SI-PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions)
Discover SI-PASS
SI-PASS provides regularly scheduled, peer-led study sessions for difficult courses. SI-PASS sessions focus on using effective study techniques to master difficult course content, so you learn what to learn and how to learn at the same time. SI-PASS is free and available to all students enrolled in SI-PASS supported courses. SI-PASS is only offered during the fall and spring semesters.
SI-PASS for Fall 2024 will begin on Monday, August 26 and study sessions will occur weekly through Thursday, December 5. There are no SI-PASS sessions during finals week, Thanksgiving Break or university closures. The Fall 2024 SI-PASS schedule will be available by Monday, August 19.
Frequently Asked Questions
Students who attend SI-PASS regularly:
- Earn an average of 1/2 to 1 full letter grade higher than those who do not
- Have a better understanding of course material
- Develop effective study skills that can be applied to other courses
SI-PASS Leaders are U of I students who have taken difficult courses and been successful in them. SI-PASS Leaders attend class for the course which they support and provide informal, structured study sessions focused on the most difficult concepts covered in class.
A typical SI-PASS session is an hour-long meeting in a classroom on campus and might include a review of lecture and assigned readings, group work and discussion, problem-solving and critical thinking activities or a mock exam. The SI-PASS Leader’s primary focus is to assist students in understanding the course material while helping them to develop effective study skills that are applicable to the content. The SI-PASS Leaders will never structure SI-PASS sessions as a forum to re-lecture to students who missed class.
A historically difficult course is a course with relatively high rates of students receiving a final grade of D or F or withdrawing from the course. SI-PASS supports courses with 20% or higher DFW rates, which preference given to courses with DFW rates higher than 25%. SI-PASS also considers the average enrollment and student perception of these courses when deciding which courses to support, as well as other support options on campus.
SI-PASS Schedule
Instructor
Mary Oswald
Leader
Kristin Z.
Session Time
Monday 4:30-5:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 050
Tuesday 5:30-6:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 050
Thursday 6:30-7:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 050
Instructor
Mary Oswald
Leader
Miles B.
Session Time
Monday 3:30-4:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 148
Tuesday 5:30-6:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 148
Thursday 4:30-5:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 148
Instructor
Candi Heimgartner
Leader
Sierra K. (lecture)
Session Time
Monday 4:30-5:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 122
Tuesday 4:30-5:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 122
Thursday 5:30-6:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 122
Leader
Sicily C. (lab)
Session Time
Monday 5:30-6:20 p.m. Pacific time, in Anatomy Lab
Monday 6:30-7:20 p.m. Pacific time, in Anatomy Lab
Instructor
Jeffrey Cross
Leader
Teg B.
Session Time
Tuesday 5:30-6:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 147
Wednesday 4:30-5:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 147
Thursday 4:30-5:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 147
Instructor
Michael Wilder
Leader
Daniel F.
Session Time
Monday 5:30-6:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 022
Wednesday 5:30-6:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 022
Thursday 6:30-7:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 022
Instructor
John Pawlina
Leader
Emma M.
Session Time
Monday 4:30-5:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 022
Wednesday 3:30-4:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 022
Instructor
John Pawlina
Leader
Shruti D.
Session Time
Monday 5:30-6:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 147
Thursday 3:30-4:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 147
Instructor
Tim Boester
Leader
Avneet V.
Session Time
Tuesday 3:30-4:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 148
Tuesday 4:30-5:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 148
Instructor
John Pawlina
Leader
TDB
Session Time
TBD
Instructor
Annelise Nielsen
Leader
TBD
Session Time
TBD
Instructor
Suzanne Cazeau
Leader
Jacob K.
Session Time
Wednesday 5:30-6:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 051
Thursday 4:30-5:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 051
Instructor
Annelise Nielsen
Leader
TBD
Session Time
TBD
Instructor
Annelise Nielsen
Leader
Shruti D.
Session Time
Monday 5:30-6:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 147
Thursday 3:30-4:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 147
Instructor
Suzanne Cazeau
Leader
Mason H.
Session Time
Wednesdays 4:30-5:20 p.m. TLC 022
Thursdays 5:30-6:20 p.m. TLC 022
Instructor
Lyudmyla Barannyk
Leader
Jakob P.
Session Time
Tuesday 4:30-5:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 023
Wednesday 5:30-6:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 023
Thursday 3:30-4:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 023
Instructor
Manuel Welhan
Leader
Justin V. W.
Session Time
Monday 4:30-5:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 147
Tuesday 3:30-4:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 147
Tuesday 4:30-5:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 147
Instructor
Deborah Thorne
Leader
Meghan M.
Session Time
Tuesday 5:30-6:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 141
Tuesday 3:30-4:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 141
Thursday 4:30-5:20 p.m. Pacific time, in TLC 141