Programs for Residential Colleges
The Counselling Service provides a number of specialist training programs for student residential colleges. Those currently offered include:
Training for Residential Student Hosts
This package involves the delivery of training for senior students who are assuming short term pastoral care or mentoring roles within colleges, and contains a strong focus on the development of communication skills, awareness of student transition issues, community development, and recognition of students at risk.
Student Hosts provide leadership in the following programmes:
- Melbourne Welcome (for incoming international students)
- Faculty Summer Schools
- Residential college orientation
Leadership
This training program focuses on the acquisition of the skills which contribute to successful leadership, preparing students for participation in student leadership within the college environment and leadership within the broader community following graduation.
It is aimed at any person or group with an interest in developing their leadership skills, but can be targeted more specifically, for instance toward female students.
It covers topics such as:
- What makes a leader
- Personal leadership styles
- Developing leadership skills
- Communication and assertiveness skills
- Body language and awareness
- Goal setting and personal planning
Training and Consultation to Resident Tutors and Advisers
Most colleges have a system whereby senior students take on a long term formal role in leadership and pastoral care. For many, this involves a transition in status and role within the same community. This can be a challenging step given that the context is residential and the age difference between the students and tutors may be minimal.
Sessions provided to Residential Tutors have focussed on areas such as:
- Working as a team
- Boundaries and the nature of authority in the context of a residential college
- Identifying and responding to students at risk
- Communication skills
Orientation & Transition
Colleges provide comprehensive programs for students entering the university and more particularly the college environment.
The Counselling Service is able to offer sessions which complement these programs.
These have included talks to students covering issues such as:
- The formation of a student culture
- Identity and the pressures of transition
- Risk taking in the college context
Please feel free to contact the Counselling Service to discuss the consultancy, training or counselling needs of your college. Services can be offered on an ongoing or one-off basis and will be individually tailored to meet your specific needs.
For more information, please contact Orania Tokatlidis, Community Development & Consultancy Manager.