Communication throughout the semester

For Professors, pre semester

Dear PLUS supported Faculty,

If you haven’t done so already, please confer with your senior preceptor and forward me possible weekly planning meeting times as soon as possible.

Please add your senior preceptor (EID #####) to your canvas course page.  This will facilitate them getting in touch with the preceptors and/or students in your course to promote study groups.

(tips on how to use canvas with ease—adding users to canvas as TA to email everyone.  )

provide a copy of your syllabus to your senior preceptor; we like keeping track of exams in all of the classes so that we can better serve your students.

Please introduce your senior preceptor to your students by the second week of class , study groups will begin the following **

As always, please let me know if you have any questions, or feedback to improve your experience with PLUS!

Thanks,

Leta

For Preceptors, original invite

Dear PLUS Preceptor Candidates,

I'm delighted to invite you to be PLUS preceptors for Dr. XX BIO 3XX course. Your Senior Preceptor (XXX, copied here) will be your main point of contact with the program and will be sending out information regarding when and where the first weekly planning meeting will take place.  These regular interactions with the professor are overwhelmingly what preceptors cite as a lasting benefit of this role; please make sure you attend regularly and come prepared with questions to make the most of your PLUS experience.

You will be facilitating the study groups in pairs; Below are the study group times to which you have been assigned and three items you need to address.

1)    Study group assignments, per your indicated availability

Sundays at 6:00

Mondays at 5:00

Tuesdays at 5:00

Wednesdays at 5:00

Madeline will be following up to confirm the specific locations of these study groups (which start February 2).  If you have conflicts with your designated study group please work with Madeline to find another good time for you and a co-Preceptor.

2) info about training next week.

2) I look forward to meeting all of you at the preceptor training this week, Thursday January 23 from 5-7:30pm or Friday January 24 from 4-6:30pm (both in NOA 1.126).  Dinner will be provided . You are expected as indicated below.  Please bring your course syllabus, and check out the PLUS wiki for helpful times on being a preceptor. We'll be discussing leadership and role play skits you will encounter as a preceptor--bring your enthusiasm and ideas! Please confirm your acceptance as a PLUS preceptor and training day by indicated it here (google form?/document?)

3) if you haven’t already done so, please add yourself to the facebook group for this course, and PLUS facebook group, which serves as an online extension of your SP and fellow preceptors!  Have a question—ask in person and/or on line

(something inspirational…)You are the face of PLUS.  Please let your SP and me know what you need to thrive in this role if the resources are not already in place, we will develop them!  PLUS is continually improving to better serve you and all students.

Here's to a great semester ahead!

Sincerely,

Leta 

Leta Moser, MS

Sanger Learning Center

Course Support and Instruction

PLUS Program Coordinator

512.475.8009

for Preceptors:

(who haven't confirmed acceptance by day before their training)

Congratulations Preceptors!

We are very excited you've decided to join the PLUS ranks and facilitate study groups this semester.  This is a reminder that you're slated at Preceptor Orientation tomorrow, Thursday January 23, from 5-7:30 in NOA 1.126.  Pizza and treats will be served.  We will be familiarizing ourselves with the PLUS wiki-- PLUS Home -- and electronic tools that will help us facilitate and track who's attending your study groups.  If you have a smart phone or small electronic device capable of internet connection please bring it.

I look forward to working with all of you this semester!  Please don't forget to respond to me to confirm your acceptance.

Thanks,
 Leta

//follow up:

Great!  I look forward to meeting you.

Thanks for the reply, it helps me know how many to expect.

Leta

late coming Preceptor acceptance

Dear Brina,

Thank you for your interest in the PLUS program! We've recently had an opening and would like to invite you to become a PLUS preceptor for Dr. Grabner's CH 369 course. Your Senior Preceptor (Kira Lowery, copied here) will be your main point of contact with the program and will be sending out information regarding when and where the weekly planning meetings will take place; if you have a scheduling conflict Kira will explain how to get all of the relevant information.

If you are able, please come to preceptor training this week, Friday January 31 from 4-6:30pm (in JGB 2.218).  We'll be discussing leadership and role play skits you will encounter as a preceptor--bring your enthusiasm and ideas!

Please confirm your acceptance as a PLUS preceptor with a reply back to me.

Here's to a great semester ahead!

Sincerely,

Leta


Leta Moser, MS
Sanger Learning Center
Course Support and Instruction
PLUS Program Coordinator
512.475.8009
PLUS Home

for SPs:

pooled preceptor training:

SP's will be conducting their mid semester preceptor training in the wpms based off of areas of growth noted during observations.  Last semester we offered the option of pooling together some of the smaller preceptor pods in order to try to avoid any preceptors feeling singled out (if we fold all preceptors for your courses together we'd have about 14).  One of the benefits of this would be able to expose preceptors to other common issues and ideas observed while not loosing the individualized attention and focus of areas to grow in.  That said, this can be a logistic nightmare playing with more than 14 schedules.  But if there is interest we will find a way!

