HELP START INTRODUCTORY-LEVEL BIOLOGY AND

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1 HELP START INTRODUCTORY-LEVEL BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY STUDENTS ON THE RIGHT FOOT APPLY TO BE AN HHMI PEER MENTOR As an HHMI Peer Mentor, you will have the opportunity to: Work closely with small groups of students enrolled in core courses in biology, chemistry, or co-enrolled in both biology and chemistry Help to advance student understanding of biology or/and chemistry Socialize peers to college academics Establish a positive, personal relationship with your mentees Help your mentees to develop important academic and life skills GENERAL PROGRAM INFORMATION The HHMI peer mentoring program is funded by a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) grant which focuses on the first year experience in biology and chemistry. Following selection and training of Peer Mentors in the spring and early fall of 2010, mentors will be assigned between three and five peer mentoring groups, each consisting of approximately six students enrolled in BIO101 and/or CHE107 (fall 2010) or BIO102 and/or CHE141 (spring 2011). Peer mentors will meet every week with the peer mentoring program coordinator to receive training and information related to the next session. Through the course of the following week, peer mentors will meet with their mentoring group/s and facilitate the weekly discussion/activity within a one-hour session. A sampling of the curriculum includes: Molecular modeling activities Microscopy activities Insights into how to read a textbook, take notes in class, approach a professor Reflections about lab activities reading, discussing and writing about science Peer mentoring meetings will take place almost every week during the fall and spring semester, will occur at a set time each week, and will occur in the same location each week. How to obtain more information or apply to be an HHMI Peer Mentor? Read the HHMI Peer Mentor qualifications, requirements, and FAQs (see next pages) Review the application cover sheet and application components (see next pages) Contact Brenda Kelly ( HHMI Peer Mentoring Coordinator) at bkelly@gustavus.edu or Pamela Kittelson ( HHMI Peer Mentoring Coordinator) at pkittels@gustavus.edu

2 HHMI PEER MENTOR QUALIFICATIONS In order to be considered for an HHMI Peer Mentor position, you must: Be a full-time Gustavus student during the semester that you wish to peer mentor Have junior or higher standing in terms of course credits by the fall of 2010 Be a declared Biology, Chemistry, or Biochemistry & Molecular Biology major Have successfully completed the core coursework within your given major by the fall of 2010 o For Biology, this includes BIO-101, BIO-102, BIO-201, BIO-202 o For Chemistry, this includes CHE-107, CHE-141, CHE-251, and either CHE-258 or CHE-270 o For Biochemistry, this includes BIO-101, BIO-102, BIO-201, CHE-107, CHE- 141, CHE-251, and one of the following: BIO-202, CHE-258, or CHE-270 Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher Have a science GPA of 2.8 or higher RESPONSIBILITIES Peer mentors will be expected to: Attend two peer mentor training session in early- to mid-may (date and time TBA), on Monday, Sept 6th, and weekly on Fridays at 2:30 pm during the semester of your peer mentoring duties (i.e. fall of 2010, spring 2011, or both). Conduct weekly peer mentoring meetings with your group/s as scheduled. Record attendance of the mentees at the mentoring meetings Alert the peer mentoring coordinator of significant academic or personal challenges experienced by an individual or a group that may lead to serious academic or personal consequences Complete brief, weekly assessment of the peer mentoring curriculum as proceeding through the semester Attend a review with peer mentor coordinator one time during each semester (as scheduled)

