home in isolation.
- It reduces anxiety for the student and at the same time provides more engagement with the university and improvement of their English conversation skills.
What cohort(s) of students does it assist?
- International students studying from home in isolation
What you will do
- Connect with an international student online, regularly providing a friendly contact point to listen and talk.
- Help alleviate any student anxieties while they are learning online and waiting to return to their studies on campus.
- Provide regular, non-threatening, informal conversation practice by exchanging experiences with student(s) about living in Sydney and studying or working at UTS.
What sort of hours/weeks are needed
· The buddy program requires minimum 1 hour per week for 6 weeks, however the frequency and the duration of your buddy interaction can be negotiated upwards by mutual consent.
Can you take holidays from involvement?
- Yes – students and volunteers can opt out of the program when needed through hiding their profile in the custom made online buddy platform
What training or preparation is needed?
- There will be a step-by-step guide on how to match and communicate with a student using UTS GRID, the buddy matching platform. Additional ‘how to’ zoom sessions are also being timetabled along with regular email updates and a discussion forum and communicate.
- No English teaching experience is required.
What connectivity/access is needed?
- WiFi
- Zoom connection on PC/Mac/Laptop/phone
Professional Mentoring Platform
Main purpose of the program
For students to connect with industry professionals. Students may ask questions about different industries/organisations and/or advice regarding recruitment processes.
What cohort(s) of students does it assist?
- All students are eligible to apply, however the majority of students are either looking to start internships or close to graduation and seeking a graduate role.
What you will do
- The mentor’s role is to respect, listen to, support, advise and share their own experiences with mentees. Be a resource to your mentees as they develop and face new challenges. Some mentees want a sounding board, some want a guide – it’s often a mix.
- The platform allows mentees to have multiple mentors, so be honest about your limitations. Focus on your skills and knowledge. If your mentee requests support in an area that is not your particular strength, you can recommend the mentee reach out to another mentor. The platform is mentee-driven, the mentor is not expected to reach out to mentees.
What sort of hours/weeks are needed
- You can manage the number of students you mentor and your availability via the platform.
Can you take holidays from involvement?
- Yes – you can manage your availability via the platform.
What training or preparation is needed?
- Watch a short video explaining your role as a mentor.
What connectivity/access is needed?
- WiFi
- Video calls can take place via the platform, or via zoom if you would prefer.