Academic Enrichment Division - Special Program @ La Roche College

Academic Labs

Trained professional and paraprofessional tutors are available several hours a week to assist students with their academic work. Students are welcome to come to any of the scheduled lab hours without any prior appointements and stay as needed. There is no charge for academic labs, come as often as you like!

Accounting Lab (Bold Hall 257B)
Monday 2-4pm; Tuesday 11-2pm; Wednesday 7-9pm; Thursday 4-6pm
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Biology Lab (Bold Hall 257A)
Monday 11-2pm; Tuesday 12:30-2pm; Thursday 2-4pm
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Chemistry Lab (Bold Hall 257A)
Monday 11-1pm; Tuesday 12:30-2pm; Wednesday 1-3pm
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Computer Lab (Bold Hall 256)
Monday 2-4pm; Tuesday 3-5pm; Wednesday 11-2pm; Thursday 3-5pm
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Math Lab (Bold Hall 257B)
Monday 11-2pm & 4-6pm; Wednesday 11-4pm & 4-6pm;
Thursday 11-2pm & 4-6pm
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Tutoring Program

One of the primary academic assistance programs at the the Academic Enrichment Division is our peer-tutoring program. The Academic Enrichment Division hires and trains student tutors in many different subject areas, and we are able to fill most requests for tutoring in a timely manner. Students interested in one-on-one academic support may request a peer tutor through the the Academic Enrichment Division (download a tutor request form through the link at the bottom of this page), and once we match the student with a tutor we will phone the student with the tutor's name and number (it's up to the student and the tutor to schedule a mutually convenient time and place to meet). There is no charge for peer tutoring, and students may request up to two hours per week of tutoring in one or two classes per semester. Peer tutoring is the Academic Enrichment Division's most popular academic assistance program. During the Spring 2005 Semester and Fall 2066 Semester, 466 students requested support and 1308 hours of tutoring were given in 81 different courses! In addition, 367 students requested support in the academic support labs and 1874 hours of tutoring were given in 23 courses!

Tutors help students develop the kinds of skills they need to succeed independently in college. Sometimes the best way tutors can do this is by helping students review challenging course material. At other times tutors may show students a new way of approaching a difficult subject or may teach them a new study strategy. From time to time, a tutor may also assist a student who encounters difficulty with homework problems, but our tutors recognize that students are responsible for completing their homework on their own.
Please note: the Academic Enrichment Division strives to provide a high-quality academic support program, so we only hire tutors who we feel will do a good job helping students master the subject matter. Because of this, and because we rely on student tutors to staff our peer tutoring program, we are not always able to fulfill every request for tutoring. We fill tutoring requests on a first-come, first-served basis, and if we're not able to fulfill your tutoring request we suggest you consider some of the other academic assistance programs at the the Academic Enrichment Division.

Would you like to request a tutor?

If yes, stop by WL 113 and pick up a form, or download a tutor request form, and submit it to:

Hamdi Bata
Tutorial and SI Coordinator
(412) 536-1119
batah1@laroche.edu

Supplemental Instruction Program

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic assistance program sponsored by the Academic Enrichment Division. SI targets traditionally difficult classes and provides regularly scheduled, out of class, peer facilitated sessions. These sessions are voluntary on the part of the student; however, SI participants earn higher course grades and will withdraw less often than non-SI participants. Students who attend SI sessions discover appropriate application of study strategies and become actively involved in the course material. SI leaders use the text, supplementary readings, handouts, and lecture notes as vehicles for learning skill instruction.

Supplemental Instruction is designed to help students actively review content of the targeted course and to help them learn new strategies for learning the material. SI does not target individual students who may be experiencing academic difficulties; rather, SI targets classes that have been shown to be difficult for large numbers of students. Research conducted on SI, here and at other colleges and universities, shows that students who participate in SI review sessions record higher final course grades and fewer withdrawals and incompletes than students who did not participate in the sessions.

There are three key components to Supplemental Instruction. First, a skilled student leader, selected by your course instructor and by the Academic Enrichment Division, sits in on your class sessions, takes lecture notes, and completes the reading assignments. Second, this SI leader participates in ongoing training sessions with the Academic Enrichment Division and with your course instructor. Third, the SI leader holds several one-hour review sessions per week. These sessions are open to all students enrolled in the SI course, and students do not need to preregister for the sessions (in other words, they're drop-in sessions). At the review sessions, the SI leader will lead students through a variety of activities designed to help students review the course material. These activities include things like small-group problem-solving, student-led question-and-answer sessions, and test reviews. Attendance is optional, and students may choose which sessions they wish to attend. There is no direct cost to you for this service.