Academic Success Center
Supplemental Instruction FAQ
What is Supplemental Instruction?
Supplemental Instruction is a FREE series of group-study sessions led by an SI leader. SI targets courses considered traditionally difficult and is intended to supplement the course lecture and provide students with collaborative approaches to learning course material. SI focuses on group interaction, encouraging students to work together to review material from class. Students who attend SI will learn how to find answers to their own questions, and will learn effective study skills and learning strategies to enable them to become independent learners.
Why go to SI?
Research on Supplemental Instruction shows that students who attend on a regular basis can achieve one half- to one full letter grade higher than students who do not attend (University of Kansas City Missouri).
Aside from this, SI offers many concrete incentives for students who are struggling in a course as well as students who wish to maintain a high grade, including:
- Extra opportunity to practice and drill material
- Handouts and practice quizzes to prepare for exams
- Tips and hints to help learn difficult material
- A place to get questions answered
- An opportunity to meet with classmeets and form study groups
- Guidance on what and how to study outside of SI
What courses does SI support?
SI is intended to support freshman and sophomore courses with a 30% or higher rate of drop or failure.
Courses that are supported this fall include:
- All 1st and 2nd year biology courses (BIO 1030 thru BIO 2870)
- All 1st and some 2nd year chemistry courses (CHM 1000 thru CHM 2220)
- Physics courses from PHY 1020 thur 2140
- MAT 0993
- PSY 1010 and PSY 3010
- PS 1010
- ECO 2020
- AH 1120
- SPA 1010 and 1020
- FRE 1010
- ACCT 3010
- GEL 1010
- AST 2010
A complete and up-to-date list of courses supported and a schedule of SI sessions is located here.
Where is SI located?
SI is a component of the Academic Success Center. SI sessions take place in various classrooms around campus.
My class is supported by SI, but there is no SI leader in my lecture. Can I still go to SI?
Absolutely. While SI leaders are required to attend lecture for the class they are supporting, they only attend one lecture section. If there are multiple sections, the SI leader may not be attending yours. The leader still supports all sections of the course, and will be responsible for advertising their sessions to your section. Not only are you welcome to show up, you are strongly encouraged!
How can I contact my SI leader?
By accessing the SI session schedule here, you may simply click on the name of your SI leader to contact them via email. All leaders' names are linked to their email.