Developed first at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, SI targets courses that are traditionally difficult for students to pass, and have high rates of Ds, Fs and withdrawals. SI is proactive rather than reactive.
SI begins the first week of class before students encounter academic problems.
SI leaders, rather than acting as lecturers or teachers, facilitate and encourage the group to process material. SI leaders are key people. They are presented as model students of the subject - they attend classes, take notes, read assigned material and meet with the students three or more times a week to discuss material and answer questions regarding the material and key concepts. All SI leaders have an associate's degree or equivalent in the areas to which they are assigned. Most are recent Florissant Valley graduates and many are pursuing bachelor's degrees at neighboring institutions.