HDF 415: FLITE PEER MENTORS

URI MINOR IN LEADERSHIP STUDIES, CENTER FOR STUDENT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

CORE REQUIREMENT FOR THE LEADERSHIP MINOR
SPRING 2015

LEARNING CONTRACT DRAFT

Goal: To identify and utilize my Strengths in an organizational/interpersonal setting that
aligns with the mission, vision, values and sponsored programs and activities of URIs
Center for Student Leadership Development specifically that of HDF 415 in my peer
instructor role.
Activity: (Detail your plan here)
As my sophomore year has progressed I begun to develop a passion for creating a
more inclusive campus. Being a facilitator for the World Caf activity during the DIVE
conference was the perfect experience to help to being to create a more inclusive campus
but also helped me to grow and learn. In order to prepare for my role in the conference I
meet with the other facilitators and the students who were organizing the conference
where we discussed our topics and practiced talking about them. My topic was student
leadership. The conversations I was supposed to lead would be about how students are
leaders on their campus and how they would encourage their campuses to be more
inclusive through their positions and organizations. This experience helped me use my
strengths in a very new way. I have never had the opportunity to have conversations
about such difficult topics before let alone lead them.
The first strength I used was individualization. This strength helped me to work
with students and figure out how the participants in my group could work together to
create change on their campus and how each person could make an impact in the culture
of their community. The next strength I used was developer. Having developer as strength
was what made me want to have this role in the conference. This means that I want to
push the people around me to reach their full potential. I believe having these
conversations with other students and staff was extremely reflective of this strength
because the purpose of the activity was to encourage people to create change. Next is
relator. Being a relator means I like creating meaningful relationships with people. This
activity allowed the participants and I to have in-depth conversations about difficult
topics, which helped me connect with them on a deeper level. My fourth strength I used
is deliberative. This strength helped me to lead the conversation. I try to foresee obstacles
I will have to overcome. For example, since the topics of these conversations were based
mostly and student leadership as it pertained to inclusion and race I had to know how to
approach the topic in a respectful manner and create and environment that allowed
everyone involved to feel comfortable enough to share their ideas. My last strength,
analytical, allows me to search for explanations and causes of issues. This strength helped
me better understand the topics being discussed and why and how they became problems
in the first place.

This opportunity is also aligns with the mission, vision, and values, of the Center
for Student Leadership Development. The mission of the CSLD is to have opportunities
to become informed, inclusive, effective, and ethical leaders. By taking part in the
DIVE conference I have put myself in a position to learn more about people who are
different from me there for making me a more informed person. I believe that the best
way to be more inclusive, effective, and ethical is to be informed on issues all different
kinds of people face. By educating myself on problems facing others I will be able to
apply that to my leadership style and lead in a way that is even more aligned with the
mission of the CSLD. This experience also is a perfect example of a student embodying
the vision of the CSLD; I have utilized my strengths in this experience in addition it was
an experiential learning experience. Finally, being involved with the DIVE conference
illustrates the values of the CSLD, specifically the inclusion and social justice aspects.
Learning about ways to be inclusive to those who are under represented in higher
education and advocate for social justice for them as well.

Instructor Signature: ____________________________________________

Student Signature: ______________________________________________

Note:
In order to receive full credit all students must include the following steps after the
activity has been completed:
1. Website Tab
Insert Learning Contract
Annotation: (Annotation is an outcome- based descriptive detailing your activity,
similar to descriptive notes and is written upon completion of your activity.)
Note:
We encourage you to include your learning contract activity and evidence in the
Leadership Inventory as a designated outcome and/or as additional experiences to support
descriptive notes.