Farewell to the 2018 - 2019 Academic Year!
Dear SI Campus Partners,
It is amazing that we're already at the end of the academic year. It seems like yesterday we were welcoming students back to campus, excited for a new school year. Now that the semester is winding down, we want to take a moment to reflect on this semester and share some exciting updates from the program.
This time of the year is always bittersweet for us, as we goodbye to SI's graduating SI Leaders and Mentors. While we will miss the amazing work the graduating students gave to the program, we are so incredibly proud of their accomplishments. It takes a lot of hard work to earn a college degree, and we're excited for what will come next for our graduates.
SI is continuing to be committed to developing and improving the program. The SI team had an opportunity to share and learn best practices for providing academic support at the 45th annual conference for the Association of College Tutoring and Learning Assistance. SI is now working towards earning Certification from The International Center for Supplemental Instruction at the University if Missouri - Kansas City.
As always, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to continue serving CSULB's students and making an impact on student success. We are looking forward to taking time this summer to reflect on our work and strategize how to build on our work next semester.
Sincerely,
The SI Team
SI Presents at 45th Annual ACTLA Conference
The SI Team presented at the 45th Annual Conference of the Association of Colleges for Tutoring and Learning Assistance (ACTLA) in Las Vegas, NV from on Thursday, April 25. The Association of Colleges for Tutoring and Learning Assistance (ACTLA) is a national organization dedicated to the improvement of diverse college and university tutoring and learning assistance services. The theme of the conference was “What happens in the Learning Center, Leaves the Learning Center,” which recognizes the wide impact learning assistance programs have on students’ development into independent, lifelong learners.
Lyndsay, Timurhan, and Lori Joy represented CSU Long Beach proudly and gave a workshop titled "Surfing through BeachBoard: Digitalizing SI Program Coordination with a Learning Management System." The SI Coordinators gave a live demonstration on how SI utilizes BeachBoard to coordinate the SI program, track SI Leaders’ paperwork, provide feedback on employee performance, and centralize vital resources for the SI Leaders. The presentation was well-received and sparked lively dialogues regarding implementing various technologies into coordinating academic support programs in higher education.
Next year’s ACTLA conference will be held in Berkeley, CA from April 23 – April 25, 2020. The SI staff is looking forward to participating and representing the Beach!
SI Coordinator Appointed to ACTLA's Advisory Board
Timurhan was just appointed to be a part of ACTLA’s Advisory Board as the organization’s Professional Development Coordinator! ACTLA's mission is to promote the education and development of the professionalism of its members, and commitment to the success of all students are at the heart of the association.
As the Professional Development Coordinator, Timurhan will promote, and provide professional development activities sponsored by ACTLA and other organizations associated with learning assistance. He will also be collaborating with other ACTLA board members to provide professional development materials on ACTLA's website and continue fostering a community of practice among Learning Assistance professionals across the country. This position also serves on the Planning Committee for the annual conference.
For more information about ACTLA, please visit their website.
SI Leader Spotlights for 2018-2019
Daniela is graduating with a Masters in Psychology: Psychological Research. She will be starting a doctorate program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore in Fall 2020! Daniela also won the 2019 Western Psychological Foundation Student Scholarship and the 2019 Psi Chi WPA Research Award at the WPA Conference in Pasadena in April 2019!
Joseph selected among 10 other students from the US to spend the week of 2/25 - 3/1 to go the Misaki Marine Biological Station (a University of Tokyo satellite campus) in Miura, Kanagawa, Japan to participate in a 1-week research practice course looking at the fertilization, development, and regeneration of marine organisms. Joe collaborated with 3 other students from Japan, the Philippines, and the US to research sperm chemotaxis and calcium oscillation at fertilization for 5 days. His team presented their findings at the end of the trip. Joe describes the trip "an experience of al lifetime and one I certainly didn't think I would have the opportunity to be a part of this semester. I'm so happy that I did!"
Yusa become extremely involved in her community. She serves as a Special Olympic coach for the City of Lakewood’s athletes with special needs. She is also a Health Scholar at St. Mary Medical Center, where she practices hands-on patient care and shadows speech therapists at work. Yusa is also the Public Relation Chair Member for CSULB’s National Student Speech and Language Hearing Association!
Antoinette currently is one of the directors of CSULB's chapter of Camp Kesem, a national organization that helps children through and beyond their parent's cancer. Camp Kesem provides events such as free summer camp, friends and family days, and ongoing support throughout the year. Antoniette networks with CSULB students, community members, and professional staff to make this work happen!
This year, Camp Kesem trying to send 25 children to camp, and need to raise $25,000 to do so! Please visit Antoniette's page to donate or learn more about her work!
The Learning Center Celebrates the End of the 2018 - 2019 Academic Year!
The Learning Center hosted its end of the year celebration on Friday, May 10. Students, faculty, staff, and administration were invited to show their appreciation for the work the center's student employees provide to the CSULB community and celebrate the center’s successes from the past academic year.
The highlight of the event was recognizing 33 student employees who have completed their undergraduate or graduate programs this academic year. Thanks to generous donations from CSULB’s Athletics department and the Alumni Association, The Learning Center was able to give a small token of appreciation to its graduating students, which included a water bottle and a t-shirt highlighting the grit it takes to complete a college degree.
Congratulations to our graduating SI Leaders!
Joseph Lopez Recognized for Outstanding Service and Dedication to SI
In May 2019, Supplemental Instruction recognized Joseph Lopez for his hard work, dedication, and passion for supporting CSULB students in Supplemental Instruction for 9 semesters! Joseph has made a positive impact on the students, staff, faculty, and administration that had the fortune to work with him. The SI Coordinators presented this award prior to Joseph's hooding ceremony.
After this year, this recognition will be titled the "Big Joe Award," highlighting the standard of excellence Joseph brought to the SI Leader role. This award will be given to SI Leaders who provide exemplary work for multiple semesters.
Please join us in recognizing Joseph's success and wishing him best of luck at Ole Miss!
SI Applying for Certification from the University of Missouri - Kansas City
After years of supporting students enrolled in historically difficult courses, the SI program is applying for certification from the International Center for Supplemental Instruction at the University of Missouri – Kansas City this summer. Currently, CSU Fullerton and Fresno State University are two other CSU campuses who have earned this distinction.
In order to be considered for certification, the SI program has to show evidence of providing a high quality services by showcasing an extensive professional development process for its SI Leaders, faculty support for the program, and data illustrating SI’s positive impact on students’ GPAs and the rates in which students earn a D, F, or W in their target course.
In addition to the prestige of accredited status, certified SI programs also receive financial and support-based incentives. Each certified program connects with a Certified Trainer through the International Center for SI, and the program receives ongoing support and development. Certified SI programs are also acknowledged on UMKC’s website and at the bi-annual International Conference on SI.
SI Develops a Social Media Presence
SI is now on social media! At the start of this semester, The Learning Center received training on how to leverage social media for direct student outreach from Juliet Hidalgo, the Senior Communications Strategist from the Office of the Provost. As a result, SI created Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts to:
- Share important news and updates regarding SI and CSULB at large
- Showcasing SI Leaders at work
- Highlighting SI alumni in new and exciting careers
- Spotlighting SI Leaders' success outside of SI
- Provide motivational messages and words of wisdom
SI social media has proven to be popular in just one semester. SI’s IG account reached 269 followers, and the program’s social media presence continues to grow! If you have social media, please don’t hesitate to follow us!