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Mentoring

Mentoring is an integral part of the student development strategy at SCMS Cochin School of Business. For PGDM, a structured and consistent mentoring program has been implemented with the core objective of ensuring the holistic development of each student. Recognizing the importance of mentorship in the personal and professional growth of future business leaders, the institution has put in place a weekly mentoring system where each student is assigned a faculty mentor who guides, counsels, and supports them through the course of their academic journey. A professional counsellor is available on campus to support students’ mental health and overall well- being.

Objectives of the Mentoring Program

The mentoring initiative for PGDM Batch 32 (2023-2025) was designed with the following objectives:

  • To provide every student with personalized attention and guidance to address academic, emotional, and career-related concerns.
  • To promote the overall development of students by focusing on academic performance, soft skills, ethical values, and emotional intelligence.
  • To support students in setting realistic career goals and developing employability skills.
  • To create a safe space for students to express themselves, receive constructive feedback, and build self-confidence.
  • To instill values of responsibility, integrity, and respect in personal and professional life.

Structure of the Mentoring Program

The mentoring system is designed with a strong foundation in faculty-student engagement. The key structural elements include:

  • One-to-One Mentoring: Each student is individually assigned to a faculty mentor from the HR, Marketing, Finance, or Operations area, depending on availability and institutional norms.
  • Weekly Mentoring Sessions: One hour per week is designated for mentoring sessions, conducted outside regular class hours. These sessions are compulsory and monitored.
  • Mentoring Dossiers: Both students and mentors maintain mentoring Dossiers to track progress, identify development needs, and record key discussions.
  • Development Plans: At the start of the academic year, a development plan is charted out for each student based on self-assessment, mentor observations, and academic inputs.
  • Feedback Mechanism: Mentors provide regular feedback, and student feedback is also collected to assess mentoring effectiveness.

Implementation

The weekly mentoring sessions are carried out in a semi-structured format to allow flexibility while ensuring consistency. Typical mentoring sessions include the following:

  1. Goal Setting and Monitoring:
    In the initial weeks, students are guided to set short-term academic and personal goals. These are reviewed monthly to track achievement and identify obstacles.
  2. Skill-Building Exercises:
    Mentors conduct activities focused on communication, problem-solving, leadership, and decision-making. These include role plays, case discussions, peer reviews, and small group tasks.
  3. Emotional and Social Support:
    Recognizing the challenges faced by students in a rigorous PGDM program, mentors provide support for stress management, peer conflicts, and work-life balance.
  4. Career Orientation:
    Career mentoring includes CV reviews, LinkedIn profile enhancement, mock interviews, and sessions on corporate etiquette. Mentors also help students understand industry expectations.
  5. Reflection and Feedback:
    Students are encouraged to reflect on their learning experiences, and mentors provide regular affirmations and feedback to reinforce positive behavior.
  6. Ethics and Professionalism:
    Discussions on ethical dilemmas, social responsibility, and professional behavior are an essential part of mentoring conversations, preparing students for real-world challenges.

Themes and Activities

Throughout the term, mentors used thematic approaches to address key dimensions of student development. Some of the focused themes included: