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Supplemental Instruction

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic support program that targets historically difficult courses (those with a high percentage of Ds, Fs and Ws). SI offers free regularly scheduled out-of-class review sessions to all students enrolled in the course. SI improves student performance by teaching students how to integrate course content with reasoning and study skills. Sessions are facilitated by students who have successfully completed the course in the past. They feature collaborative learning techniques and provide students with a model of appropriate learning strategies for the course.

Program Information

In courses where SI is offered, supplemental instruction leaders will lead your class through a review session of that week's material. Supplemental instruction sessions are not a substitute for class lectures and will not introduce any new material, and are not large question-and-answer sessions. Major components of SI sessions include the following:

  • Collaborative learning techniques.
  • A model of appropriate thinking, note taking and test preparation.
  • Focus on what to learn and how to learn it.

SI sessions are held two or three times each week. SI Leaders document attendance information at each session in order to evaluate the program at the end of the semester. Professors are not provided the specific names of students attending the sessions.

Benefits of supplemental instruction include:

  • Nationally, it has been shown that average grades of students who attend SI are higher than grades of those who do not.
  • A comprehensive statistical analysis of Miami's SI program found a strong correlation between students attending SI sessions and earning a grade of A or B in the course.
  • SI leads to higher re-enrollment and graduation rates.

For more information about supplemental instruction, if you would like to have SI offered in your course or have questions regarding SI, please contact us at 513-529-8741 or via email at carrk@MiamiOH.edu.

Courses for Supplemental Instruction

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is typically offered in the following courses:

  • Science Courses
    • BIO 115/116, 161, 201, 203
    • CHM 141, 142, 241, 242
    • MBI 201
    • PHY 131, 161/162, 181/182
  • Math Courses
    • MTH 125, 135, 141, 151, 231, 246, 249, 251, 252
  • Business Courses
    • ACC 221
    • ECO 201/202
    • BUS 104
    • FIN 301
    • ISA 125, 225
  • Nursing Courses
    • BIO 171/172, 325
    • CHM 131
    • NSG 261/262, 349

We are continuously evaluating the effectiveness of Supplemental Instruction, and this list may be subject to change depending on the semester.

Fall 2025 SI Courses

Science Courses

BIO 116

  • Section A (AA-AF)
    • Mondays and Thursdays: 5-6 p.m. in SHD 237
  • Section H (HA-HD)
    • Mondays: 5-6 p.m. in KRG 213
    • Thursdays: 6-7 p.m. in KRG 213
  • Sections B and D (BA-BF, DA-DE)
    • Mondays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in PSN 112
    • Thursdays: 6-7 p.m. in PSN 116
  • Sections C and E (CA-CE, EA-EE)
    • Sundays: 3-4 p.m. in HUG 158
    • Wednesdays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in SHD 052

BIO 161

  • Sections A and B (AA-AC, BA-BD)
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 5-6 p.m. in HAR 116

BIO 201

  • Sections A-D
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in CHS 0210

BIO 203 W

  • Section A
    • Mondays: 5-6 p.m. in IRV 238
    • Wednesdays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in IRV 238

CHM 141

  • Section A 
    • Mondays: 8-9 a.m. in CHS 0202
    • Wednesdays: 7-8 p.m. in CHS 0202
  • Section B
    • Mondays: 6-7 p.m. in CHS 0206
    • Wednesdays: 5-6 p.m. in CHS 0206
  • Section C
    • Mondays and Wednesdays: 6:30-7:30 p.m. in HAR 313
  • Section D
    • Mondays and Wednesdays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in PHL 116
  • Section H (Honors)
    • Mondays and Wednesdays: 6:30-7:30 p.m. in KRG 221

CHM 142 

  • Section A
    • Mondays and Wednesdays: 6:30-7:30 p.m. in LAWS 301

CHM 241

  • Section A 
    • Tuesdays: 4:30-5:30 p.m. in HUG 100
    • Thursdays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in HUG 161
    • Sundays: 1-2 p.m. or 1-3 p.m. in BEN 102
  • Section B
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 6:30-7:30 p.m. in HUG 161
    • Sundays: 3-4 p.m. or 3-5 p.m. in HUG 141

