Supplemental Instruction (SI)

SI targets historically difficult courses. These courses tend to have high enrollment, as well as a higher number of students who do not earn a passing grade or withdraw from the course. In other words, these subjects contain content that students consider challenging.

SI is designed to support faculty, and is assigned to a subject because of what is being taught, not because of the manner in which it is being taught.

SI is not intended to create additional work for faculty.

Faculty can support SI by having an open line of communication with their SI leader. Allowing SI leaders time to introduce SI to the class at the beginning of the term, followed by occasional in-class announcements is the minimum amount we would ask of faculty.

We also ask that faculty encourage students to take advantage of SI, since our data shows us that more students attend when encouraged by faculty.

We do ask that faculty avoid the suggestion that only those who do poorly will benefit from SI, especially since our data shows otherwise.

Ideally we would like faculty to collaborate with the SI leader on a weekly basis (30 minutes) to discuss the content for the week and areas students are struggling. These interactions can be very helpful to the SI leader as they prepare their weekly sessions.

In the past, faculty members have also helped encourage students to attend SI sessions by:

• Allowing SI leaders to have access to Blackboard

• Posting announcements on Blackboard, or their syllabus about SI sessions

• Collaborate with the SI Coordinator to discuss ways to improve the program

The SI Leader will:

• Attend class meetings
• Maintain a professional attitude about matters such as class standards, grades, and student complaints
• Discourage students from attending SI as a substitute for class
• Share SI materials with the cooperating faculty member before use, if possible
• Provide feedback to the cooperating faculty member if requested to do so

The staff in the SI Program will:

• Cooperate with faculty in selecting candidates for SI leaders
• Train all SI leaders according to established guidelines and standards
• Provide supplies, training, in-service experiences and consultations for SI leaders

Aside from SI Leaders and faculty, there is an SI Coordinator and two SI Graduate Assistants.

The coordinator implements and supervises the SI program by: identifying targeted subjects, communicating with faculty, selecting and training SI leaders, monitoring the quality of sessions, and collecting program data.

The graduate assistants support the coordinator in the above areas, focusing most heavily in program quality. To do this, the GAs observe SI Leaders at various times through out the term, giving them immediate feedback and suggestions.