Supplemental Instruction

Supplemental Instruction is an opportunity for students to work together to explore important concepts, review class notes, discuss reading assignments, practice test-taking strategies, and prepare of examinations. SI sessions are facilitated by an undergraduate student (SI Leader) who has previously been successful in the course.

SI leaders are students themselves who have taken the class before and earned a high grade in the course. Faculty typically recommends the leaders who facilitate the SI sessions. SI leaders are prepared to share with students how to effectively study for the course. SI leaders attend the same class every day, taking notes and listening closely to the professor. The SI coordinating team trains them in how to be effective facilitators and receive ongoing supervision.

Once the semester begins, check the Supplemental Instruction (SI) Schedule for a list of courses and SI sessions. In class promotions also are planned for courses with SI, including:

• During the first week of classes the SI Leader will make a brief presentation to the class. The SI Leader will also ask the students to complete a brief survey to determine the best time to schedule sessions.
• On the first day of classes, students will receive an e-mail promoting SI for their course, and referring them to online scheduling survey.
• Regular announcements and/or postings will be made via email, and in class with the approval of the instructor.

Days, times, and locations for Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions are determined by SI Leaders during the first week of classes, after a sufficient number of students have contributed feedback via the scheduling survey. The session logistics will be promoted the end of the first week, and sessions begin the second week.

Our apologies about the inconveniences. Based on the number of students in a class, it’s impossible for us to find Supplemental Instruction sessions that accommodate everyone's preferences, which is why we try to select sessions that make SI available to the largest number of students at least once per week. Our campus is also large, meaning that we likely inconvenience some people with any location selection.

If SI can help you, please make the time to attend. Other options for help are:

• Requesting a Tutor
• Using a Departmental Help Room
• Meeting with an Instructor/TA during office hours (or by appointment)
• Referring to credible web-based resources (visit Tutoring Services website)

Most Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions target traditionally difficult 1000-2000 level courses which students must take to begin an academic major. These courses are usually large lecture courses requiring large amounts of reading from difficult texts, utilize examinations focusing on application and analysis, and because of their size, offer a perception of diminished opportunity for teacher-student interaction.

Some SI sessions target other difficult courses that do not fit the criteria above based on input from students and instructors.

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is open to all students enrolled in a specific course. So, even if your SI Leader does not regularly attend your lectures, you can still attend the SI sessions. Students from all ability levels attend SI. There is one thing all SI participants have in common--desire to be a better learner.

Some students attend only a few sessions during the semester.  Assessments show that the more SI sessions a student participates in, the higher their final grade will be in the class.

Supplemental Instruction sessions are free. Students are encouraged to come as often as they like, however, the statistics show that the more students attend, the better their grades.