MBI 201

  • Sections A-E
    • Mondays: 5-6 p.m. in IRV 224
    • Thursdays: 6:30-7:30 p.m. in IRV 224

PHY 131

  • Section A
    • Mondays: 6-7 p.m. in SHC 310
    • Wednesdays: 5-6 p.m. in SHC 310

PHY 161

  • Sections A, B, C, D (All Sections)
    • Thursdays: 6-7 p.m. KRG 311
    • Sundays: 3-4 p.m. KRG 311

PHY 181

  • Sections A, B, C (All Sections)
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 6-7 p.m. in KRG 327
    • Sundays: 1-2 p.m. KRG 327

PHY 182

  • Sections A, B (All Sections)
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 6:30-7:30 p.m. in KRG 221

Math Courses

MTH 125

  • Section B
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in UPH 127

MTH 135

  • Sections A, B
    • Mondays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in BEN 204
    • Wednesdays: 6:30-7:30 p.m. in BEN 204

MTH 141

  • Sections C, D 
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 7:30-8:30 p.m. in FSB 0028
  • Sections A, B
    • Mondays and Thursdays: 6-7 p.m. in BEN 100

MTH 151

  • Section A
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 4-5 p.m. in MCG 416
  • Section H
    • Tuesdays: 5-6 p.m. in UPH 131
    • Thursdays: 4:30-5:30 p.m. in UPH 131
  • Sections C, J 
    • Tuesdays: 5-6 p.m. in BEN 207
    • Thursdays: 6-7 p.m. in BEN 204
  • Section I
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in IRV 046
  • Sections E, G
    • Mondays and Wednesdays: 4:30-5:30 p.m. in HRN 002
  • Section D
    • Tuesdays: 7:30-8:30 p.m. in CHS 1219
    • Wednesdays: 4:30-5:30 p.m. in CHS 1219
  • Section F
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in HRN 313

MTH 231

  • Sections A, B
    • Mondays and Wednesdays: 4:30-5:30 p.m. in IRV 26

MTH 246

  • Sections B, D
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 4:30-5:30 p.m. in GAR 153

MTH 249

  • Sections A, B
    • Mondays and Thursdays: 5-6 p.m. in BEN 207

MTH 251

  • Sections B, C 
    • Mondays and Thursdays: 5-6 p.m. in KRG 224
  • Section A
    • Mondays and Thursdays: 6-7 p.m. in KRG 227

MTH 252

  • Section C
    • Mondays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in HUG 006
    • Fridays: 3:30-4:30 p.m. in HUG 006

Business Courses

ACC 221

  • All Sections
    • Mondays: 6-7 p.m. in DSB 302
    • Tuesdays: 6-7 p.m. in HUG 141
    • Wednesdays: 6-7 p.m. in LWS 303; 7-8 p.m. in FSB 0039
    • Thursdays: 6-7 p.m. in HUG 141
    • Sundays: 3-4 p.m. in FSB 0005

BUS 104

  • All Sections
    • Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 6-7 p.m. in UPH 361

ECO 201

  • Sections F, G, H
    • Tuesdays: 7-8 p.m. in MCG 222
    • Thursdays: 6-7 p.m. in MCG 222
  • Sections A, B, C
    • Mondays: 5-6 p.m. in IRV 142
    • Thursdays: 6-7 p.m. in IRV 142
  • Sections D, E
    • Time and Location is TBD
  • Honors Sections A, B
    • Wednesdays: 6-7 p.m. in IRV 118

ECO 202

  • Sections D, E, F, N 
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 6-7 p.m. in FSB 0014
  • Sections A, B, C
    • Mondays and Wednesdays: 6-7 p.m. in FSB 0028

FIN 301

  • All Sections
    • Time and Location is TBD

ISA 125

  • Sections I, G, H
    • Mondays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in UPH 163
    • Thursdays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in EGB 165
  • Sections A, B, C, D
    • Wednesdays: 6-7:30 p.m. in HUG 161

