Academic Resources

Get the skills and resources necessary to be successful academically, professionally and personally.

SI Leaders know the course content and are eager to help guide you through it. They'll be in class with you every day, hearing what you hear and reading what you read. What they won't do is lecture; their job is to help you think about the lectures you hear and the books you read so you can learn it more efficiently.

Join us for a chance to get together with people in your class to compare notes, to discuss important concepts, to develop strategies for studying the subject, and to test yourself before your professor does so you'll be ready.

When do SI sessions start?

SI sessions begin early in the semester, so be sure to bring your class schedule to your first day of class so they can accommodate as many students as possible when scheduling sessions.

How often should I attend?

Each SI leader will set up three or more review sessions a week at times that are best for the majority of the students. You can attend one, two or all three (the choice is yours), and each one will be different because you'll have new material to discuss. SI review sessions are informal. Bring your notes, bring your textbook, and bring your questions.

If you are interested in becoming a Supplemental Instructor, please contact Darla Phillips at dphillips@harding.edu or 501-279-5929.

An overview of the SI program

Developed by Dr. Deanna Martin in 1973 at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic assistance program that increases student performance and retention.

1. The SI program targets traditionally difficult academic courses--those that have a high rate of D or F grades and withdrawals--and provides regularly scheduled, out-of-class, peer facilitated sessions.
2. SI does not identify high-risk students, but rather identifies historically difficult classes.
3. Assistance begins the first week of the term.
4. SI sessions normally occur in classrooms near the course classroom instead of in a learning center.
5. SI sessions are open to all students in the course and are attended on a voluntary basis free of charge.
6. The SI leaders are the key people in the program. SI leaders are students who have demonstrated competence in this or in a comparable course.
7. SI sessions are comprised of students of varying abilities, and no effort is made to segregate students based on academic ability. Since SI is introduced on the first day of classes and is open to all students in the class, SI is not viewed as remedial.

Copyright, The Curators of the University of Missouri, 1996

Call Academic Resources at 501-279-5929 for additional information.