3 FAQS ABOUT THE HHMI PEER MENTORING PROGRAM Do I get paid? Yes. You will be paid $8.00/hour for your work as a peer mentor. You will receive compensation for attendance at one training session/week, approximately one hour of preparation/week, and your work within your peer mentoring groups (one hour/week/peer mentoring group). In all, you may work for up to eight hours a week, although you do not HAVE to work for eight hours/week. You will state your preference for numbers of hours/week on the application. In order to be paid, you will track your weekly hours and receive payment monthly, consistent with other on-campus student workers. How many hours/week do I need to commit for peer mentoring? All mentors will have at least three peer mentoring groups, equating to three hours (e.g. one hour per group per week). All peer mentors must attend a weekly one-hour paid training session. In addition, you will have paid minutes for interactions with students or preparation outside the peer mentoring session (i.e. preparation, individual meetings, etc). Thus, the minimum number of weekly hours that you may work as a peer mentor is approximately 4.5, the maximum is approximately seven. Can I have other on-campus employment (i.e. lab TA, office worker, etc) and be a peer mentor in the same semester? Yes. You may be a peer mentor and hold another job within or outside of the science departments. Do I need to have TA ed or tutored for Biology, Chemistry, or Biochemistry to be considered for a peer mentoring position? No. We consider these valuable experiences, but they are not the only experiences that will support your application. What are the primary selection criteria to become a peer mentor? Listed in no specific order, GPA, relevant experience, the narrative response to the application question, and the interview will provide the primary components from which we will select peer mentors. Peer mentoring will occur in BIO-101 and CHE-107 courses in the fall of 2010 and BIO-102 and CHE-141 in the spring of Do I have to commit to be a peer mentor for the whole academic year or can I just peer mentor for one semester? As part of the application form, you will state whether you are interested in peer mentoring for the entire academic year or for one semester (either fall 10 or spring 11). Studying abroad or being unable to peer mentor in both semesters (for whatever reason) should not be a limiting factor in your application. If I am interested in peer mentoring for the entire academic year, do I have to reapply prior to the spring semester 2010? No. Pending a successful review by the peer mentoring coordinator, you may be rehired for the spring 11 without going through the application process.

4 I know that I have to be of junior or senior standing (in terms of credits) and be a declared biology, chemistry, or biochemistry major to be a peer mentor. Are there specific courses that are required to be a peer mentor? Yes. By the fall of 2010, you will need to have successfully completed the core coursework in biology and/or chemistry. In biology, the core coursework includes BIO-101, 102, 201, and 202. In chemistry, the core coursework includes CHE-107, 141, 251, and either 258 or 270. In biochemistry, the core coursework includes CHE-107, CHE-141, CHE-251, BIO-101, BIO-102, BIO-201, and one of the following three courses BIO-202, CHE-258, CHE-270. Do I need to have expertise in both biology and chemistry to be a peer mentor? No. Although some peer mentoring groups will consist of students who are co-enrolled in BIO- 101/CHE-107 or BIO-102/CHE-141, some groups will just consist of students enrolled in biology or chemistry. Any academic or laboratory exercises within these groups will be primarily based in biology or chemistry, respectively. A group that contains students who are co-enrolled in biology and chemistry might have cross disciplinary academic exercises on several occasions during the semester. You can state your preference for group-type on the application form. If you are the mentor for multiple groups (and you are willing), you could even mentor one group of BIO-101 students, one group of CHE-107 students, and one group consisting of co-enrolled students. Do I have to be a Biochemistry major to facilitate a peer mentoring group that consists of students who are co-enrolled in biology and chemistry? No. However, we would anticipate that you would have completed a significant component of the core coursework in the non-major discipline in order to be assigned a co-enrolled group. For example, if you are a biology major, we would want you to have completed the biology core, as well as CHE-107, CHE-141, and CHE-251. I am going to be on-campus during January Can I be a peer mentor during that month? Yes. We anticipate that we will offer a limited number of peer mentoring groups in January to help prepare students for their spring coursework in biology and chemistry. Peer mentors who are interested in working during the month of January must also work as peer mentors during the fall of Your willingness to work or not work during January should not preclude your application. What is the application and selection process for the HHMI Peer Mentors? You will need to submit a complete application (see next pages) to Brenda Kelly by March 12 th at 3:00 pm. A faculty committee will review applications and a select number of applicants will be invited to an interview shortly after spring break (the week of April 6 th ). The HHMI Peer Mentors for will be selected by the HHMI Peer Mentor Selection Committee based upon both application and interview. When will I be notified if I am an HHMI Peer Mentor for ? We hope to notify students of the outcome of the application and selection process by April 26, At the time of notification, we will provide more information about the two peer mentoring training sessions in May 2010.

