MENTEE PERCEPTIONS OF BENEFICENCE OF FACULTY-CENTRED ACADEMIC MENTORING: REFLECTIONS FROM A PILOT PROGRAMME

There are three notable changes that have radically changed the landscape of higher education in South Africa (SA) over the past decade. These changes relate to access which is reflected in the growth of the student body, a movement towards free university education and a call for decolonisation of knowledge recently led by the #FeesMustFall movement in 2015. Academic mentoring can be a reflexive praxis to some of the reported challenges that have been associated with formal and epistemological access in higher education in South Africa. This article draws on the findings of a two-year pilot project (2015 to 2016) that explored academic mentoring within the Faculty of Engineering and Building Studies at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), South Africa. The article reflects on mentees' perceptions of the benefits of academic mentoring. The uniqueness of the article is that it highlights the value of mentoring during the transition between the first year at university and subsequent senior years of the students' academic trajectory. A survey approach using an evaluation-based questionnaire was employed in a sample of 14 (n = 14) participants in the first to fourth years of study towards a Bachelor's degree in Engineering. The perspectives of mentees were examined in terms of their experiences of participation and perceived benefits of mentoring, both academic and psychosocial. Generally, a considerable number of mentees who participated in the programme saw academic and psychosocial benefits resulting from their participation. Findings provide key considerations in support of the expansion and continuity of academic mentoring programmes in the Faculty of Engineering and Building Studies and the University at large. Academic mentoring is beneficial to all the stakeholders involved if it is done correctly.