The Peer Leader Academy (PLA) office works to serve students and programs within the College of Natural Sciences by providing a central employment application open to all students, and access to first-rate training for all undergraduate peer leaders (tutors, mentors, paraprofessionals, or peer advisors).  Peer Leaders will attain certification based on guidelines provided by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) through their training and documented student contact hours.

Benefits:  What will I gain through being a part of the Peer Leader Academy?

• International certification as a mentor or tutor through CRLA or certification from the College of Natural Sciences Peer Leader Academy
• Transferrable Skills, Leadership Development, & interaction with UT Students, Staff and Faculty
• Attractive hourly wage

Training

It is the expectation that students employed in the positions listed on this site to complete 15 hours of Peer Leader training* within their first 2 long semesters of employment or prior to employment.  Upon completing 15 hours of training and 50 hours of student contact, employees are awarded Level I CRLA Mentor and/or Tutor Certification or CNS Peer Leader Certification.  All student employees should attend a CNS PLA Training conference upon entering employment (August or January).  8 Hours of training are earned during the conference and typically takes place before employees begin working.  Additional levels (II and II) of certification are also possible with additional 10 of hours of training and 25 hours of student contact per level.

Options for earning CNS PLA training hours**

• Conference Attendance (8hrs) + Supplemental Training (3 hrs) + Program Specific Training (4hrs) + 50 hrs of Student Contact = Level I Certification

• CNS PLA Conference Attendance + a NSC 109 or NSC 321 or CH372C course + 50 Hrs of Student Contact = Level I Certification

• Level II and Level III Certification are earned with an additional 10 hrs of training and 25 hrs of student contact per level

*Some positions require all training to be complete prior to beginning employment - please see your program contact person for more information (see CNS PLA Website for program contact list).

**Students cannot earn double credit for attending the same training twice, except for cultural competency & campus & community resources.

Training Topics

Training topics are based on the CRLA certification guidelines for peer tutors and mentors which include, but are not limited to:  Compliance, Diversity, Professional Conduct, Office Basics, Roles of Peer Leaders, Team Building, Critical Thinking, Campus Resources, Facilitation, The Art of Questioning, Setting Boundaries, Tools for College Success (time management, study strategies, goal setting), Wellness, Situation Assessment (knowing when to refer student to other services and situational problem-solving skills), Campus Safety, etc.  Campus experts, peer leaders, and CNS Peer Leader Academy Coordinator will facilitate these trainings.

If you have any questions about the application process, contact Jenny Smith by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (512) 232 - 6197.

For more information about the Peer Leader Academy, visit http://cns.utexas.edu/careers/peer-leader-academy.

Programs and Available Student Positions

Please see Programs & Positions to view program descriptions and available student positions.

Application Information

Please see Application Information to view application deadlines and instructions.

Training Calendar

Please see Training Calendar (also available from the right menu) to view training calendar information.

Announcements

When & Where: August 26th  from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm, Welch 2.224

What: This training conference is provided for all new peer leaders and not-yet Level I certified peer leaders to earn 8 hours of CNS PLA training credit.  Level I certified Peer Leaders can attend the conference to earn hours towards Level II & III certification as well.

**Breakfast & Lunch Provided**

Please see additional Announcements for information on application deadlines, training and other announcements.