ISA 225

  • Sections A, F, G, H and B, C, D, E 
    • Mondays and Wednesdays: 7-8 p.m. in LWS 301
  • Section P
    • Mondays and Wednesdays: 7-8 p.m. in LWS 301
  • Sections I, J, K, Q
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 6:15-7:15 p.m. in DSB 166 and 168

Nursing Courses

BIO 171

  • Sections A-G
    • Mondays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in PSN 128
    • Wednesdays: 6:30-7:30 p.m. in PSN 128

BIO 325

  • Section A
    • Mondays and Wednesdays: 7-8 p.m. in CHS 0201

NSG 262

  • Sections A-D
    • Mondays and Wednesdays: 5:30-6:30 p.m. in HUG 141

Information for Faculty

Faculty members and Instructors choose Supplemental Instruction (SI) because the proactive program is designed to help students refine necessary cognitive and applied study skills to earn better grades. SI targets “high attrition” courses not “high risk” students.

Faculty members and Instructors who participate in the SI program enjoy students who are better informed about classroom topics and who earn higher grades. Participating SI faculty and instructors work closely with the SI Leaders and the SI Coordinator to ensure the effectiveness of SI sessions. SI faculty and instructors meet regularly with the SI Leaders to review course content and develop session strategies.

Faculty members can expect support from the SI Coordinator in the Rinella Learning Center office.

If you would like to have SI offered in your course or have questions regarding SI, please contact Kevin Carr at 513-529-8741 or carrk@MiamiOH.edu. 

The SI Coordinator will administer the following tasks:

  • Interview and hire SI leader candidates based on the recommendation and approval from faculty.
  • Reserve classrooms for SI sessions and exam review sessions.
  • Monitor SI sessions and supervise SI Leaders
  • Compile statistical data and produce SI Summary Reports at the end of the semester
  • Administer overall evaluation of SI through SI Evaluation, SI Faculty Evaluation and SI Leader Self-Evaluation.
  • Provide feedback through end-of-the-semester reports to faculty and SI leaders about the effectiveness of the program.
  • Serve as a liaison between faculty and SI leaders.
  • Communicate with SI leaders periodically through email announcements.

SI Faculty will be expected to:

  • Occasionally, provide time at the beginning of class for the SI leader to give announcements about the SI program and SI sessions
  • Help coach SI leaders in the course content that is most critical for students to understand.
  • Communicate weekly with SI leaders to help guide the structure of the SI sessions.
  • Promote the SI program by encouraging students to attend SI sessions.
  • List SI leader's name and email on course website, course CANVAS page, and/or course syllabus.
  • Pass along any materials to SI leaders that would aid him/her in conducting his/her individual review sessions when possible.
  • If requested, provide a list of students' grades to Kevin Carr, Coordinator of the Supplemental Instruction program, in order to review basic SI versus non-SI performance statistics.
  • Complete the SI Faculty Evaluation at the end of each term.
  • Allow SI leaders to administer the SI Student Evaluation at the end of the semester.

Identification of potential SI Leaders:

Faculty and instructors are an important component for the identification, selection, and hiring process of new SI leaders every semester. Courses have the greatest chance of offering SI support when a student is identified as a potential candidate in the preceding semester. Faculty recommendations are our most important and valuable source of applicants and we prefer candidates who are recommended by faculty.

If faculty/instructor requests a SI leader for the course and a potential candidate has not been identified, the SI Coordinator will select prospective candidates from the course roster from the most recent course taught by the faculty/instructor.

The potential SI leaders should meet the following requirements:

  • SI leaders must have a minimum 3.0 GPA in the courses they hold SI sessions for and maintain a 2.76 cumulative GPA.
  • Interest in the following areas:
    • Helping students
    • Reviewing course information
    • Developing communication and interpersonal skills
    • Working closely with a Miami University faculty member or instructor
    • Holding a unique leadership position on campus
Contact Us

Bernard B. Rinella, Jr. Learning Center

306 Shriver Center
513-529-8741