Reflection Leaders Explained | Current Refelection Leaders | Student Resources

Reflection Leaders:
Coming Soon to a Classroom near You

A Brief Explanation

Who are reflection leaders?
Reflection leaders are students - your classmates, a fellow athlete, the girl down the hall from you, or a commuter student you’ve never met before. They are your peers, and they’ve been trained to facilitate small group discussions that stimulate a deeper understanding of an experience. These are students that have been nominated by their professor because he or she has seen potential for leadership and the skills for nurturing conversation.

What do they do?
The name says it all – reflection leaders lead reflection. Some professors or departments may ask you to reflect upon certain experiences such as watching a film, attending a cultural event, or committing community service. To provide more structure around that reflection and assist you in deepening or elaborating upon your initial thoughts, professors may ask reflection leaders to assist.

What is a reflection session?
A reflection session is a two-hour long session where students talk. No professors are present, everything said is confidential, and the reflection leader helps you to create a “safe space” so that you feel more comfortable discussing sensitive issues. In the session, you and your classmates will be asked questions to consider and discuss, particularly what your personal reactions to the experience were, what academic connections you saw, and what civic implications might be found.

Where do you find them?
You’ll be involved in a reflection session if you take a CORE class under the new General Education reform or if you take a service-learning course. Reflection is also being integrated into other aspects of student and academic life – you may even encounter it in a club or service activity one day!

How do I become one?
Reflection leaders are first nominated by a professor and then undergo a selection process through the Dean for Special Academic Programs, Alyson Colwell-Waber. If you’re interested, enroll in a service-learning course or talk with a professor about CORE!