Supplemental Instruction (SI)

What are SI Sessions?

Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions are designed to support students who are enrolled in challenging courses. SI are a series of weekly review sessions for students taking historically difficult courses and are provided for all students who want to improve their grades.

Student leaders who have previously taken and mastered one of these courses are trained to host three study sessions each week throughout the semester. Note: The SI leaders attend your course lectures, too! So, they can experience the class, just as you do.

Whether you have one question or simply want to keep up on the material from week to week, you and your peers will work and think through things together. Your personal preparation and regular attendance are highly recommended. Students who attend and participate over the course of the semester typically earn higher grades than those who do not attend at all or attend less often.

How Can SI Sessions Help Me?

SI sessions and the interactions you will have with your peers can help you to think more critically about your course material, class lectures, and homework problems. You will learn to question yourself and others in discovering the unknowns and solutions related to the subject matter.

SI sessions can help you:

• Understand key concepts
• Articulate what you know and what you don't know about the subject
• Build on foundational material and integrate newer knowledge as the content becomes more complex
• Prepare for quizzes and exams
• Earn the grade that you want, but you will need to be a willing and active participant!

How do I use the services offered through SI?

• SI sessions are scheduled for set times throughout the semester. You are welcome to come and go from the sessions because your attendance is voluntary.
• SI leaders will make a few announcements in your class lectures and share session times. Note: If a leader is not attending your specific class lecture time but is attending an earlier or later time, you may not hear a verbal announcement. However, your faculty member will let you know that SI sessions are available.
• Your professor may have included the SI session times in the syllabus or posted the session times on Blackboard.
• Visit Tutor Trac for available times.

Supplemental Instruction Sessions - Spring 2013

Becoming a SI Leader

Join the Achievement Center Staff! SI leaders are faculty-recommended students who have at least a 3.0 GPA. Here are a few qualifications:

• Successful completion of the course you wish to conduct SI sessions for
• Available to attend all SI course-related lectures and facilitate three study sessions per week
• Enjoy working with peers in a collaborative learning environment
• Possess strong communication skills
• Utilize effective facilitation or group dynamic skills
• Possess exceptional leadership skills
• Ability and desire to work openly and constructively with the SI supervisor
• Currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student
• Recommended by the faculty member who teaches the specified course

Contact Information

Questions about Supplemental Instruction or becoming a SI? Please contact Debbie McGinness at  DebbieMcGinness@letu.edu or (903) 233-4473.

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