Carnegie Mellon University
Student Academic Success Center  ›  Work With Us  ›  Become an SI Leader

Become an SI Leader

Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leaders are students who facilitate weekly group study sessions in courses that they have successfully completed. SI Leaders utilize collaborative learning techniques to ensure peer-to-peer interaction in small groups. SI Leaders are expected to attend lectures for the course they support and to meet regularly with the professor to clarify course content and material. They plan and implement weekly sessions, that guide students through difficult course concepts, while sharing also strategies they used to be successful in the course. SI Leaders typically work 10-15 hours per week.

What does an SI Leader do?

  • Attends lectures, takes notes, and reads course material
  • Conducts 1-2 SI sessions per week
  • Facilitates interactive learning activities that integrate study strategies with course content
  • Prepares handouts with questions/problems to be covered during the SI session
  • Conducts exam review sessions
  • Attends all scheduled meetings with supervisor and faculty
  • Models outstanding student behavior and successful academic practices
  • Works 10 to 15 hours per week

The benefits of being an SI Leader

  • Develope leadership and interpersonal communication skills
  • Reinforce and build upon your own knowledge of course content
  • Develope career competencies that prepare you for successful transition into your future workplace
  • Gain satisfaction from helping other students to succeed academically
  • Schedule your work around your classes
  • Earn money to work on-campus

Qualifications

  • Enrolled undergraduate student at CMU
  • Minimum QPA of 3.0
  • Received an B or better in the course(s) you intend to support
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Good organizational and time management skills
  • A commitment to helping other students learn
  • Satisfactory completion of training program

Application Process

All applicants will need to submit an application, including an unofficial academic record

Successful applicants will
  • be contacted to schedule an interview
  • commit to attend required trainings
  • become paid peer learning support staff in the Fall after successfully completing the required trainings