Resources
Bepko Learning Center
The Bepko Learning Center is devoted to students helping students. The center, which includes the Resource Desk and academic mentoring programs, is on the second floor of Taylor Hall (UC 2006). For more information, call (317) 274-4818.
As part of University College, the Bepko Learning Center's programs are based on a belief that highly successful academic students can play an integral role in the academic development of their peers. Collaborative learning, role modeling, peer interaction, and peer support are all components of this process.
Academic Mentoring Programs
Groups of students work together with a student mentor to better understand difficult course material. This collaboration provides an enriching environment in which students strengthen academic skills and build community. Mentors are students who have successfully completed a course and are available to help other students review material in undergraduate courses such as biology, nursing, criminal justice, and psychology. They also share helpful study skills and test-taking techniques. The academic mentoring programs are free to IUPUI students.
Structured Learning Assistance
Structured Learning Assistance (SLA) is a mandatory one-hour-per-week directed study and practice session that is attached to a high-risk-for-failure gateway course. SLA is centered on course content. Study and learning skills are applied to the specific content a student is learning. Students are given content-specific background information to assist them in making connections to the lessons and lectures of the class. SLA is a mechanism for teaching students how to work collaboratively and for learning to form study teams.
Supplemental Instruction
A Supplemental Instruction (SI) mentor is a learning assistant who is content competent in a particular subject. SI mentors assist other students in gaining a better understanding of the course content, and they help develop learning skills to enhance students' academic experience. SI mentors demonstrate processes and methodologies of learning (i.e., learning strategies, note-taking skills, listening skills, test anxiety). The SI mentor is not a tutor, but rather a facilitator who helps students develop the thinking and reasoning skills that characterize intellectual maturity. An SI mentor is available to undergraduate students as an academic guide, an empathetic listener, a resource guide, and, most of all, a supportive friend. Session times are available at the beginning of each semester.
Resource Desk
Resource mentors serve as empathetic listeners to student concerns and advocates for IUPUI students. The mentors are trained in interviewing skills necessary to make them active, helpful, and nonjudgmental listeners. They work one-on-one with individual students, empowering them in their quest to succeed academically and socially. Furthermore, mentors conduct thorough, ongoing follow-ups with all students after the initial contact. Mentors provide resources to help students determine their individual learning styles and make subsequent suggestions. Mentors also refer students to other campus resources. Most importantly, mentors encourage students to interact with instructors and departmental staff resources.
Tutoring Program
The Tutoring Program offers tutor referrals for students in IUPUI classes. If a student is in need of assistance for a particular class, tutoring course information is available at the Resource Desk. Students receive contact information about tutors who can help them with their classes. The student is then responsible for contacting the tutor and negotiating a fee. The Tutoring Program offers time flexibility and one-on-one assistance. Another tutoring service offered by the Bepko Learning Center is assistance paid by Vocational Rehabilitation Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs. This service is for students who are associated with these offices and may be eligible to receive free one-on-one tutoring for a specified number of hours per week.