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The WLI student cohort program educates, empowers, and equips students in their leadership journeys. The attendance policy has been designed to ensure the aims of the cohort program are achieved for all students.  In addition, flexibility and grace are essential components of this policy. If there are questions, don't hesitate to contact Dr. Amanda Guinot Talbot (guinotam@msu.edu), who will work with students on a case-by-case basis.

• Students are asked to commit to attending 80% of the scheduled workshops and events across the academic year.
• Excused absences are granted and not counted against the 80% requirement.  In this case, communication ahead of the event is required.  Excused absences are defined as university-related commitments (e.g., classes, labs, work).
• Virtual sessions will be recorded and posted to the WLI student cohort D2L page.  If there is a need for an excused absence, students will be asked to view the content that was missed.

The WLI student cohort D2L community group is a place for deepened connection—questions can be asked here, discussion had, and material read and reviewed.  Recordings of our virtual sessions will be posted on D2L for viewing in the case of excused absence or review of the content.

The WLI student cohort is an application-based program that annually accepts a selective group of leaders to participate through the academic year.  Students will gain the following through their involvement in the WLI cohort program:

• Participation in meaningful conversations with experienced and successful leaders from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience building a professional network.
• Opportunity to be mentored by colleagues, WLI Executive Board members, and Alumnae.
• Involvement with a custom curriculum designed to provide encouragement and practical advice for a leadership journey.
• Exclusive scholarship opportunities.

Students who complete their first full year, determined to be in good standing with the program are eligible for the following:

• To apply to have their cohort experience acknowledged through the Spartan Experience Record (SER). See below for more information.
• Graduating seniors will receive a graduation cord marking their experience with and competition of the WLI student cohort program. Graduation cords will be awarded to our graduates at the spring capstone event.
• Students wishing to continue their participation with the cohort will not have to reapply. These students can declare their desire to continue with the cohort to the WLI Director at the conclusion of the spring semester.  Returning students will have access to the cohort curriculum and, in addition, be asked to serve as peer mentors for the incoming students.

Students who complete their first full year, determined to be in good standing with the program are eligible to return to the program, declaring their commitment to the WLI Director.  Returning students will have access to all the WLI cohort curriculum and, in addition, be asked to take on new responsibilities to provide further leadership development.  These opportunities will include:

Team leads during the virtual coffee hours 

Returning students will prepare and lead the virtual coffee hours. Students will prepare when it is their turn, questions to lead the discussion, and function of the facilitator of the hour’s discussion. The goals of this aspect of the program are as follows:

• Gain experience in prepping and leading a meeting.
• Ability to create prompts/content to make meaningful conversation and discussion.
• Opportunity to connect with a network of mentors and colleagues.

Mentorship of incoming students

Returning students will help to mentor new students in the cohort program.  Each returning student will be assigned two-three new students to make a small peer mentoring group.  The goals of this aspect of the program are as follows:

• Starting a peer mentoring network and providing experience in the mentoring process.
• Training returning students to participate in the mentoring process, working on skills such as self-reflection, establishing the framework of the relationship, maintaining and nurturing bilateral learning, and moving their mentees ahead in their stated goals.
• Providing an opportunity for engagement between students, WLI campus team, and WLI executive board, and positioning both within a supportive professional environment.

WLI Student Cohort Peer Mentoring Handbook

Student mentors must reference the WLI Student Cohort Peer Mentoring Handbook for more information on participation in this aspect of the program. 

Through the generous support of WLI Executive Board members and MSU alumni, the WLI can provide practical support to our student leaders.  Several of our annual scholarships are outlined below.

How to Apply

The WLI student cohort program has been approved to be represented on the Spartan Experience Record (SER).  This is a co-curricular and official record of your achievements outside of the classroom (e.g., workshops, internships, leadership development).  You can now add your cohort participation to this record.  I will verify that you attended at least 80% of our offerings, but after that, you will have credit for your participation.

How do I get started with the Spartan Experience Record?

The Spartan Experience Record is new to students as of Fall 2020, and therefore a great place to start is by exploring our website. Login to the Spartan Experience Record platform and take a look around. Under “Spartan Experience Record” this area will display your experiences you have participated in that are either pending verification or are verified. If you are currently participating in an experience that you believe is a fit to be included on your SER and don’t see displayed in this section, the next step would be to suggest it to be added. Additionally, follow us on social media to stay up to date on programs, news, and resources.