The Community Involvement Center, in collaboration with the Supplemental Instruction Program at WSU, provides supplemental instructors for community-based learning faculty.
Program Objectives
- To deepen the learning experience of students in CBL courses;
- To encourage faculty to utilize the pedagogy despite their heavy teaching load; and
- To assess the impact of CBL supplemental instructors on student learning and attitudes about civic engagement.
Faculty Benefits
It may seem overwhelming to build and maintain partnerships with community organizations while simultaneously teaching course curriculum and making connections between classroom material and students’ service projects. In these situations, a CBL Supplemental Instructor (CBL SI) can help. CBL SIs are students (normally an upper level student that has taken the course before) who assist the person teaching the CBL course.
Instruction
Supplemental instruction provided by the CBL SIs differs from that usually provided by the Supplemental Instruction program (SI). It is specific to the CBL experience.
Supplemental instruction may include but is not limited to:
- Reflection sessions with students (in class and out of class);
- Project planning and facilitation with students and community partners; and
- Assistance with CBL assignments.
Training, Support, And Mentoring
Both the CIC and the Supplemental Instruction office are responsible for training and supporting the CBL SIs in their work and monitoring the student and faculty participants throughout the project. Students serving as CBL SIs receive regular training on practices to prepare them for their roles. However, it is also necessary for the CBL faculty to mentor the CBL SI in the specific course. The student chosen by the course teacher, having already completed the course, will be acquainted with the course material and expectations.
Compensation
The student has two options for compensation:
- For credit: Faculty/staff work with their individual departments to determine the number of college credits given to students who are CBL SIs.
- For pay: An hourly wage is negotiated with the CIC. This option has limited slots available and is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.