Supplemental Instruction Faculty Resources

The SI program is an effective academic support option for students, while also being non-invasive to faculty:

• Low Time Commitment: Most faculty invite their SI Leader to their pre-existing teaching team meetings, meaning there usually is no additional time commitment regarding SI. SI Leaders and faculty can use these meetings to discuss student needs, review content to be covered in SI sessions, and ensure that the entire teaching team is on the same page.
• Improved Academic Performance: SI sessions combine “what to learn” - course content - with “how to learn” - group activities and transferable study skills that students participate in/learn during SI sessions. Research by the International Center for SI at the University of Missouri-Kansas City shows that students who attend SI sessions tend to earn higher final grades than students who do not.
• Partnership with the Learning Center: The Learning Center is responsible for interviewing, hiring, training, and paying SI Leaders. Faculty members are responsible for adding the SI Leader to the course Canvas page under the “Peer TA” designation.

SI Leaders facilitate group activities that allow students to engage with course content more deeply and learn from each other. SI Leaders support the work done by TAs and LAs by reinforcing key concepts and expected learning outcomes. The responsibilities of SI Leaders, TAs, and LAs differ from another, but all three services can be used together to support students. Learn more about how these responsibilities differ.

Generally, offering extra credit for attending SI sessions is discouraged, as students may begin to treat sessions as an opportunity to improve their grade vs an opportunity to deepen their understanding of course material. This can lead to students “attending” but not fully participating in SI sessions.

However, we recognize there may be various instances in which faculty choose to offer extra credit to students that attend SI sessions. If faculty wish to offer extra credit, they may follow the steps outlined below:

1. Faculty should communicate to the SI Coordinator that they are interested in offering extra credit for attending SI sessions. The MOU will be modified to reflect this change.
2. Faculty will determine how much extra credit will be offered for attending SI sessions, and then share this with their students.
3. Attendance will be tracked at every session by the SI Leader, and this data will be shared with the faculty after the final SI session of the semester. Attendance data will not be shared earlier to prevent influencing a professor’s perception of individual students based on their attendance.

SI Leaders are assigned to a specific course and attend the lecture alongside the students. Based on the course material, SI Leaders plan and facilitate two 60-minute SI sessions that happen outside of lecture/discussion hours. The SI Leader will share a survey with the students on the first day of class where they can indicate which days/times they would like SI sessions to be held. During SI sessions, SI Leaders do not “re-lecture” or teach new information; sessions are focused on helping students deepen their understanding of course content. 

SI Leaders do not participate in grading assignments or exams, and should not lead any portion of the lecture. However, SI Leaders are able to assist with in-class activities, respond to student emails/Canvas messages, and can host office hours upon request.

The Learning Center charges departments $500 per SI Leader per semester to help cover the cost of the SI Leader's wages. The Learning Center will send an invoice to each department at the end of the semester.

1. Allowing the SI Leader time to make announcements at the beginning/end of class.
2. Allowing SI Leaders to write their upcoming sessions days/times on the whiteboard before class.
3. Making frequent reminders about SI during lecture and in Canvas announcements.
4. Encouraging students to attend SI sessions when they visit during office hours or have additional questions after class.