Before diamonds finally shine, they go through a rigorous process of marking, cleaving, bruting, and polishing. Students are no different and for them to truly shine, they need to get out of their comfort zones, try, maybe fail, reflect on their errors, learn from them, rectify the mistakes and emerge into their fully actualised selves. With the aid of an experienced mentor, these processes can be optimised for better results.
The institution has a holistic mentorship programme striving to enhance student outcomes on multiple fronts like academics, personal growth, skill development, and social commitment. The teaching faculty of the college don the hats of mentors and are assigned around twenty mentees each. The mentor and the mentee meet no fewer than once every month for a one-to-one conversation. This helps build a personal rapport between the mentor and the mentee. In addition, the mentor tracks the progress of the mentee periodically and provides feedback after identifying the areas for improvement. It is often observed that the mentor becomes a trusting face and a helping hand for students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Through the mentorship programme, students are encouraged to improve their academic performance and acquire new skills, besides becoming socially committed citizens who are emotionally strong and able to help those in need.
The decentralised nature of this programme allows enough flexibility to account for the differences stemming from subjective experiences and makes the mentee feel heard and seen. This builds trust and students go on to take MOOC courses, attend seminars, and work on their hobbies. The ‘Walk with a Scholar’ programme and the ‘Scholar Support Programme’ are of prime significance in this regard as they allow a mentor to customise and streamline their attention for advanced and slow learners.