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 

We are now recruiting FSG Leaders for the Winter 2025 semester. Please apply to be a FSG leader at this link: Winter 2025 Facilitator Recruitment Form

Questions can be sent to fsg.utm@utoronto.ca

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 

"Being an FSG facilitator gave me the opportunity to pursue a leadership role greater than any other available to undergraduate students. As a facilitator, I was able to help support and guide students in a classroom setting, improve my communicative abilities, and explore how to create sessions to support students of different learning styles." 

Victoria Gracie, current FSG Program Assistant

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  

"Being a Program Assistant allowed me to reach my full potential around campus, both in terms of leadership, and in helping others achieve their goals of academic excellence. 

The PA role was a paid position, but I would have been happy to volunteer given the priceless skills it allowed me to develop, along with making countless connections and great friends along the way. Communicating with professors and assisting their students exposed me to a side of the professors I was unaware of; their burning desire to help their students succeed, and I’m very thankful that the PA position allowed me to play an instrumental role in that goal." 

Nicholas Rea, current Medical Student

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 

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