Students as mentors and staff as learners: The impact of students mentoring staff
2.30-3.00pm
Sam Geddes, Marnie Heath, Dr Neetu George (presenting author), Shannon Wise and Sue Sharpe (presenting author), Deakin University
Students Mentoring Staff is a sector-leading initiative that advances accessibility and inclusion by reversing traditional hierarchies, positioning students as mentors to staff on improving teaching for learners with a disability. Developed at Deakin University, the program reframes wellbeing not as a service delivered to students, but as a practice embedded in the relationships that shape learning. Through dialogue, reciprocity, and recognition of lived experience as expertise, it strengthens both teaching quality and student belonging.
Since its inception in 2021, the program has engaged 578 student–staff pairs across disciplines. Each pair meets three times per teaching period, guided by conversation prompts to explore accessibility challenges, course design, and lived student experience. Students are formally recognised and remunerated, signalling institutional commitment to equity-first partnership.
The outcomes demonstrate wide-ranging impact. From 2022–2025, 91% of staff reported that their student mentor prompted concrete changes to teaching, including clearer assessment design and more accessible learning resources. 88% gained a deeper understanding of barriers to participation, with one staff mentee reflecting: “My student mentor helped me recognise how my feedback practices could unintentionally exclude students who don’t have the same academic capital.” For students, the program validated their experiences and strengthened wellbeing, with 95% reporting increased confidence and a sense that their contributions led to genuine change. As one student mentor shared: “This is not just some box-ticking diversity exercise … I feel like my experience will lead to actionable outcomes.”
Our presentation will showcase these findings and, importantly, feature two student–staff pairs from the 2025 program who will speak openly to their mentoring experiences and impact. Their reflections will demonstrate how Students Mentoring Staff advances wellbeing and relational connection in higher education by embedding equity-first partnership as a recognised and scalable model that prioritises inclusive, supportive, and socially connected learning environments.