At the P2P Mentor Awards last week, 120 students were recognised for their contribution to the SETU community by helping over 800 new first year students adjust to college life.
South East Technological University (SETU) peer mentoring programme (P2P) on the Waterford campus aims to support incoming students’ transition to third level by providing them with a trained mentor.
This year 120 students volunteered their time as part of the 2022/2023 P2P programme, supporting new students and helping them settle into college life by sharing important information with them about university supports and services. These students are from Year 2 and above within the same course or department and they act as a form of social support throughout the academic year.
The P2P programme is student-centred as it is developed and led by the students involved from each course. These students volunteer their own time throughout the academic year to support new students settle into college life and share important information with them about university supports and services.
The event was opened by David Denieffe, Vice-President for Academic Affairs. David thanked the mentors for all their hard work and spoke about the importance and value of volunteering.
Dr Laura Keane, Head of Student Life and Learning, also thanked all the mentors for their help in supporting first year students saying that “P2P was established 10 years ago as a pilot on one course. The aim of P2P is to improve the student experience by supporting new students during their first few weeks in SETU, to encourage a sense of belonging and community and to provide opportunities for students to engage with others and to meet people.
“We know that settling in to college involves adjusting and it is a time when new students really appreciate a friendly face and fellow student taking an interest, answering their queries and pointing them in the right direction.
“This year we had 120 mentors and 22 senior mentors supporting 1st year students and the ceremony this evening is our opportunity to acknowledge the important contribution that our mentors and senior mentors make to the SETU community through their roles.”
Health Promotion P2P
The efforts of an additional four students from third and fourth year of the BSc (Hons) Public Health & Health Promotion were also recognised on the evening. These students supported second years as they transitioned to the Department of Sport and Exercise Science, after starting Year 1 in the Department of Nursing as part of the BSc (Hons) Health Science (Common Entry) course.
Senior mentors
This year there were also 22 Senior Mentors on the programme. These students were returning mentors who chose to participate in an accredited Special Purpose Award in Peer Mentoring. They received special recognition on the evening for the additional contribution they had made.
Lecturers Marie O’Dwyer (Department of Management & Organisation), Mairead Barry (Department of Sport & Exercise Science), Geraldine Cleere (Department of Law & Criminal Justice Studies), Michael Tobin (Department of Arts), Fergal O’Hanlon and Emily Shillingford (School of Engineering), Nabla Kennedy (Department of Science) and Maria Cahill (Department of Computing and Maths) led the Special Purpose Award. They worked closely with the Senior Mentors and spoke very highly of the students involved.
The mentors were thanked by each of their academic leads, and were then presented with a certificate and plaque by David Denieffe.
Sights set on 2023/24 recruitment
The P2P programme is coordinated by the Student Life and Learning Department, and this year was led by Eimear Breathnach, Bríd Ryan, Cillian Hayward and Gareth Gilroy who are part of the Retention and Engagement team, alongside the academic staff from each course involved.
The P2P programme is currently recruiting new mentors for the 2023/24 academic year. Any student who is interested in applying can find further information at www.setu.ie/p2pwd.
P2P courses
A list of courses which will offer peer mentoring in 2023/24 can be found below:
Related Courses
- Bachelor of Business (Honours) in Business (Common Entry)
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Accounting
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computer Science (Common Entry)
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computer Forensics and Security
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Software Systems Development
- Bachelor of Science in Software Systems Development
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Creative Computing
- Bachelor of Science in Creative Computing
- Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Science (Common Entry)
- Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology with Biopharmaceutical Science
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Science
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Criminal Justice Studies
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Arts
- Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Care
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Exercise Sciences (Common Entry)
- Bachelor of Business (Honours) in Recreation & Sport Management
- Bachelor of Business in Recreation & Sport Management
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Sports Coaching & Performance
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Public Health & Health Promotion
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Engineering (Common Entry)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
SETU Waterford, Cork Road, Waterford City, 
