FAQ:   What is Structured Learning Assistance?  Structured Learning Assistance, also known as SLA, is an academic support system to assist all Ferris students.  The program features weekly study and practice workshops where students master course content to develop and apply specific learning strategies for the course.

FAQ:   Is SLA a remedial program?  SLA targets high-risk for failure courses, not students.  The service is available for all Ferris students who chose to sign up for an SLA course.  Once a student signs up for an SLA course, the student is required to attend only when their grade in that class falls below a 2.0 ( C ) average (or requirement set by the professor).  Many students who are doing okay in the class still attend the SLA workshops because it is an opportunity to improve their grade in the course.

FAQ:   Who can be a facilitator?    Individuals must have completed two years of college or have completed a 2-year Associate Degree, or have comparable work-related experience in subject area (teaching, training or tutoring experience).  Potential facilitator candidates must possess excellent public speaking and communication skills and display good time management and organizational skills.

FAQ:   Does a facilitator receive any type of training?  New facilitators attend a 12 to 24 hour intensive training program. The training sessions include SLA history and approach, SLA policies and procedures, facilitation skills, skills integration, administrative details, conducting workshops, conflict resolution and more.  Once hired, facilitators receive in-service training and refresher training as needed.

FAQ:   What does a facilitator do?  Facilitators attend the course lectures with the students and work in collaboration with the professor.  The facilitator conducts workshops, develops workshop materials, clarifies lecture points for the students, and assists them in understanding the expectations of the professor, and plan workshop activities. Workshop activities include course specific study guides, collaborative team learning, practice quizzes and tests, study skills on note-taking, time management, and reducing test anxiety.  Workshops are not for re-lecturing.  Creative alternatives to learning the materials which are not typically found in the traditional classroom are employed.

FAQ:   What other responsibilities do facilitators have?  Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to,  maintaining workshop attendance records, weekly meeting with course professor, attending monthly staff meetings, maintain correspondence with students as needed, and conducting mid and end of semester assessments.