Oct. 31, 2006 issue
I came to Eastern 10 years ago for an administrative position in athletics.
I enjoyed working with the student-athletes. Sports can be a full-time
commitment; I admire the way these students juggle practice and schoolwork.
When my job was eliminated in 2004, I was moved to Holman Learning Center.
There, I assumed the role of Supplemental Instruction Coordinator. It's
a rewarding job, and I'm pleased to be here.
Supplemental Instruction (SI) provides extra assistance for students
who are struggling in General Education and gateway classes. The program
was developed at the University of Missouri/Kansas City and has been implemented
at Eastern since 1999. Students who are SI Leaders attend the classes
and conduct weekly study sessions for their peers. I train SI Leaders,
and work on the organization and continued development of the program.
I work with many levels of students: SI Leaders, team leaders, student
assistants and graduate assistants. I like the responsibility of serving
as a mentor and teacher for these students. It's exciting to see them
grow and develop their leadership skills.
The staff and faculty at EMU are great to work with. At Holman Learning
Center, we all work as a team, providing support for our
fellow co-workers. The energy of the faculty is amazing;
they're so dedicated to helping students. It's great being able to involve
them with the program.
Supplemental Instruction is beneficial for everyone involved. We've found
that students who regularly attend SI sessions consistently have better
grades. The students who work as SI Leaders have the opportunity to develop
a relationship with the professor and gain experience helping students.
Many SI Leaders are education majors, so they will be able to use the
skills they've learned here later on in their careers.
One thing that I love about being at EMU is the community. There are
so many things to do around here. As a small school with a diverse population,
Eastern has given me many opportunities to get involved. People here seem
very willing to contribute their time and expertise.
It's exciting to see the support for SI. We're always looking to recruit
new classes and faculty to the program. Faculty are encouraged
to recommend students they think would be good SI Leaders. We hope to
see the success of SI continue as it assists students and faculty at EMU.
