What can I expect at a SI session?

SI is free of charge and there is no need to make an appointment. Sessions are interactive and attendees will be expected to talk and share. The SI Leader assigned to your course will message you via Canvas about what to expect at sessions, so check there for details specific to your course.

SI is rooted in active learning and social interaction. Students should come ready to participate in the session and engage with their peers. Academic Support is committed to serving all Auburn University students, and SI is designed to be a high-trust, low-stress environment where students are welcome, appreciated, and supported by their peers. Please note that if you are a caregiver, your dependent is welcome to accompany you to the SI session with the expectation that the group learning environment for all attendees is preserved. In order for all students to be able to participate in or realize the intended benefits of Academic Support services, SI Leaders have a responsibility to cultivate and protect a welcoming learning environment. In an SI session, you can expect that the presence of any physical, verbal, graphic, written, or electronic representations of language, images, or behavior that create a hostile or intimidating environment will not be accepted. Additionally, insults related to ability, appearance, culture, gender, home language, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or social class will not be tolerated. Students using support services have the responsibility of complying with behavioral standards of AU. Standards of acceptable behavior for students and student organizations are reflected in the Code of Student Conduct and other university policies, Behavior that impedes teaching and learning and creates obstacles to this goal is considered disruptive and therefore subject to sanctions. Sanctions are not punitive and are designed to protect the learning environment.

What to Expect When You Come to SI

Which classes are supported by SI?

Currently, the following departments include courses supported by Supplemental Instruction:

Accounting

Biology

Chemistry

History

Math

Physics

Statistics

For a list of current class sections and SI session times, go to the SI schedule page.

How do I learn about the SI sessions for my course/section?

A first stop for SI session information every semester is the AU Involve resource.

Second, you can search your Canvas Inbox for messages with “SI” in the subject line. If your class has the support of an SI Leader you will receive occasional messages via Canvas to alert you to the service and introduce the SI Leader. Those messages will start the first week of classes and include the session details including time and location, as well as a link to a Box folder. The SI Box folder for that class will be the place the SI Leader posts updates and information about sessions more regularly. You can access this resource any time.

If you have not set up your Box account through Auburn yet, do so.

What if I need captioning for the online SI session?

Academic Support works with the Office of Accessibility to provide captioning for online SI sessions. If you have an accommodation for captioning and want to request it for SI, email Dr. Ashley Carr (acc0126) with the subject line “Captioning request SI.” Include your name and the course details for your request. You’ll receive communication about the process and captioning will be arranged. Requests for captioning need to be made at least 48 hours prior to the first SI session required.

The SI session time doesn’t work for me, can you record the session so I can watch later?

We try our best to make sessions available to as many people possible by including input from students on their availability, but we recognize that unfortunately not everyone will be able to attend. That said, the value of SI sessions is designed to be in the interaction with your peers and the active participation in the process. Plus, we want SI to be an informal place where students can ask questions and make mistakes in a low-risk environment. That’s why we don’t record sessions or share recordings.

You are encouraged to reach out to classmates who went to SI to discuss what we covered during the session. You also have access to the SI Box folder too, so feel free to interact with those materials. Look to see if Study Partners supports this class and you can make an appointment with a tutor at a time that works for you.

What is active learning?

Active learning requires participation from the learner. Active learning engages participants in listening, speaking, and doing, in order to build knowledge and increase the capacity to learn. This is why SI Leaders are facilitators, not teachers. SI Leaders encourage participants to think, work, and talk through content in order to make meaning of difficult content. During an SI session, students should be working through the most difficult material from the course – the concepts that benefit from the presence and perspective of others.

How do I become an SI leader?

The SI Leader position is a wonderful opportunity for undergraduate students to develop knowledge and skills while serving others. If you have a 3.0 GPA and are interested in helping your peers, come by the office in Haley 2234 or submit a completed application at anytime.

To learn more about becoming an SI Leader, go to the join the team page.

How are SI Leaders prepared for and supported in the job?

Participating in pre-semester training is a requirement for employment with Academic Support. Training and orientation dates are published ahead of time and attendance is mandatory.

SI Leaders engage in at least 10 hours of formal training each semester. Training begins prior to the start of the semester, and continues throughout. Training for SI Leaders includes but is not limited to: cultural competency, foundational understandings of the SI model, theories of learning, facilitation skills, and referral skills. SI Leaders learn to create plans and collaborate with others to help. They develop knowledge and skills for cultivating welcoming environments where all students can focus and make progress towards their academic goals.

The support network as an SI Leader includes access to resources that aid in planning and facilitation, as well as SI Peer Mentors, Undergraduate Supervisors, and a cadre of colleagues eager to reflect, give feedback, or share ideas and plans. SI Leaders are observed and receive formal feedback for demonstrating growth and development.

All Academic Support employees are encouraged in their goals for career competency.

Are SI Leaders paid?

The pay rate for SI Leaders is $13 an hour for 9 hours a week. This includes attending class, planning for sessions, and facilitating sessions. For more information about how to become a SI Leader, please go to the Join the Academic Support team page.

What are some resources for additional help?

The Auburn University Office of Academic Support provides additional resources for students who want to improve their academic performance. Study Partners offers free tutoring for a variety of courses, and Academic Coaching  assists students with foundational study skills.

Some departments on campus also offer tutoring for their subjects. The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering offers tutoring for some of its courses, and the College of Sciences and Mathematics has a drop-in center that offers free tutoring in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics.

Additionally, for written projects, the Miller Writing Center provides free consultations for all types of writing.

I’m a faculty member – can I request SI support for my class?

SI targets courses, not students. If you are interested in SI support for your class, the first consideration will be the DFW rate for the course. SI targets courses with high rates of students who earn Ds, Fs, or that withdraw. To qualify for SI at Auburn, an analysis of DFW rates as well as student attempts, and predictive relationships will be considered. There will also be a comparison to our office mission and goals. If you think your class may qualify and want to pursue consideration, please email Dr. Ashley Carr, Assistant Director for Course Support, at acc0126@auburn.edu.

I’m a faculty member working with an SI Leader – what should I do?

We are so grateful for faculty partnerships, and one of the ‘perks’ of being an SI Leader is the opportunity to develop a working relationship with faculty.

Check this Faculty Guide for details about what to expect as an instructor in a class with SI support.