Become a PASS Leader

Develop valuable employability skills, gain workplace experience and support your peers by becoming a PASS Leader at UNSW Business School.
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UNSW Business School on campus

Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) is a peer-facilitated program offering weekly 60-minute out-of-class study sessions for all undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in select UNSW Business School courses. PASS is for all students who want to boost their academic performance and build confidence in their studies.

Sessions are led by PASS leaders, students who have excelled in the course. They are trained to facilitate group discussions to foster student learning. Each session’s content is student-driven, ensuring it meets student’s specific needs.

Being a PASS Leader is a fantastic opportunity to:

  • Participate in paid work.
  • Fine-tune your leadership skills.
  • Give back to the UNSW community by helping develop students’ understanding of course materials.

The role provides you an opportunity to work in a supportive team environment where you’ll develop key employability skills that organisations look for.

Develop your skills

Leadership
You’ll lead group discussions and activities to support students in developing study skills and a deeper understanding of course concepts.
Teamwork
Collaborating with your peers and participating in team meetings and activities will help you develop effective teamwork skills.
Communication
Build rapport with peers and learn to communicate effectively from working with different personalities and students from diverse backgrounds.
Problem solving
You need to master fundamental concepts and skills relevant to the course you lead. As a PASS Leader, you’ll demonstrate your ability to anticipate student questions and handle challenges on the spot.
Creative thinking
Successful facilitation of collaborative learning requires you to plan engaging sessions using various resources and activities creatively, and adapting your approach to meet needs.
Interpersonal
You’ll enhance your presentation skills, learning to engage audiences effectively, improve your ability to convey ideas clearly and boost your confidence in public speaking.

Each week you’ll lead one or more sessions, starting Week 2 of term. Your main responsibilities will be to prepare for and facilitate study sessions each week. You’ll also be required to attend meetings and complete administrative tasks.

During the session, you'll facilitate group discussions and guide problem solving in a supportive and engaging way. You'll model effective study skills, combining what to learn with how to learn.

PASS Leaders are expected to:

  • Prepare and plan for sessions.
  • Facilitate interactive and engaging sessions, while combining study skills with key course content.
  • Promote the PASS program.

PASS Leaders are not required to:

  • Re-teach course content.
  • Assist students with assignments.
    Leaders may help students understand assignment questions, however leaders cannot directly answer assessment or tutorial questions.

PASS Leaders are usually 2nd or 3rd year students who have excelled in the relevant course before.

We’re looking for students who have:

  • Strong academic results
    • a distinction or high distinction in the relevant course, and
    • a minimum WAM of 80.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • An enthusiastic commitment to supporting fellow students.

Applications for PASS Leader positions in 2026 are now closed. 

What leaders say

Term 3, 2023

PASS Leader

My communication skills, teaching skills, and interpersonal skills were all improved from being a PASS Leader. Furthermore, my confidence in my abilities increased as students were engaged every week and provided positive verbal feedback about their experiences in the sessions.

Term 3, 2024

PASS Leader

I feel like [being a PASS leader] is a very great role to provide opportunity to grow in many different perspectives.

Term 3, 2024

PASS Leader

I'm gaining experience to facilitate a session, [build] communication skills, refresh my knowledge and have a sense of how it is working for UNSW.