ALS 4400

Leadership through Peer Mentoring

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2022-2023.

This course is for upper-class students who have been selected to become peer mentors in the CALS Peer Mentor Program. Each Friday afternoon, students will meet for 75 mins. For the first part of each meeting, you will co-meet with your mentees (first-year CALS students) for facilitated discussions and reflections, field trips, community building, and brief reading assignments. In the remaining 30 minutes of each class, we will use discussions and reflections to support your development. Our goals are to help you develop a range of mentoring skills (including listening and responding empathetically; helping identify needs and find resources; modeling good study and time management skills; communicating effectively with other students and adults; and reflecting on and articulating goals and experiences), so that you can best support your mentees.

When Offered Fall.

Permission Note Enrollment limited to: Students in the CALS peer mentor program. Email Erica Ostermann at eo93@cornell.edu for more information on peer mentoring.

• Demonstrate active listening techniques and comfortably cultivate conversations with fellow students from a range of different backgrounds.
• Model positive mentoring behaviors, including compassion, responsiveness, sensitivity to concerns, and confidentiality.
• Discuss the importance of community and the impact of imposter syndrome to create a sense of social belonging.
• Recognize signs of concern and confer with support leads to steer first-year students to necessary support as needed.
• Identify the co-curricular activities that most interest your mentees and find non-academic campus resources (including social activities/clubs) to help mentees navigating campus life.
• Help mentees recognize good study habits, including how to manage time and achieve a sustainable work-life balance.
• Identify and utilize academic resources such as faculty advisors, teaching assistants and study groups.
• Identify and share the non-academic and academic campus resources that each mentee needs for a smooth transition to Cornell.

View Enrollment Information