University of New Mexico student Julio Romero recently received an international award for his efforts as a Supplemental Instruction (SI) leader at the Center for Academic Program Support (CAPS). The Award for Outstanding Supplemental Instruction leader is given annually to at least one student out of hundreds of nominees from supplemental instruction programs around the world who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the success of her/his program.
Photo: Julio Romero
Romero will accept the award at the 5th Annual International Conference on Supplemental Instruction in Orlando, Fla. in May. The conference is sponsored by the International Center for Supplemental Instruction at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
"I am humbled to have received this award and thankful to be working with a supportive and enthusiastic CAPS staff, UNM Chemistry department, and students," said Romero.
A senior majoring in history, Romero has been employed with CAPS for three semesters where he has worked both as a tutor and supplemental instruction leader. Supplemental instruction is a program that provides additional support for students in key courses. In a series of weekly workshops led by SI leaders such as Romero, students review notes, discuss readings, develop organizational tools and prepare for exams. The goal of the program is for students to learn how to integrate course content with reasoning and study skills.
Supplemental instruction is currently offered for courses in a variety of UNM departments including anthropology, biology, chemistry, math, physics, economics, sociology and English. Romero serves as an SI leader for chemistry and is working with Professor Lorraine Deck.
"The goal of SI is two-fold," said Romero. "First, to encourage and guide students into grappling concepts found in challenging courses, and second, to allow SI leaders, like myself, to develop a rapport with the professor and students of the course that propounds an increased enthusiasm for deeper study of advanced problems found within the field."
The award reflects the growth, as well as the increasing recognition, of the SI program at UNM in recent years. Beginning in fall of 2000 with service for two courses, the program now employs 25 leaders providing supplemental instruction for 23 courses in 76 sessions weekly. Initiators of the UNM SI program plan to continue the trend, increasing the amount of courses, and, ultimately, students the program reaches.
Supplemental instruction is offered through CAPS, a center dedicated to providing academic support for UNM students. Many UNM students are familiar with CAPS through their tutoring services. The supplemental instruction program is also funded through the Title V program, a federally-funded program designed to advance retention and graduation rates at Hispanic-serving institutions.
More information about the SI program can be found at the CAPS Web site at http://caps.unm.edu or by phone at 277-7205. CAPS is located on the third floor of Zimmerman Library.
Story by Daniel Sanford.