Are you interested in pooling your preceptors with others for a mid semester training (schedule allowing, you'll still have an active role in coordinating it, as will I), or conducting it yourself?  Either way is entirely fine for me--just let me know by Thursday, March 20, morning so we can plan something for the following week if there's interest.

Thanks,

Leta

It was truly an honor work alongside such a great staff this semester.  I wish everyone only the best in your future endeavors and hope that you continue to build on your personal and professional success.

Please free to call or email at anytime…I look forward to keeping in touch!

for Professors:

Dear XXX,

Thank you for all of your promotion and support of the PLUS program!  I just wanted to pass along that this fall  44% of your class attended at least one study group, and 24% attended two or more.  While I will calculate grade correlations as time permits, it may be a few months before there is quantitative data to support the PLUS model.  Is there any additional programatic information that would be useful to you?

Looking towards the future, would you please recommend a few times that would be good weekly planning meeting times for you in the spring?  I'll be in touch in early January to let you know when we'll be stopping by on the first day of class to promote PLUS.

Thanks so very much for all of your support.  

Happy holidays,

Leta

Dear Dr. xxx,

I hope you had a wonderful vacation and are all ready for the semester upcoming!  

A PLUS senior preceptor and I will be visiting your first day class(es) at the approximate times:

Wednesday (wel 2.308) ~8:30/8:40
Thursday (wel 1.316) ~10/10:20
Thursday (wel 2.224) 3:30

As there are other classrooms to visit during those times, I would be most appreciative if our short PLUS promotion and recruitment talk could be worked into your class as immediately as possible upon our arrival.

Please consider including Alex to your blackboard/canvas settings so she may I will send the preceptor application link to you by Tuesday, August 27 (and your SP, you may ask them to post on canvas by USING>>>>>) and the short (<2 minute) PLUS promotional video can be found at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=354201544658730 ; please post these on blackboard and verbally advertise them.

PLUS could not be what it is without your support. Thank you, sincerely, for all you do.

First offer letter to Prof

I coordinate the Peer-Led Undergraduate Studying (PLUS) program, a service of the Sanger Learning Center that supports student-led study groups in upper-division courses at UT.  I'm writing to invite you to join the program with your CS 439 course this fall.  

Students in PLUS supported courses are offered the opportunity to practice explaining their understanding of concepts and work through problems in a collaborative environment during regular, organized study groups.  This is entirely free to you and students, although does require about 20 minutes weekly to meet with the facilitators of these study groups (current students) and clarify lingering content questions.  An exceptional upper-level undergraduate student who has gone through your course (the “senior preceptor”, who you recommend) creates agendas for the study groups specific to your course, and handles all administration and communication with study group facilitators.  There are a few more details to share concerning advertising and recruitment should you want to incorporate PLUS into your course.

Would you be interested in using PLUS for your CS 439 course in the fall?  

Thank you in advance for considering PLUS, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Leta

Leta Moser, MS

Sanger Learning Center

PLUS Program Coordinator

PLUS information

512.475.8009

When Adding a Brand New Course to PLUS, prof interested

Great, thank you for your interest in PLUS.  Do you have an undergraduate student in mind who has excelled in KIN 324K that you would like to nominate as your senior preceptor (SP for short, this person is the main coordinator of the study group facilitators)?  If not, I'd like to check with Katarina Longoria; she has been involved with PLUS and took your class in the spring, earning an A-, and might be a good fit.

During the second week of August I'll be asking you for a few times you would be able to meet weekly with your SP and study group leaders to clarify any content questions that have emerged during their study groups.  Once a good SP candidate is selected I'll be asking you to add them to your course canvas page so they may send out emails to the class reminding them of upcoming study groups.

I've attached some sample syllabus text for your convenience; feel free to modify as you see fit.

During the first day of class I'd like to make a short announcement (<3 minutes) to recruit study group leaders and invite all students to get involved in PLUS—may we recruit participants in this way in your class?  A SP usually accompanies me and identifies specific benefits students could receive. If agreeable, the week before classes start I'll send out a time frame window of when to expect us--as there are frequently multiple classes to visit in a single hour I'd be most appreciative if we may make the announcement as soon after we arrive as possible.  If you'd prefer we start or end with your class we can certainly do that, just let me know.

Students overwhelmingly cite professorial encouragement as the main reason they initially attend PLUS study groups, so please remind students of this opportunity you are providing them and let me know if you need any additional materials.  We plan on peppering students with reminders throughout the semester--just before the study groups start (approximately the third full week of class), I'll ask you and/or the selected preceptors to make an announcement in class, and throughout the semester (especially a few weeks before exams) we'll have flyers and verbal announcements to remind students to distribute their practice.  There is a short video of what students can expect from a study group here and I hope to have an info graphic available by the time classes start.

What is the expected course enrollment for the fall?  

I look forward to working together!

I hope you had a very happy July 4th as well.  August will be here before we know it!

Please let me know if you have any questions and/or want any additional information.

Thanks,

Leta