CAS Showcases Fall 2020 Academic Support Achievements
November 2020
BATON ROUGE – LSU’s Center for Academic Success (CAS), a two-time nationally certified Learning Center of Excellence, continues to lead the way during a time of unprecedented uncertainty. The CAS Academic Support Unit, in particular, has made exciting changes to better serve students.
The CAS Academic Support Unit innovated new and improved ways to support students in their transition to remote learning via the CAS Online website. Both Supplemental Instruction and tutoring moved to online formats delivered via Zoom. Through CAS Online, students have the option to meet with Supplemental Instruction leaders and tutors remotely. Study Group sessions continue to take place in-person, using safety protocols, this semester at the Shell Tutorial Center. Students can sign up for the Academic Support services by visiting the CAS website at lsu.edu/cas.
These innovations were highlighted in July when Academic Support Associate Director Matt Mattox was invited to host a national webinar sponsored by the National Collegiate Learning Center Association (NCLCA). The webinar showcased CAS’s success in converting the Supplemental Instruction program from in-person to online. As a thought leader in the learning center community, Mattox’s contributions generated new knowledge and practices for Supplemental Instruction and Academic Support programs around the country.
The CAS SI and tutoring programs are nationally certified and are recognized for their contributions to advance student learning and leadership in the field. SI sessions, where students interact with their peers on course concepts, has a dramatic impact on student learning and performance. Students who attend five or more SI sessions, on average earn a 0.53 course grade higher, and students participating in SI and tutoring overwhelmingly report an increase in course understanding.
CAS also provides leadership experiences for some of LSU’s best and brightest students as SI Leaders and tutors. CAS SI leader Kristian Plunkett from New Orleans, Louisiana, was selected from an international pool of SI Leaders to receive the Outstanding SI Mentor Award by The International Center for Supplemental Instruction. This award recognizes “mentors whose efforts uplift and advance their SI programs.” The CAS, along with its dedicated peer leaders, provides services that make a difference.
Additionally, Shell Oil sponsored exciting renovations to the Shell Tutorial Center which were completed at the beginning of the fall semester. CAS and Shell cobranded the renovations and installed colored paneling and larger signage, energizing the space to make it more inviting and easily identifiable for students entering the LSU Library. Shell has been a generous donor supporting CAS programs since June 2012.
Media Contact: Amanda Rabalais
Center for Academic Success
225-578-1968
araba17@lsu.edu