VMU Mentor Handbook

VYTAUTAS MAGNUS UNIVERSITY
MENTOR
HANDBOOK
PREPARED BY : VMU ICD
THANK YOU
FOR BEING A
MENTOR
Thank you for being a Mentor!

This handbook has information about the VMU Mentor’s
programme and what it means to be a mentor for a new
international students.
International students are a diverse group from all around
the world, enrolled in various different study programmes
and as anyone else moving to a new location, our
international students need a little help and guidance for
their first steps in Vytautas Magnus University. And this is
where our Mentors come and provide their guidance.
Every student is different and unique, with their own
needs and expectations and this is why it is important that
our Mentors are open-minded, flexible and supportive.
Mentor’s programme provides an excellent opportunity

for local students to meet and socialize, to create new
networks with international students from all over the
world.
TYPES OF
STUDENTS
ERASMUS+ STUDIES/INTERNSHIP
Under these programmes international students are coming from
EU and EEA countries for a semester or academic year exchange
studies and for internships.
ERASMUS++ OR BILATERAL
STUDIES/ INTERNSHIP
Under these programmes international students are coming from
non-European countries for a semester or academic year exchange
studies.
FULL TIME UNDERGRADUATE/

GRADUATE
Under full-time degree study programmes foreign students choose
to make VMU their Home university <3
SHORT-TERM COURSES AND

SUMMER SCHOOLS
Under these programmes foreign students can come to VMU for
short courses to study Lithuanian Language and Culture, English
language and much more!
MENTOR
BASICS
Your role as a Mentor is to:
Be friendly and welcoming.
Commit a minimum of 20 hours during the semester to your
Mentee and to the programme.
Attend meeting and workshops for Mentors!!!
Communicate and work in a team with other mentors, VMU
International Cooperation Department coordinators and
members of ESN VMU.
Share the information and talk not only about the good but also
unpleasant things, which are connected to VMU International
students, other mentors and the programme itself.
Solve the problems in a constructive way, react fast and help
international students to solve problems.
Have responsibility and take care with the assigned students as
well as keep on mentors’ duties.
Be tolerant towards the other students and mentors despite
the cultural differences.
Share your ideas on how to improve VMU Mentor’s Programme,
plan additional activities.
Keep on full confidentiality of students’ personal data (use of
contact or any other information of foreign students or other
mentors outside the VMU Mentor’s Programme is strictly
prohibited!).
MENTOR
BASICS
Mentors should also understand that each international student
has individual needs. Some students might have higher
expectations towards the mentor than the others. That is why
mentors should not forget that they do not have to:
• Have all the answers to all possible questions and be an advisor in
all the possible matters.
• Solve all the problems of the assigned international student.
• Be available 24/7.
• Do the homework for the international students.
• Find other living place in case student is unhappy with the life in
the dormitory.
ESTABLISHING
BOUNDARIES
As part of the Mentor’s programme, you represent the
University, which is why you are expected to:
Act in ways that consistent with the role and guiding
valued of the University, and that does not prejudice
the work of other members of the community.
Demonstrate respect for others and act with
integrity.
Remember! You are an ambassador of Vytautas Magnus

University.
Do not forget that it is your
own decision on how much
time you want to spend on
your Mentee and how much
of your personal life you
want to share.
! Always inform the
Mentor’s coordinator if you
have any issues with
boundaries related to your
Mentee.
PERKS OF
BEING A
MENTOR
Chance to practice your language skills and learn
new languages.
Develop your communication skills.
Gain new skills.
Discover your hidden talents.
Learn about new cultures.
Make friend from all over the world.
Earn volunteering hours and receive a scholarship.
Take part in organizing events.
Become active member of international VMU
community.
Gain additional point when applying for Erasmus+
exchange studies/intenrship from VMU.
Being a mentor is a journey

full of new discoveries,
people, experiences and
most importantly memories,
that will stay with you for a
long time if you just don’t
hesitate and take all the
opportunities that this
programme provides.
BEING A
MENTOR
TRAINING and TEAM BUILDING
All new mentors must attend the first meeting after their
selection to help them to prepare for their role as a
Mentor. After the short first meeting, all mentors have to
attend training events organized by VMU ICD.
All mentors are informed via email about the upcoming
meetings and who must participate in them.
Training and official team building meetings are

necessary for all Mentors not only because it will be
later useful for your interactions with incoming students,
but because you will meet the whole VMU Mentor’s
community.
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
MENTORS
Check-in with Mentor’s coordinator
During your whole journey as a Mentor, you should
remember that you need to stay in touch with Mentor’s
coordinator not only in emergency cases, but also when
discussions/questions are being made for Mentor’s
community.
Contact your assigned student
As a Mentor, you must establish contact with your
mentee at before their arrival to Lithuania.
Check-in during the semester
You should contact you mentee from time to time during
the semester, if your mentee did not informed you that
they would like to stop communicating with you. You
should just check-in with them if everything is okay, ask
how their life in VMU is going and that will be enough.
Invite your mentees to attend different activities
During the semester, since the very beginning of it, VMU
ICD, Mentor’s community and ESN VMU will be
organizing many different activities for international
students. As a mentor, you should provide information
about them to your mentee.
VOLUNTEERING
FOR HOW LONG?

