The Buddy Program:

1
The Buddy Program

• An initiative from the Office of the Dean of
  Students in the Division of Education, Arts
  Social Sciences

2
Introduction

• Context
• Role of the Dean of Students in Division of
  Education Arts and Social Science
• Why run a buddy program?
• What is the Buddy Program?
• How is it implemented?
• What are the outcomes?
• Future Directions for the Buddy Program

3
Context Division of Education, Arts Social
Sciences

• 1 of 4 Divisions in UniSA
• 8 Schools teaching in broad range disciplines
• Communication, media cultural studies
• Education
• International studies
• Architecture design
• Psychology
• Social work social policy
• Art
• Indigenous and Australian studies
• Approximately 9000 students and 400 staff members

4
Context The role of the Dean of Students

• The scope of the Dean of Students role within the
  Division which includes
• being a contact point for students who may be
  having problems with their program of study
• monitoring students academic experience with
  the aim of improving that experience and
• the implementation of a variety of strategies
  for the benefit of students and staff including
  equity initiatives and planning.

5
Context Why run a buddy program?

• While fulfilling other objectives of for both
  buddies and buddy recipients the program is an
  equity Initiative.
• The Universitys positioning statement, UniSA
  2010 states that the Universitys diverse
  student population will reflect our commitment to
  ethical action, access and equity, lifelong
  learning and internationalisation (p. 1).

6
What is the Buddy Program? Overview

• The program is for new and continuing students,
  and aims to match students who are having
  difficulty settling into life at University with
  a student who has more experience and is willing
  to offer advice and support on an informal basis.
  
• Individual buddy partnerships are arranged
  through the Office of the Dean of Students and
  are confidential.
• Once established the collaborating pair develops
  their own way of working together.

7
What is the Buddy Program? Overview

• The partnership may continue over several
  semesters, or may end when a particular goal has
  been achieved or when the collaboration no longer
  meets the needs of either party.
• The majority of buddy partnerships are
  successful. However, if the match does not work
  students are encouraged to contact the Office of
  the Dean of Students so that alternative
  arrangements can be negotiated.

8
What is the Buddy Program?Activities

• A buddy can assist with activities such as
• Familiarising a student with their UniSA Campus
  and the services available to students
• Helping a student to improve their conversational
  English, if they are from a linguistically or
  culturally diverse background
• Assisting a student to settle into Adelaide if
  they are from a rural, regional or remote part of
  Australia, or from another country
• Simply providing a friendly ear from time to time

9
What is the Buddy Program?Being a Buddy and
having a Buddy

• Once students committed to being a buddy or
  requested to have a buddy they are matched by the
  Office of the Dean of Students.
• Buddies are asked to be available to their buddy
  partner for approximately one hour per week over
  one or two Semesters.
• The relationship is best described as
  professional and does not necessarily involve
  friendship.

10
What is the Buddy Program?Being a Buddy and
having a Buddy

• It is not intended to involve individual academic
  or personal counselling students requiring that
  type of assistance are referred to the relevant
  UniSA services
• The most effective buddy partnerships occur when
  both parties have a clear understanding their
  mutual expectations.
• For this reason we encourage both parties to
  fully discuss expectations for the match and
  document their goals.

11
What is the Buddy Program?History

• Buddy Program was launched in 2001
• Collaborative initiative with the Golden Key
  International Honour Society.
• Golden Key was to assist in the promotion of the
  Program to its members
• Members would provide the buddy service as part
  of their commitment to promote altruistic conduct
  through voluntary service.

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2001 to 2002

• 2001
• The program was launched
• 6 successful matches across the year
• 2002
• Less attention was given to marketing
• 2 matches only 1 successful

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2003

• Re-launched the program
• Increased marketing to students and staff
• Formed closer links with other student support
  services and academic staff
• Streamlined systems
• 40 successful matches across the year
• Over 90 students (buddies and recipients)
  involved in the program

14
How is it implemented?

• Marketing to students and staff
• Posters and Fliers
• Direct email
• Registering Process
• Student indicates interest or is directed to
  service
• Enter into database
• Matched by Dean of Students
• Students are notified by email or phone and asked
  to confirm match
• Once confirmed students are sent email contact
  details of their match
• Follow-up and Review

15
2004 Program

• Current Statistics for 2004
• Registered Buddies 38
• Registered Recipients 25
• Confirmed Matches 23

16
Outcomes

• Difficult to measure expect from student
  responses and anecdotal
• Feedback from students and staff has been very
  positive
• 2003 survey of students and 2004 survey of Office
  of Dean of Students

17
Feedback Recipients

• It gave me the confidence to go on further 
• To know that there is people out there who
  understand what difficulties that students have
  to face while studying.
• It is a great program for commencing and even
  continuing students if everyone is like my
  buddy. Good luck with the program this next year
  and I hope now with the knowledge I have I am
  able to continue by myself. Thank you to Philip
  and yourself Jo for a job well done.
• I want to say thank you for providing me with a
  buddy ). I hope that this program will be kept
  running because students can't get through
  difficulty without this buddy program. Thank
  again for your support )
• I think the Buddy Program is a great idea
  especially from a more mature age student. 
• The explanation of the buddy programme was clear
  and concise and I was provided with the contact
  details of a student who required a 'Buddy'.

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Feedback - Buddies

• Being able to help someone out.
• Meeting a lovely lady who has the courage to
  extend herself under difficult circumstances.
• The feeling of helping someone and seeing them
  achieve their goals and feeling confident about
  what they are doing.
• helping someone, feeling that I was making a
  difference for her.
• Its a great program, and I would love to
  involved again its a matter of time, thats
  all. Keep up the good work!

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Future Directions

• Short term buddies for orientation
• Group buddies
• Mentoring for High School students