FSG Leadership Opportunities

There are volunteer, course-based, and paid opportunities with the FSG program to develop your leadership skills.

Become an FSG Leader

FSG Leaders are volunteer upper year students who lead weekly 1-hour study sessions using collaborative and active learning techniques. This volunteer opportunity is eligible for the Co-Curricular Record.

At UTM, the FSG program is supervised by the RGASC Learning Strategists and the FSG Program Assistants.

Eligibility

Current UTM undergraduate student taking courses in the academic year you’re applying for
Completed at least 4.0 credits
Minimum CGPA of 2.50
80+ grade in the course you’d like to facilitate OR with approval through FSG vetting process

Please note that these requirements are subject to the FSG vetting process which determines if a student is eligible to facilitate for the academic year. The vetting process includes, but is not limited to, checking the applicant’s full academic history. While applicants can indicate their course preferences for facilitation, FSG course assignment is based on factors such as course eligibility and facilitation demand.

“To me, facilitation is a powerful educational tool that enables the student to generate their own knowledge by critically thinking of concepts, rather than memorizing off their textbooks or lecture notes”

Apply as an FSG Leader for Fall 2024

Skills you’ll develop

Teamwork
Leadership
Facilitating and Presenting

Your commitments and responsibilities

Attend initial and in-service FSG training
Plan and lead a 1-hour FSG session per week
Advertise your FSGs
Reflect and build your portfolio

Earn course credit through an FSG placement course

Enroll into EDS325 H5 (Supplemental Instruction in Higher Education: Peer-Facilitated Study Groups) offered through the Department of Language Studies. Course enrollment is completed through ACORN.

In this experiential learning course, you’ll get a deeper dive into the theory and practice of Supplemental Instruction and complete a mandatory placement of developing and leading FSG sessions. Your placement experience will be used to inform your class work and reflections.

The EDS325 H5 course is offered in partnership with the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre (RGASC). It supports the initial training, in-service training, and placement of students into the FSG program.

EDS325 H5 students who wish to have the FSG experience documented in their Co-Curricular Record must also facilitate through the FSG program in the semester that they are not enrolled in the course in that academic year.

“The EDS325 helped me develop innovative strategies, methods and plans that advanced student learning and harness the power of leadership in my professional and educational development. In addition to developing my personal profile and portfolio, I received help identifying and achieving my personal and professional goals. The course introduced me to the theory and practice of Supplemental Instruction (SI) which fostered my understanding of leadership styles and demonstrated the ability to apply various skills across multiple fields including education, corporate and non-profit sectors.”

-Shahinaah Sritharan, previous EDS325 student

Apply to be an FSG Program Assistant

We hire students to assist with running the FSG Program in the role of a paid FSG Program Assistant. We typically hire in March to May with contracts beginning in May or September.

Hiring Period: March to May
Contract Start Dates: May or September

As part of the Facilitated Study Groups (FSG) program team in the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre (RGASC), the FSG Program Assistants will work under the supervision of the Learning Strategist and Program Manager to support the FSG program in training facilitators, managing study group scheduling, liaising with course instructors, and collaborating in the program enhancement to support the academic success of UTM students.

The FSG PAs will support training in group facilitation, collaborative learning, and academic skills development strategies, FSG advertising, and on-going professional development for facilitators.

FSG PAs will be responsible for:

Supervision of a cluster of FSGs, which includes mentoring facilitators, scheduling sessions, and operating as the main point of contact with course instructors.
Leading the initial and in-service training of facilitators
Observing, mapping, and providing written and/or verbal feedback on FSG sessions
Reviewing and providing feedback on session plans and reflections
Attending Program Assistant meetings
Updating FSG content on Quercus
Responding to student, facilitator, and instructor messages and emails
Providing feedback and recommendations as part of program enhancement

Training will be provided to FSG PAs to support their professional development by participating in activities such as:

RGASC orientation event
One-on-one supervisory meetings
Professional Development workshops

Qualifications

All candidates must:

Have been a facilitator for at least two semesters through the FSG program at UTM
Attended all the In-Service Training sessions for each of the semesters they facilitated
Have had attendance in at least one third of their FSG sessions

Be in good academic standing (minimum cGPA of at least 2.70)

Preference for hiring will be given to candidates who will continue to be UTM undergraduate students at the start of their Program Assistant contract.

Familiarity with the UTM community and resources
Strong verbal and written communication

Listening and conflict resolution skills
Experience in group facilitation and/or training
Strong ability to reflect, problem solve, and communicate recommendations based on a variety of perspectives
Attention to detail
Ability to work independently and as a team member

Experience with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Teams is an asset
Experience in customer service, training and development are assets
Successful completion of EDS325 H5 is an asset, but not required

An application form will be posted in March.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview process.