The main volunteering starts before the beginning of
each semester. During the time before students arrival
and first month after it, mentees might have most
struggles and this is why Mentors help is most needed
then.
Over the course of the study period, mentees will be
more familiar with our University and they will not need
as much help from their Mentors as before, but Mentors
can still volunteer in other activities offered by VMU
ICD.
MENTOR-MENTEE
COMMUNICATION
MAINTAIN CONTACT
Communicate with your mentee regularly (unless they ask you
not to do that).
It is highly important that you stay in touch with your mentee
before and during the beginning of the semester.
Think carefully about how you communicate and how it may
come across to someone from another culture.
WHAT IF YOUR MENTEE

IGNORES YOU?
Do not worry if your mentee doesn’t respond to your
messages. Sometimes students ask for mentors, but decide
they do not eventually need them or maybe they have
changed their plans regarding their arrival to VMU.
HOW TO START
COMMUNICATING
THE FIRST INTERACTION

Send the first message to your mentee via the Buddy
system (platform for Mentor-Mentee matching).
*A message template option is provided at the end of this
guidebook.
Respond to your students messages withing 48 hours.
Keep being responsive and friendly.
THE FIRST MEETING

Make sure to define the relationship between Mentor and
Mentee and the expectations of both parties.
Agree on where/when/how you will meet and find
eachother. Discuss your action plan (what will you do on the
first day: if you will only help the student to reach the
accommodation, maybe something more), think about
future meetings.
Take a photo with your mentee and upload it to Mentor-
Mentee pictures folder for future use in the programme.
MENTEE
SOS
During the semester your mentee might face some
situations that you will be unable to solve, will not
have answers to the questions that your mentee
asks. Do not worry! No matter the issue, you should
always contact your Mentor’s coordinator or other
Mentors using social media channels (or any other
way that it is best for you to communicate with).
Please note, if your student gets in serious trouble,

you should let your Mentor’s coordinator know
about it.
AGREEMENT FORM, CODE OF
CONDUCT AND THE RIGHTS
AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Please download, read, sign and send

the signed agreement form to your
Mentor’s coordinator via email:
Monika.lisauskaite@vdu.lt
Download the file here.
Please read the Code of Conduct here
Please read the VMU Mentor’s Rights

and Duties document here.
MESSAGE
TEMPLATE
Things to write in your

message:
Introduce yourself
(major, hobbies, fun
facts, country of
origin, how long are
you in VMU, etc).
Talk about why you
have joined the
Mentor’s programme,
what are your
expectations.
Talk about the method of communication that would

work the best for both of you.
Ask what expectations your mentee has for this
programme.
As for information about the possible arrival day and
time.
MESSAGE
EXAMPLE
Hello Kim,
My name is Vytautas and I am very excited to be your

Mentor for this semester! I am currently a persuing my
Bachelor’s in Communications. Some of my hobbies are
matching movies and singing karaoke. I am a 4th year
student at Vytautas Magnus University and I had been a
mentor for incoming students for 3 years already, so you
can rely on me if needed. I have joined this programme
because I wanted to learn about new cultures and share
my knowledge about Lithuania. I am really excited to talk
with you about our University, what you can experience
in it and all in all in Lithuania.
Let me know what communication form would be the

best for you.
Looking to hear from you soon!

FIND MORE
INFORMATION
Practical information
VMU Mentor’s programme
monika.lisauskaite@vdu.lt
V.Putvinskio g. 23, room

209, Kaunas, Lithuania
THANK
YOU

VMU Mentor Handbook

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

VMU Mentor Handbook

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

VMU Mentor Handbook

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

VYTAUTAS MAGNUS UNIVERSITY

Thank you for being a Mentor!

Mentor’s programme provides an excellent opportunity

FULL TIME UNDERGRADUATE/

SHORT-TERM COURSES AND

Remember! You are an ambassador of Vytautas Magnus

Being a mentor is a journey

Training and official team building meetings are

FOR HOW LONG?

WHAT IF YOUR MENTEE

THE FIRST INTERACTION

THE FIRST MEETING

Please note, if your student gets in serious trouble,

Please download, read, sign and send

Download the file here.

Please read the Code of Conduct here

Please read the VMU Mentor’s Rights

Things to write in your

Talk about the method of communication that would

My name is Vytautas and I am very excited to be your

Let me know what communication form would be the

Looking to hear from you soon!

VMU Mentor’s programme

V.Putvinskio g. 23, room

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.