5 HHMI Peer Mentoring Program Peer Mentor Application Cover sheet applicant full name (printed) address Application checklist. Please submit all of the following paper items to Dr. Brenda Kelly, Nobel 206B, by 3:00 pm on Friday, March 12th. This cover sheet, including a signature at the bottom of this page Completed application form (see next pages) Typed answer to one narrative question (see next pages) on a separate sheet/s, including the question as a header, not to exceed two double spaced pages A one-page resume detailing your education, employment, campus activities, community service involvements or other activities in which you developed skills relevant to the position of being a peer mentor. Indicate leadership positions where appropriate. Printout of undergraduate web transcript (see Webadvisor) Please double check the following. Ensure your name is on every piece of paper that you turn in as part of your application Please secure all components of your application together using a paper clip or a large envelope. Please DO NOT staple the components. Please submit all pieces of your application at one time. Your application must be received by 3:00 pm on Friday, March 12th. You may drop it off at Brenda Kelly s office (Nobel 206B) or send it in the P.O. If you have any questions about the application process or peer mentoring program, please contact Brenda Kelly ( HHMI Peer Mentoring Coordinator) via (bkelly@gustavus.edu), or in person in Nobel 206B OR Pamela Kittelson ( HHMI Peer Mentoring Coordinator) via (pkittels@gustavus.edu) or in person in Nobel 335. Please read the following statement and sign below prior to turning in your application. I have read and understood the qualifications, requirements, time commitments, and job expectations for a Peer Mentor position. I acknowledge that the information contained within this application is factual and is a realistic assessment of my abilities. Signature: Date:

6 Please type or neatly print. Name Current local address Permanent address address Phone number at which you may be reached in the summer of 2010 Cumulative GPA (minimum of 3.0 required) Science GPA (minimum of 2.8 required) HHMI Peer Mentoring Program Peer Mentor Application Please circle the appropriate response/s to each of the following questions: What is your current year in residence at Gustavus? 2 nd year 3 rd year 4 th year What is your current year in credits at Gustavus? sophomore junior senior What is your declared major? Biology Chemistry Biochemistry Have you ever been a TA or tutor in any department at Gustavus? If yes, may we contact the instructor/s of the laboratory that you TA ed in or supervisors of your tutoring? Please list their names. Yes Yes Names: No No

7 Please circle the appropriate response/s to each of the following questions: For which semester would you like to work as a peer mentor? If both, then please circle both semesters. Please circle the number of hours that you would like to allocate to the peer mentoring program each week within the given semester. If the hours will vary between fall and spring, please note in margin. All mentors will participate in at least one hour of paid training/week. Which type of peer mentoring group would be your preference based upon your level of expertise and comfort in biology and chemistry? (If more than one group is appropriate, please circle all) If you circled more than one answer above, are you willing to peer mentor two different group types within the same semester (i.e. peer mentor both a Biology group and a Biology/Chemistry coenrolled group). Fall 2010 Spring hrs (1.5 hr train+prep, 3-4 hrs mentor) 6-7 hrs (2 hrs train/prep, 4-5 hrs mentor) Students enrolled in Biology Students enrolled in Chemistry Students enrolled in both Biology and Chemistry Yes No Maybe Please type your response to ONE of the following questions on a separate sheet/s of paper, using the question as a header. Your response to the ONE question should not exceed two double spaced pages in length. The questions that you do not answer may be asked during the interview. 1.) Please describe three things that one must do when serving as a role model. 2.) What are three challenges that new students face, academically or socially, in their transition to college life? Please describe a personal academic issue that you dealt with early in your college career and how you overcame this challenge. 3.) Describe one experience you have had that will prepare you for being a Peer Mentor? 4.) Describe strengths and/or qualities do you possess that makes you a strong candidate for a Peer Mentor position? What skills and/or qualities do you hope to gain from serving as a peer mentor? REFERENCES Please provide the names of two persons who are willing to act as a reference for you for this position. At least one of these references should be a Gustavus Biology or Chemistry department faculty member. The other reference can come from faculty, staff, supervisors, etc. either on or off-campus. These people do not need to write you a formal recommendation. Biology or Chemistry faculty person Other Reference name and contact (phone/ )