What is Project Peak?
Project Peak is an Outdoor Extended Orientation for freshman students the week before classes begin in the fall semester. It is a two-phase program. Phase one of the program is the outdoor trip which includes camping, rock climbing, hiking, and kayaking. The trip is led by three student trip leaders, one of which is a UNIV Peer Advisor (PA), and has up to fourteen student participants per trip. Students develop a strong connection with each other and the outdoors as they experience the transforming nature of this outdoor experience. Phase two of the program is the University 108 (UNIV 108) course co-taught by a Project Peak PA who served as a trip leader on the trip and a UNIV 108 Faculty. To learn more about the program, please visit our website at: http://transitions.gmu.edu/projectpeak. Project Peak 2017 tentative dates: August 20 – 24, 2017 (Sunday through Thursday).
UNIV 108 Teaching Expectations
- Identical to the “UNIV 100 Teaching Expectations” outlined in the UNIV 100 Faculty Job Description on of this packet.
- Tailor UNIV 108 content to Project Peak experience and group needs. See template syllabus.
Project Peak Expectations
- Attend at minimum one of the day-time activities of Project Peak with the corresponding group of students, PA and trip leaders. Teams rotate through rock climbing, hiking, and kayaking on Monday through Wednesday of the week before classes. Est. time: 8 hours per activity.
- Strongly recommended additional participation in Project Peak, including:
- Attendance at the opening session of Project Peak on the Sunday before classes begin (tentatively scheduled for Sunday, August 20, 2017) and the group team building event that day. Est. time: 6 hours
- Attendance at all three of the day time activities mentioned above.
- Attendance at the closing ceremony for the trips typically scheduled for Wednesday night or Thursday morning before the trip ends. Est. time: 2 hours
- Attendance at one or more dinners that week; usually the last night is most meaningful.
- Faculty will receive free transportation to all activities and meals during Project Peak events.
Faculty Requirements & Qualifications
- Master’s degree (completed by August 2017)
- Approval from supervisor
- Full-time employees can only teach 1 course within a semester at George Mason
- Wage employees and Graduate students must comply with the 1500 hours ACA rule
- Classified non-exempt employees are ineligible to teach
Compensation & Time Commitment
- Faculty will be paid a base salary of $1,050 with $50 for each additional year of service with $1,300 as the maximum salary (pending final approval).
- Time commitment includes approximately 5 hours per week for UNIV 108 (including 2 hours of class time, 1 hour meeting with a PA, and 1 hour of planning and grading). UNIV 108 classes have on average ten less students than a UNIV 100 class which means less grading and meeting commitments with the position.
- Additional commitments include training requirements.
- Faculty will be paid bi-monthly over the course of each teaching semester.
- Attend UNIV faculty monthly meetings in the fall semester (1 hour per month).