Contributed by Steven Girardot and Eric Moschella

Georgia Tech's Office of Success Programs’ Peer-Led Undergraduate Study (PLUS) program recevied two awards for excellence in academic support at the International Conference on Supplemental Instruction held June 2-4 in New Orleans Louisiana. PLUS, coordinated by Eric Moschella, Assistant Director of Success Programs at Georgia Tech, is based on the Supplemental Instruction (SI) model of academic support and utilizes peer-assisted study sessions. Dr. Joyce Weinsheimer, Associate Director of Tech’s Center for the Enhancement of Learning (CETL), was selected as the winner of the 2010 Outstanding SI Support by a Campus Administrator award, and Sam Coogan, a graduating senior in Electrical and Computer Engineering, received the 2010 Outstanding SI student leader award. 

Weinsheimer’s award recognizes the special supporting role she and CETL play in the success of the PLUS program at Georgia Tech.  PLUS began in the Fall of 2009 in select Biology and Calculus classes. The program has grown, logging over 4600 student contact hours among 2100 undergraduates in the 2009-2010 academic year. Weinsheimer's support of collaborative learning and innovative teaching practices played a large role in getting the program piloted and generating faculty interest in PLUS.

Coogan was nominated by students who attended his PLUS sessions and the faculty who taught the Calculus course he supported. Sam was one of only two students internationally to receive the honor. Exceptional facilitation skills, thorough understanding of the course material, and his creative study sessions are a few of the reasons he received the award. More than 500 student visited to his Calculus PLUS sessions in  the Spring 2010 semester.  He is also credited with being the first to pilot "Calculus Jeopardy" in his sessions.

In addition to PLUS, the Office of Success programs oversees FASET Orientation, New Student Convocation, GT1000 Freshman Seminar, Sophomore Programs, 1-to-1 Tutoring, and a variety of transition and academic support programs.  The office strives to support the orientation, transition, and academic success of Georgia Tech undergraduates throught their various offerings. For more information, visit www.successprograms.gatech.edu.