The Need for A Mentor Programme in USM

Efforts to introduce a mentor program for USM staff and graduate students were initiated by Y. Bhg. Profesor Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, the USM Vice Chancellor. These efforts were motivated by the realisation that there was a high prevalence of psychosocial problems afflicting the campus citizenry particularly its staff and graduate students. Besides this, the affected staff and students had, hitherto, no specific channels through which they could seek assistance to alleviate or resolved their problems. Despite the existence of a counselling service in USM, many were reluctant to use the aforementioned service as they feared being labelled as “problematic” individuals. It is hoped that this informal mentor program will attract more campus community to seek guidance from familiar individuals or those who are easily accessible.