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Leah Bittner

“The SMSU RN to BSN Program does not have you take a set amount of credits each semester. This flexible scheduling was perfect for me as it allowed me to vary the amount of credits I took each semester. I would have struggled without that flexibility as I am a non-traditional student who is also a wife, mother of four, and worked full time while completing my degree. This program is designed to fit into your life, whether you want to be a full-time or part-time student.”

Leah Bittner, '22 Alum
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Supplemental Instruction

Supplemental Instruction (SI) involves utilizing a model student-peer who has recently and successfully completed a course to attend the course a second time and lead peer-facilitated study sessions over the course content outside of regular class hours. Since 1973, the data supporting the effectiveness of SI has remained consistent; on average, students who regularly attend SI sessions earn half to a full letter grade higher and earn D’s, F’s, and withdraw from courses less frequently than students who do not attend SI sessions (Dawson, 2014).  Additionally, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, after years of implementing their supplemental instruction program, reported a 7.8 percentage point overall increase in retention and $1.6 million return on investment (Civitas Learning, 2019). 

SI sessions are beneficial because they help students:

  • Improve their understanding of basic concepts
  • Compare notes with others
  • Build relationships with classmates
  • Develop study and learning strategies
  • Test their knowledge before the professor does

SI sessions start the first or second week of class. Each SI leader will hold one review session per week. SI sessions are free. Students are encouraged to attend as many as they'd like; however, statistics show that the more students attend, the better their grades at the end of the semester. 

SI Leaders:

SI leaders are current students who have been recommended by faculty that have previously earned a high grade in the course they have been hired to support. They attend class lectures, take notes, and are prepared to coach students on how to effectively study. SI leaders receive training and ongoing supervision from the Coordinator of Academic Support Services to enhance their skills on how to be an effective facilitator and are level 1 certified by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). During each SI session, SI leaders guide students through course concepts and shares strategies to enhance their success in the course. 

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Nankling Andrew

Nankling Andrew
BIOL 200: Introduction to Cellular Biology (Section 01) - Dr. Vaughn Gehle

Hometown: Abuja, Nigeria

Major: Biology

Classification: Senior

Sessions: Tuesdays 1pm-2pm in SC207

Office Hours: Thursdays 1pm-2pm Deeann Griebel Student Success Center (second floor of IL)

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Cadence Van Ede
BIOL 201 and 201L: Introduction to Biodiversity and Evolution and Lab (Section 01 and 31) - Dr. Shelby Flint

Hometown: Garvin, MN 

Major: Biology and Psychology Minor

Classification: Sophomore

Sessions: Alternating times on Thursdays. Look for times in the course announcements. Sessions will be held in the Deeann Griebel Student Success Center (second floor of IL)

Office Hours: Wednesdays 11:30am-12:30pm Deeann Griebel Student Success Center (second floor of IL)

kaelyn-deroche

Kaelyn DeRoche
CHEM 231: General Chemistry I (Section 01) - Dr. Benjamin Tokheim

Hometown: Superior, WI

Major: Biology

Classification: Senior

Sessions: Mondays 11am-12pm Deeann Griebel Student Success Center (second floor of IL)

Office Hours: Wedesndays 11am-12pm Deeann Griebel Student Success Center (second floor of IL)

 

Shelby Lawrence

Shelby Louwagie
ENG 151: Academic Writing (Section 02) - Professor Jessie Hennen

Hometown: Fargo, ND

Major: Elementary Education

Classification: Senior

Sessions: Fridays for one hour between 12pm-2pm. Shelby will announce the time of the session each week. Sessions will be held in BA211. 

Office Hours: Immediately following the SI session. Located in BA211

Photo of Alyssa Engels

Alyssa Engels
MATH 150: Calculus I (Section 01) - Dr. Heather Moreland

Hometown: Ivanhoe, MN

Major: Applied Computational Math and Chemistry

Classification: Senior

Sessions and office hours will be alternating from week to week on: 

Tuesdays 12pm-1pm BA232

Wednesdays from 3:30pm-4:30pm BA232

NOTE: one meeting time will be office hour and the other will be the reivew session each week.

