The Office of Residential Academic Initiatives and the Searle Center for Advancing Learning & Teaching will roll out a new academic initiative this weekend that will bring weekly peer study groups to the 1835 Hinman dining hall.
Peer-Led Undergraduate Study is a program that will allow students to meet on Sunday afternoons to study for introductory classes in chemistry, math, economics, psychology and statistics.
"The program is led by 13 student volunteer peer leaders who have done well in the courses before and received training from the Searle Center," said Erica Maslanka, undergraduate academic programs coordinator.
Peer consultants from The Writing Place will also provide support at PLUS sessions.
PLUS aims to offer students academic support in Northwestern's residences.
"The program is meant to complement existing academic support for students, such as a professors' or teaching assistants' office hours," Zakarin said.
He added that he hopes introducing the new program in a casual, familiar residential setting will encourage students to adopt "more constructive help-seeking behaviors down the road," such as seeking help from faculty in academic buildings.
"Peer leaders were chosen by the Searle Center through faculty recommendations, open applications, grade data and other Searle Center programs," Maslanka said.
The idea for PLUS came from the Searle Center's formal Academic Mentoring Program, which features similar peer-led groups. AMP components are offered for certain gateway classes and students must register for the program through CAESAR.
In a pilot version of PLUS in the spring, Maslanka said many students who signed up for AMP came back for PLUS to study for final exams.
"In the future, organizers hope to expand the PLUS program to more dining halls," Zakarin said.