Supplemental Instruction

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is supported by the Academic Success Center, The Association of Former Students, and selected colleges or academic departments in which it is offered. 

SI is a peer-led, academic assistance program that can significantly improve performance for students who attend regularly. Students who attend 10 or more sessions throughout the semester have statistically been shown to earn half to a full letter grade higher than those students who do not attend.If your class has SI, on the first day of class your SI Leader will announce when sessions will take place. You may also search for a list of classes supported by SI and the session schedules. 

The SI program at Texas A&M University started in 1992. The Texas A&M University SI program was named as the SI program of the year in 2004. We host the bi-annual regional conference on Supplemental Instruction. Some of our SI Leader training materials have been adopted by the International Center for Supplemental Instruction. The SI program has received its accreditation by International Center for Supplemental Instruction at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2019. 

What SI is . . .

SI sessions are offered outside of class three times a week for one hour each, on a regular schedule. Attendance is voluntary.
SI sessions are facilitated by SI leaders (undergraduate students who have previously taken and been successful in the course). If you attend SI, you'll experience active and collaborative learning methods that will help you achieve course learning objectives. SI Leaders show you not only what to learn but how to learn it. SI Leaders emphasize core competencies that can be used beyond the scope of a particular course, including the ability to:

1. identify main ideas
2. think critically about course content
3. use appropriate study strategies, in line with what we know about the science of learning
4. create a 5-day study plan to prepare for exams
5. set SMART goals for academic success
6. manage time efficiently

What SI is not . . . 

SI is not intended as a last-minute study strategy, or as a substitute for attending class or week-in-review sessions, but as a semester-long supplement to regularly scheduled class activities.