Photo of Taylor Haberman

Taylor Haberman
MGMT 101: Introduction to Business (Sections 01, 02 and 88) - Dr. Heather Rickgarn, Dr. Marsha Grimes-Rose and Professor John Rickgarn

Hometown: Brewster, MN

Major: Management

Classification: Senior

Sessions: Wednesdays 3pm-4pm ST218

Office Hour: Wednesdays 11am-12pm Deeann Griebel Student Success Center (second floor of IL) 

Kiley Hillemeier

Kiley Hillemeier
MGMT221: Computer Concepts and Application (Sections 01, 02 and 88) - Dr. Marsha Grimes-Rose and Professor John Rickgarn

Hometown: Olivia, MN 

Major: Finance

Classification: Senior

Sessions: Thursdays 12pm-1pm BA319

Office Hour: Wednesdays 2pm-3pm Deeann Griebel Student Success Center (second floor of IL)

Frequently Asked Questions:

At each SI session, the leader will guide the students through the most difficult course concepts. SI Leaders will help students make good use of their time and share strategies that they used to be successful in the course. SI Leaders will not re-lecture, give out copies of their notes, help students with assigned homework, or encourage last minute test cramming. The overall goal of SI sessions it to incorporate a deeper understanding of course content with study skills that can be used with other coursework. 
SI Leaders are students themselves, who have previously taken the course and earned a high grade. Faculty typically recommend students to become an SI Leader. SI Leaders attend the same class sessions with students, take notes, and listen closely to the professor so they are prepared to share with students how to effectively study for the course. SI Leaders are supervised by SMSU's Coordinator of Academic Support Services. 
A team at SMSU meets to review DFW data and courses with equity gaps to determine which courses to target for SI support. The DFW rate for a course is the percentage of students who received either a D, F, or withdrew completely. Once a course has been selected by the team, support from the faculty member will be requested by the designated SI Faculty Liaison. 
SI Leaders are often recommended to the Coordinator of Academic Support Services by faculty within the department of the targeted course. Students can fill out an SI Leader application by clicking on the following link: SI Leader Application  
Faculty members can recommend an SI Leader by filling out the following form: SI Leader Nomination 
A faculty member that is offering SI in their course(s) will be asked to meet routinely with their assigned SI Leader to discuss material and strategies to be reviewed during SI sessions. The faculty member will also be asked to assist with the promotion of SI in their course. This could include introducing the SI Leader to the class to assist with building connections with peers, adding content in their course syllabus, and/or allowing the SI Leader to make announcements during class regarding upcoming SI sessions. 
The faculty member should include an informational statement that their course is offering SI. The faculty liaison for the SI program has a sample statement that can be used. The faculty member should also encourage students to attend the SI sessions with the SI leader to enhance their success in the course. 

Achieving Level One Certification from The International Tutor Training Program means that the SMSU student leaders have met The College Reading & Learning Association’s (CRLA) high standards for tutor selection, training, direct service, and evaluation as an integral part of their overall tutoring program. SMSU peer Tutors and SI Leaders are held to a high standard in order to provide quality academic support.


For more information about Supplemental Instruction (SI), please visit: https://info.umkc.edu/si/faq/


If you have any questions or are interested in participating in SMSU's Supplemental Instruction program, please contact:

Brittany Krull
Director of Student Success
Brittany.Krull@SMSU.edu 
507-537-7290

References: 

Civitas Learning (2019). Measuring Supplemental Instruction Direct Impact on Persistence. https://media.civitaslearning.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/02/Civitas_Learning _University_Missouri_Kansas_City_CASE_STUDY_Impact.pdf 

Dawson, P., van der Meer, J., Skalicky, J., & Cowley, K. (2014). On the effectiveness of supplemental instruction: A systematic review of supplemental instruction and peer-assisted study sessions literature between 2001 and 2010. Review of Educational Research, 84(4). https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654314540007 

University of Missouri-Kansas City FAQ. The International Center for Supplemental Instruction. (n.d.). Retrieved December 19, 2022, from https://info.umkc.edu/si/faq/ 

 

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