Supplemental Instruction Leader
Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic support program for challenging courses. SI leaders are students who attend classes, model effective academic skills and lead group study sessions for their classmates. SI leaders are paid for helping fellow students while strengthening their own academic skills. It might be a good fit for you if you're comfortable working in groups and enjoy explaining material in a fun, innovative way.
We accept applications on an ongoing basis. Each semester, we have openings in math, chemistry and some additional courses. We encourage you to submit your application now for future openings. We strive to have all SI leaders in place before a semester begins.
If you have any questions, please contact us at niusi@niu.edu.
SI Leader Training
All SI training meetings have moved online. All mandatory training sessions will take place on Teams for fall 2022. Remote SI training merge/transition:
- FERPA
- Title IX
- International SI Model (six to eight hours, independent)
- NIU SI (six to eight hours, interactive)
- Ongoing training throughout each semester (e.g. relationship-building)
During our SI training sessions, we model the UMKC SI Model with our fun and interactive components. Our training sessions are scheduled weekly or bi-weekly and cover a variety of topics. Attendance at mandatory training meetings provides resources for SI leaders and helps them create the best SI sessions for their students. All training sessions are developed to mirror the SI model.
Undergraduate Writing Coach
A University Writing Center (UWC) undergraduate peer or extra-help writing coach will perform the following duties:
- Work as a writing coach
- Complete outreach presentations that promote the UWC and its services
- Create handouts for client and coach use on topics such as documentation, writing in the disciplines, resumes and cover letters, and personal statements
- Contribute to the production of UWC assessment and/or promotional documents
- Participate in the hiring of new staff
- Attend mandatory training (during the first semester and beyond as necessary)
- Attend staff meetings
Qualifications
An undergraduate peer coach must be at least a second-year, full-time student in an NIU program who has successfully completed or met NIU's first-year composition requirements.
Undergraduate peer writing coaches must be willing to work a consistent schedule for at least 10 hours per week each semester. They select their own schedules within UWC hours of operation.
Application Process
The University Writing Center (UWC) hiring process consists of the following:
- Application (PDF)
- College-level academic writing sample with sources (minimum 500 words)
- Explanation (approximately 150 words) of why you chose the sample as your writing submission, including the following information:
- What class/course what the assignment written for?
- What do you like about the submission?
- What would you change if you revised it?
- Explanation (no more than 150 words) of why you would like to be a UWC coach
- Résumé
- Two-minute video of you presenting your tutoring philosophy
- Interview (if selected)
Submit all documents to hasc@niu.edu.
Graduate Assistant Coach
A University Writing Center (UWC) graduate assistant will perform the following duties:
- Work as a writing coach
- Complete outreach presentations that promote the writing center and its services
- Create handouts for client and coach use on topics such as documentation, writing in the disciplines, resumes and cover letters, and personal statements
- Contribute to the production of UWC assessment and/or promotional documents
- Oversee the evening operation of the UWC facility one night per week (required for UWC hires only; optional for graduate assistants from other departments)
- Participate in the hiring of new staff
- Attend mandatory training (during the first semester)
- Attend staff meetings
Continuing graduate assistants will perform the following additional duties:
- Develop and give focused presentations to classes and groups in the NIU community
- Participate in UWC mentoring by working with new consultants (after the first semester)
- Co-create training materials and help facilitate staff training
- Oversee staff meetings in absence of UWC director
Qualifications
Graduate assistants must be enrolled full time in an NIU graduate program or have an approved underload status. They must be willing to work a consistent schedule for 10 or 20 hours per week, depending on their appointment, during each semester. Graduate assistants select their own schedules within UWC hours of operation.
Application Process
The application process consists of multiple parts:
- Application for Graduate Assistantship and Federal Selective-Service Registration Compliance form (PDF)
- Academic writing sample (minimum 1,500 words)
- Sample must be a clean copy of a paper submitted for a course
- Sample must include documentation (style does not matter as long as it is right and consistent)
- No group papers will be considered
- Explanation of why you selected this writing sample, what you like about it and how you would revise it if given the opportunity.
- Explanation (250 words) of why you would like to be a graduate assistant writing coach. Consider the following points: How does being a writing coach complement your educational and/or professional goals? What will be your greatest challenge in this job?
- Résumé
- Two-minute video of you presenting your tutoring philosophy
- Interview with UWC representatives, if invited
Email all documents to hasc@niu.edu with the subject line: UWC GA application. No incomplete applications will be considered.