Program Overview

Supplemental Instruction Program

The Supplemental Instruction (SI) program is designed to support students in their academic endeavors. This program involves utilizing a model student-peer who has recently and successfully completed a course to attend the course a second time and lead peer-facilitated study sessions over the course content outside of regular class hours.

Benefits of SI Sessions

SI sessions are beneficial because they help students:

• Improve their understanding of basic concepts
• Compare notes with others
• Build relationships with classmates
• Develop study and learning strategies
• Test their knowledge before the professor does

How SI Works

At each SI session, the leader will guide the students through the most difficult course concepts. SI Leaders will help students make good use of their time and share strategies that they used to be successful in the course. SI Leaders will not re-lecture, give out copies of their notes, help students with assigned homework, or encourage last-minute test cramming. The overall goal of SI sessions is to incorporate a deeper understanding of course content with study skills that can be used with other coursework.

SI Leaders

SI Leaders are students themselves who have previously taken the course and earned a high grade. Faculty typically recommend students to become an SI Leader. SI Leaders attend the same class sessions with students, take notes, and listen closely to the professor so they are prepared to share with students how to effectively study for the course. SI Leaders are supervised by the Coordinator of Academic Support & New Student Engagement.

Course Selection for SI Support

A team meets to review DFW data and courses with equity gaps to determine which courses to target for SI support. The DFW rate for a course is the percentage of students who received either a D, F, or withdrew completely. Once a course has been selected by the team, support from the faculty member will be requested by the Coordinator of Academic Support & New Student Engagement.

Becoming an SI Leader

SI Leaders are often recommended to the Coordinator of Academic Support & New Student Engagement by faculty within the department of the targeted course. Students can fill out an SI Leader application.

Faculty Support for SI

A faculty member who is offering SI in their course(s) will be asked to meet routinely with their assigned SI Leader to discuss material and strategies to be reviewed during SI sessions. The faculty member will also be asked to assist with the promotion of SI in their course.

SI Leader Certification

Achieving Level One Certification from The International Tutor Training Program means that the student leaders have met The College Reading & Learning Association's (CRLA) high standards for tutor selection, training, direct service, and evaluation as an integral part of their overall tutoring program.

Current SI Leaders and Sessions

The following students are currently serving as SI Leaders:

• Edin Hamilton: MATH 110: College Algebra (Section 01 and 02)
• Gabby Anderson: BIOL 100: Biology in the Modern World (Section 01)
• Danny Rogotzke: CHEM 232: General Chemistry II (Section 01)
• Jocelyn Kletzien: BIOL 201: Intro to Biodiversity & Evolution (Section 01)
• Emily Quanbeck: EXSC 100 (Section 01)
• Taylor Haberman: MGMT 101: Introduction to Business (Sections 01, 02, and 03)

Each SI Leader holds one review session per week, and students are encouraged to attend as many sessions as they like. SI sessions are free, and statistics show that the more students attend, the better their grades at the end of the semester.