COMM 1180 - Leading by Mentoring: Being a COMM-Unity Mentor

Fall. 1 credit. S/U grades only (no audit).

Permission of instructor required. Required for and limited to: Communication majors who have been selected as peer mentors for the COMM-Unity Project (CUP) Peer Mentorship Program.

D. Bailey.

You should take this course if you have accepted an invitation to be a COMM-Unity Project (CUP) Peer Mentor, a fall semester commitment. As a peer mentor in COMM 1180, you will build your mentoring and leadership skills as you mentor first-year underrepresented minority and first-generation undergraduate COMM students. These skills include listening and responding empathetically to student concerns; helping students to identify and find resources for their needs; modeling good study and time management skills; communicating effectively; reflecting on experiences; and articulating goals. This weekly one-hour, one-unit course will give you an opportunity to learn about resources on campus and to talk with other peer mentors about successes and challenges.

Outcome 1: Students will be able to demonstrate active listening techniques and comfortably cultivate conversations with fellow students from different backgrounds, such as SES, race/ethnicity, religion, gender identities and sexual orientation.

Outcome 2: Students will be able to model positive mentoring behaviors, including compassion, responsiveness, sensitivity to concerns, and confidentiality.

Outcome 3: Students will be able to acknowledge the importance of social belonging and the impact of imposter syndrome, and work to create an inclusive community.

Outcome 4: Students will be able to recognize signs of concern and confer with support leads to steer first-year students to necessary support as needed.

Outcome 5: Students will be able to model and help mentees identify good study habits, including how to manage time and achieve a sustainable work-life balance.

Outcome 6: Students will be able to identify and share academic resources such as faculty advisors, teaching assistants, study groups and other services with mentees.

Outcome 7: Students will be able to identify key challenges for marginalized populations within higher education.