International Center for Supplemental Instruction at the University of Missouri-Kansas City

Created at UMKC in 1973, Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a non-remedial academic support program that targets high-risk courses rather than high-risk students. SI targets historically difficult courses by teaching students how to integrate course content with reasoning and study skills to increase their performance. The International Center for Supplemental Instruction® (ICSI) was established in 2003 at UMKC and has continued its national and international leadership around SI principles, program design, and model dissemination, including the implementation of SI Program Accreditation in 2016. SI is an active approach to learning that supports students toward academic success by integrating “what to learn” with “how to learn.” SI consists of regularly scheduled, voluntary sessions outside of class, which are facilitated by trained peer leaders who utilize collaborative activities to ensure peer-to-peer interaction in small groups. Our Purpose 1. To increase retention within targeted historically difficult courses 2. To improve student grades in targeted historically difficult courses 3. To increase the graduation rates of students SI is a free service offered to all students in a targeted course. All students are encouraged to attend SI sessions, as it is a voluntary program. Students with varying levels of academic preparedness and diverse backgrounds participate.