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PAL Program Information for Faculty

The PAL Program is an academic support program that provides peer-assisted study sessions to help students succeed in challenging Social Science courses. PAL sessions, led by trained PAL Leaders who have previously excelled in the course, focus on collaborative learning strategies that deepen understanding and improve student success. PAL sessions are collaborative, interactive study groups where students review course material, develop study strategies, and practice problem-solving.
Courses that have traditionally been demanding for students—either due to high drop/fail/withdrawal rates or rigorous content—may benefit from PAL. By incorporating PALs, faculty can enhance student learning, retention, and engagement, creating a supportive environment for academic success.

Our PAL Program uses a Supplemental Instruction (SI) model. SI is most effective for courses that are historically challenging for students, often having high rates of D's, F's, and withdrawals (DFW rates). These courses are typically foundational, content-heavy, and require strong problem-solving or analytical skills. PAL sessions are collaborative, interactive study groups where students review course material, develop study strategies, and practice problem-solving.

Here's a brief description of courses that would be a good fit for the PAL Program:

  1. Gateway Courses for Majors: Foundational courses in disciplines can determine whether students continue in a major.
  2. High-Enrollment General Education Courses: Broad survey courses, such as Introduction to Psychology, Economics, or Sociology, often have large class sizes and cover a wide range of material, making it difficult for students to keep up.
  3. Courses with Sequential Content: Classes where new material builds directly on previous concepts are ideal since SI can help reinforce foundational knowledge.
  4. Courses with Data or Case Analysis: Courses like Statistics, Research Methods, or certain Political Science or courses that require students to analyze data, interpret findings, or apply theories to real-world cases.
  1. Eligibility for the PAL Program:
    • Courses considered for the PAL Program are typically high-enrollment, high-impact, or foundational classes, often with challenging content and a history of lower pass rates. Priority is given to courses that have high DFW (drop, fail, withdraw) rates and/or typically present challenges for a majority of students.
    • Faculty must be willing to work with PAL Leaders to ensure alignment of PAL sessions with course content and structure.
  2. Faculty Commitment:
    • Faculty are expected to encourage student attendance at PAL sessions by regularly announcing them in class, making announcements in D2L, and integrating the PAL Program into the course syllabus.
    • Faculty should collaborate with the PAL Program Staff and PAL Leaders to share course materials, facilitate communication, and support the PAL Leader’s presence in the course environment.
    • Faculty should give the PAL Leader access to their course D2L to make announcements and send weekly emails to market their sessions.
    • Regular feedback with the PAL Leader regarding student performance in sessions and course challenges is encouraged.
  3. PAL Program Resources:
    • PAL Leaders will receive training, supervision, and compensation through the PAL program. Faculty will not need to provide funding but may support the PAL by offering insights into the course material and effective study practices.

If you are interested in having PAL support for your course, please complete this Course Request Form.

Deadlines to submit requests:

  • Requests for Fall semester must be received by our office no later than March 15th each academic year.
  • Requests for Spring semester must be received by our office no later than November 1st each academic year.

Office of Student Success