Mentorship Programme
Objectives
- To better integrate new expedition members and increase oversight through individual responsibility.
- Help new members to the expedition by having someone dedicated to helping them be successful on expedition.
- Help older members of the expedition spread the responsibility of helping new members and maintain sustainable ratios of new and old members.
Programme Overview
A mentor is someone who has previously been on at least one CUCC expedition and has proved themselves competent in expedition caving as judged by their peers and is committed to helping their mentee. Prospective new members to the expedition will be required to have a mentor for the expedition. Mentors will be allowed to mentor one first time expedition goer. If there is a person you want to be mentored but you already have a mentee, help them find another person to mentor them.
Ideally, the mentor and mentee should be on expedition together for a minimum of the first week of the mentees expedition attendance. The mentor and mentee do not have to cave together exclusively but the mentor should oversee the mentees plans to make sure the plans are suitable for the mentee.
Notes for 2024
- Mealy is sorting the mentor stuff out so any problems get in touch with Mealy
- Following feedback from last year there will be a change in how thementor stuff will work this year: Mentor pyramid!
- How this will look: New Expo goers will be paired with 1 Mentor. This Mentor will be someone who has some expedition experience e.g. they've been on the expo 1-3 times. More experienced expo goers will then be mentoring the mentors / mentor-mentee pairs to be a more experienced person to go to. I have made a diagram to try and make this make sense:
Reasons for this change
(based on the feedback form we all completed for Mike at the end of Expo 2023)
- People found mentoring multiple people difficult
- People outside the student loop (these are often the most experienced people) found getting-to-know/caving-with their mentee pre-expo difficult. To resolve this and make it easier for those not living/spending much time in the UK or spending much time in student land these people will now mentor the mentors.
- Please put your mentorship pairing on the who/where. There is a sheet titled Mentorship.
Role of a Main Mentor
Before Expedition
- Get to know your mentee on a personal level so they feel comfortable asking you for help.
- Ideally: Go caving with them to understand their caving abilities, especially SRT skills and surveying. If it is not possible to go caving with your mentee (say you're not in the same country), then have a good chat about caving abilities. Explain what's different in Austria.
- If cave skills need improvement, help them set a plan for improvement.
- Have a chat with your mentee(s) ask them about their motivations, expectations, and goals for the expedition and help them to make these realistic.
- Inform your mentee(s) about ways they can get involved in the expedition before arrival (eg making flapjack).
- Talk to them about what kit they plan to bring so they are prepared, but not over-prepared (no wetsuits and ice axes).
- Be the person they go to for help; if they have an issue to which you do not know the answer (e.g. using the expedition server) then go to your more experienced mentor.
On Expedition
- Be there at same the time as your mentee. You don't need to have the exact same dates but being around on there first few days would be ideal.
- Show them around base and top camp, explain food, callouts, communication, bills etc.
- Help them plan a first trip underground that you know they are capable of as a warm up. Debrief with them after to see if they had any issues or concerns.
- Help them find suitable trips throughout the expedition.
- Ensure the mentee(s) are sticking to expedition standards in rigging and in surveying.
- Help them with compiling and integrating their survey data into the SMK system; you do not need to know everything but help them with what you do know and find someone to help both of you with the rest.
Role of the more experienced Mentor
- Be a point of contact for the mentor. For example, if pre-expo their mentee has asked them something and they're not sure.
- On the expo: check in with your mentees
- Basically fill the gaps where there are things the mentor is unsure of.
Role of the Mentee
- Find yourself a mentor. A list of mentors will be made available, you should reach out to someone and ask if they will be your mentor. This list will be on a sheet on the who/when.
- Be honest with your mentor about your skill level.
- Go caving with your mentor pre-expo