Peer Leaders

The Peer Leader Program is a supplemental instruction program designed to increase student performance and retention at the college.

Targeting traditionally difficult academic courses in the undergraduate BSN programs, the Peer Leader Program offers regularly scheduled, out-of-class group study sessions to all students enrolled in the course. Peer leader study sessions consist of informal seminars where students review notes, discuss readings, develop organizational tools and prepare for exams. Students who attend these sessions discover appropriate applications of study strategies, problem-solving and test preparation as they review content material specific to each course. The sessions are facilitated by peer leaders (current students) who previously excelled in the course. Peer leader sessions begin the second week of each term and run throughout the entire term.

The benefits of being a Goldfarb School of Nursing Peer Leader are:

• Valuable leadership and mentoring experience
• Professional development
• A greater understanding of course work

Here are the requirements of a peer leader:

• Must be a current student at Goldfarb
• Must be in good academic standing
• Participate in Peer Leader orientation and onboarding process
• Must have a B+ or better in the course(s) that they are leading
• Must hold role at end of each eligible term

Peer Leaders have the following roles and responsibilities:

• Utilizes active learning strategies (see: Manual)
• Prepares a brief agenda for each study session that organizes your goals and objectives (content to be covered, specific active learning strategies, etc.)
• Is flexible and responsive. Assesses with students the direction of the study session (content, problem areas, common questions, etc.).
• Maintains supportive and collaborative relationship with course instructor.
• Provides students and the academic and student support advisor with session information as well as any changes in meeting times or locations.
• Keeps an attendance sheet for each session.
• Submits all study aids (e.g. handouts) to the instructor for approval before distributing them to students.
• Submits attendance time sheets to the academic and student support advisor at the end of each month.
• Confidentiality. Students may reveal insights about their learning needs. This information should only be discussed with that student, the academic and student support advisor and the program officer for student affairs and diversity.
• Provides positive and constructive feedback.
• Models exemplary behavior during the session and throughout the term.
• Keeps the academic and student support advisor informed of student progress and any concerns arising from the study sessions.