AGLS 125: First-Year Experience in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

• Receive a $500 bursary per semester that may be used for professional development.
• Have an impact on, and connect with students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. As an instructor, you will be a consistent presence for your students each week during their first semester, and hopefully during their entire time at Texas A&M. Instructors are integral in connecting students with support and resources during their transition to college.
• Deepen your connections in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Our nearly 40 instructors and 40 peer mentors have opportunities to build their network and to learn from others about how to best serve our students.
• Become a better professional by staying connected to students, developing your teaching and leadership skills, and fulfilling our land-grant mission to serve the needs of our state.

• Commit to serving the entire Fall semester. Each section will host around 25 first-year students and will meet weekly for 50 minutes.
• Prepare for and deliver weekly material, using content developed by the College, or other content that you develop. Note that there are four mandatory content modules provided by the Office for Student Success.
• Develop supportive relationships with new students.
• Communicate accurate and timely information to students about academic and student resources.
• Remain accessible, willing to assist students as they navigate their first year. Instructors should make referrals to appropriate resources for issues beyond their expertise.
• Abide by all curriculum guidelines such as learning outcomes, required content, syllabus requirements, among others.
• Attend required trainings and meetings. Instructor training will consist of:
  • Hullabaloo U All-Instructor Symposium on May 14th, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • New Instructors must also complete a New Instructor Workshop, a 5-hour in-person workshop to be offered on several dates in May/July OR online modules to complete at one’s own pace.
• Collaborate with the Peer Mentor assigned to your section, coordinating and planning course activities and components.
• Provide your Peer Mentor with leadership opportunities to achieve their goals as a co-facilitator and co-contributor inside and outside of the classroom. 
• Attend the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Spring kickoff event on April 28th, from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. in the AGCT on West Campus. During this event, instructors will be paired with their assigned peer mentor.

• Hold a Bachelor’s degree (unless otherwise approved).
• Status as a current Texas A&M University employee: full-time faculty, staff, or graduate students who have completed at least 18 hours of graduate coursework.
• Worked at Texas A&M for a minimum of one year OR 6 months if previously attended Texas A&M as a student.
• Completion of required trainings and workshops.
• Approval by the instructor’s supervisor (requested during application routing).
• Ability to teach an in-person class in College Station one day per week (specific day/time assignment is based on instructor and section availability).

• While there is no specific formula for an effective instructor, applicants should have a genuine interest in advising and mentoring new students.
• Willingness to involve students in the learning process and integrate students with their classmates and peer mentor.
• Able to develop classroom rapport with a diverse group of students, always seeking to make every student feel included.
• Commitment to a general education and development of each student as a whole person.
• Awareness of campus resources and student-support services.

• Receive compensation of $500 for the semester you serve as a Hullabaloo Peer Mentor. This will be paid as a stipend through your student Financial Aid portal around the midpoint of the Fall semester.
• Develop your personal leadership style and strengths. In your role as a Hullabaloo U Peer Mentor, you will be provided opportunities to identify, develop, and demonstrate leadership and communication skills transferable to achieving your professional and personal goals. These skills include:
  • Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
  • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • Global/Intercultural Competency
  • Communication/Facilitation
• Serve the Aggie Community. As a Hullabaloo U Peer Mentor, you will be a constant point of contact for your students every week throughout their first semester. You are helping to ensure that all new students feel like they are a part of the Aggie Family and have the tools to succeed.
• Expand your network. Establishing positive connections with new students and current Texas A&M faculty & staff members will allow you to develop mutually beneficial relationships and expose you to a diverse network of professionals within the Aggie Community.

• Demonstrate the Aggie Core Values (Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless-Service) and uphold the Aggie Honor Code.
• Develop rapport and a safe relationship with new students.
• Assist individual students as needed, including following up with students who miss class and making referrals to appropriate resources for issues that are beyond your scope of expertise
• Meet one-on-one with each student in your section at least once in the semester.
• Meet weekly with your instructor to coordinate and plan course components.
• Collaborate with your instructor to create a learning contract related to your experience that provides you with developmental opportunities within the classroom and fulfills your goals as a peer mentor.
• Assist in student recruitment and tabling efforts for Hullabaloo U and the Office for Student Success.
• Commit to serving as a Hullabaloo U Peer Mentor for Fall 2025 in a 0-credit hour transition to college course. Sections are composed of approximately 25 students and meet weekly for 50 minutes. Section times will be assigned based on your availability once you have registered for the fall semester.
• Complete required training workshops.
• Commit to working 3-4 hours per week in the Fall 2025.

• Be a member of the Class of ’25, ’26, ’27, or ’28 who has completed at least 24 credit hours by the end of the Spring 2025 semester at Texas A&M College Station or through the Blinn TEAM program; who will be enrolled at the College Station campus for Fall 2025 semester; and whose undergraduate/graduate degree will not be completed prior to December 2025.
• Be in good academic standing, with a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, and good disciplinary standing.

Some of our best Hullabaloo U Peer Mentors demonstrate a genuine desire to serve our new Aggies in a variety of ways. 

• They arrive to their Hullabaloo U class early so they can greet each of their freshmen as they arrive.
• They actively participate as a co-facilitator for class activities and find ways to help guide the discussions.
• They appropriately share their experiences and provide an upperclassperson’s perspective to help their freshmen navigate their first semester.
• They willingly stay after class to talk with their students, yet do not limit their interactions with the freshmen to the classroom.
• They find opportunities to connect with freshmen outside of class through text, GroupMe, and by coordinating or hosting hangouts.
• They meet with their assigned Hullabaloo U Instructor each week to discuss the lesson plans and potentially help with administrative tasks (creating the PowerPoints, taking attendance, etc.).

Hullabaloo U Peer Mentors bring a variety of experiences to their role, they develop an understanding that being a Peer Mentor is more than simply “being there” for your freshmen – it is about making intentional efforts and show your freshmen what it means to be a college student and an Aggie.