The Supplemental Instruction Model (SI), a widely used international academic support model endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education, began in 1970s at the University of Missouri- Kansas City (UMKC). There are currently about 3,500 postsecondary institutions that use SI. Students who regularly attend SI sessions earn a half to a full letter grade higher and earn fewer DFW’s than students who do not attend SI sessions. SI is a free service offered to all students in a targeted course. SI is a non-remedial approach to learning as the program targets high-risk courses rather than high-risk students.SI programs must use UMKC trained SI supervisors who hire and train peer SI leaders to attend lectures for one high risk course each. SI leaders are expected to spend about 10 hours per week: in class, preparing review sessions, offering 3-4 group review sessions outside of class and 2 walk-in office hours per week to review course content with students. Students attend voluntarily.

Students during an SI session can discuss course content and reading, develop study skills and strategies, and apply their knowledge to help predict future test questions. Also, since SI focuses on predominately large lecture courses, the SI sessions allow for an increase in peer-to-peer interaction. Many students who attend SI develop peer connections and form additional study groups outside the SI times.

SI is a great resource for professors, especially with courses that do not have discussion sections because it allows students to discuss the material with each other while being guided by the SI leader. In many cases, the SI leader is also able to provide valuable feedback to the instructor on areas that students may stay be struggling with or questions students are encountering. The instructor is also able to use the SI leader, for instance, if the professor notices students are struggling writing the essay portion of their exams, the SI leader can tailor their session to better aid students with this test taking method.

SI at UWM

SI leaders at UWM are juniors, seniors or graduate students who have completed the course with no lower than a B+, have a 3.0 GPA, have been recommended by at least one professor in their subject, and can demonstrate excellent communication skills and knowledge in a Panther Academic Support Services (PASS) interview. SI leaders participate in our College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) certified training program as well as additional training following the SI training manual and program from UMKC. We certify at Levels I (Tutor), II (Advanced) and III (Master) levels. For each level, SI leaders must complete 10 hours of training and lead 25 SI hourly review sessions. SI leaders are limited and will need to be prioritized according to the greatest need for the benefit of the campus.

To help make SI successful, SI professors work with their SI Leaders to establish clear expectations. The SI professor encourages students to participate in the SI review sessions by making in-class announcements, D2L posts, and allows for the SI leader to also make in-class announcements when needed.