Department of Educational Services

The Specialized English Language Programs (SELP)
Learn more at our Specialized English Language Programs (SELP) page.

The Supplemental Learning (SL) Program runs weekly small group review sessions, hosts an assortment of on-line modules and small group facilitator training workshops to facilitators and Clinical Tutors, and provides general support to SGU’s collaborative learning community.

Supplemental Learning small groups are provided for pre-professional and undergraduate students who want to deepen their understanding of course material, improve long-term learning, and improve their grades in large sized pre-professional courses that are traditionally most rigorous. The program is designed to assist students by developing learning communities, integrating study strategies, and applying effective test-taking skills.

The Supplemental Learning Program schedule is announced in class during the first week of classes each term.  Students are allocated to groups depending on their program and course schedule.  The SL faculty attend classes along with the students and frequently make announcements regarding the schedule and examination reviews.

Collaborative learning in small groups is a practice that has gained increased popularity at SGU.  Small group collaborative learning is supported by numerous studies and by positive student feedback at SGU. In order to ensure excellent well-run small groups, DES offers several SAKAI training modules for Facilitators located at the True Blue and Northumbria campuses.

SL Small Group Facilitator Training Program

Collaborative learning in small groups is a practice that has gained increased popularity at SGU.  Small group collaborative learning is supported by numerous studies and by positive student feedback at SGU.  In order to ensure excellent well-run small groups, DES offers several SAKAI training modules for Facilitators located at the True Blue and Northumbria campuses.

The objective of conducting this training is to:

• Help facilitators make their sessions more efficient and effective.
• Anticipate collaborative learning issues and proactively resolve them.
• Make sessions enjoyable and creative for all participants.

The Supplemental Learning (SL) Program focuses on the techniques surrounding the facilitation of the group review sessions. We also train small group observers and visit groups to see how they are doing and give constructive advice.

Small Group Facilitation Workshops for New Clinical Tutors and DES Facilitators

The SL program conducts several hands-on training workshops for DES Facilitators and Clinical Tutors each term.  These sessions are designed to compliment the above training modules.  They are an opportunity for new facilitators and clinical tutors to practice working in small groups.  They also help facilitators to brainstorm, reflect and plan their upcoming sessions together with awarded returning facilitators, other clinical tutors, SL faculty, and their peers.

The DES Learning Skills Program was designed to provide all students with the opportunity to evaluate and improve their academic skills, becoming more efficient and effective learners. Common issues include: Time Management, Test Taking Skills, Focus, Stress and Anxiety Management, and Taking/Making Notes.

Individual consultation, workshops, lectures, and presentations are arranged to address such topics as:

• Practical application of study methods to specific academic curricula in order to develop new study skills and techniques.
• Learning styles assessment and application, including memory techniques.
• Time management strategies to keep up with coursework.
• Test-taking strategies for multiple choice questions (MCQ) in order to improve test preparation and performance skills.

Time Management Assistance
Time management is an essential element for all students who want to attain their highest level of academic success. Students can receive information on how to create a realistic schedule that includes not only time for studies, but also the important daily needs necessary for creating a balanced student life. (Yes, there really can be time to eat, sleep, and have a little fun.)

Multiple Choice Question Assistance
Students are offered an opportunity to improve their overall test-taking skills through workshops and/or individual meetings. These meetings address ways to prepare for MCQ exams as well as techniques to use during the exams. It is hypothesized that good test-taking skills can improve exam scores from 5 to 15 percent.

We support learning, leadership, and innovation projects on our campuses to enhance the student learning experience. 

Our Mission is to promote an institutional culture that values effective teaching and meaningful learning. We collaborate with faculty, peer tutors, as well as academic and student support units to enhance teaching and learning in online and face-to-face settings.

Our services focus on developing a continuous improvement process for faculty and learning facilitators that is reflective and iterative in nature.  We know that teaching and learning are lifelong arts and our programming is designed to build capacity and foster innovation. 

Our Programs include:

• Academic Development Programming for Faculty
  We offer faculty regular learning opportunities each term.  Our workshops and communities of practice enable participants to learn at their own pace, receiving coaching and guidance from the LEAD team as well as from their peers.  All of our offerings stand-alone or can be used toward earning one of our Certificates in University Teaching & Learning.  Additionally, all programming is designed to suit teaching and learning in multiple modalities.

• Small-Group Facilitator Training
  We provide facilitation training to Clinical Tutors in the School of Medicine responsible for facilitating small groups, faculty members in each school, as well as SGU Peer Learning Facilitators and Tutors, upper-term students who lead small group sessions for their peers.

• Supplemental Learning (SL)
  Our SL faculty facilitate small group review sessions for undergraduate senior science students in Biochemistry, Human Anatomy, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, and Physiology.  SL sessions are aimed at helping students master course content by utilizing active learning techniques, enabling learners to develop skills essential to success in a variety of professional careers.

• Technology for Online/Blended Learning
  We evaluate technology that can help support both online and blended learning programs.  Some examples of technologies our Online Instructional Innovation (OII) unit has implemented and used throughout SGU include online (virtual) classrooms/conferencing (Zoom), and online proctored exams.  We leverage our expertise to enable programs across campus to successfully incorporate a variety of tools and technologies to support student success.

• Individual and Group Consultations
  We work by invitation with individuals and groups (such as Schools or departments) to support professional growth through coaching, observation & feedback on a range of teaching and learning issues.  We also provide support for faculty as they document their teaching and learning in professional portfolios.

• Educational Leadership Development
  We believe that every teacher is also a leader and are committed to enabling the development of leadership capacity at SGU.  We provide scaffolded opportunities for faculty to develop the expertise needed to serve their communities as they develop their own skills and abilities to serve the university communities.

• Educational Research
  We are committed to employing an evidence-based approach in all that we do.  We leverage and contribute to the rich body of research on effective teaching and learning and also provide support to faculty and staff interested in conducting their own research on teaching to make their own contributions to the literature.

Contact Us: DESLead@sgu.edu

https://myuniversity.sgu.edu/pages/des-plae-home-page

Department Of Educational Services Chair
Dr. Deon Forrester | dforrester@sgu.edu

Division of Leadership Excellence in Academics and Development (LEAD)
Dr. Caroline Henry-Packer, LEAD Division Director | chenrypa@sgu.edu

Division of Academic Enhancement Services (AES)
AES Division Leadership Team
Ms. Asha Lessey-Charles, Director of PLAE | alessey@sgu.edu
Dr. Crystal DeRiggs, Director of LSU | | cderiggs3@sgu.edu
Ms. Karina Daniel and Mr. Brenard Malcolm, Co-Directors of SELP | kdaniel1@sgu.edu and bmalcol2@sgu.edu
Ms. Lisa Findley-Stroud, Director of SL | lfindle1@sgu.edu
Mr. Stephen Boddy, Associate Director of AES, DES at NU | sboddy@sgu.edu

Co-Directors
Mr. Brenard Malcolm and Ms. Karina Daniel
bmalcol2@sgu.edu and kdaniel1@sgu.edu

SELP Faculty
Ms. Ayanna Lee | Alee9@sgu.edu
Ms. Carolyn Harris | charris3@sgu.edu
Ms. Deborah Weinheimer | dweinhei@sgu.edu
Ms. Dorcina Noel | dnoel7@sgu.edu
Ms. Leandra Lee | llee4@sgu.edu
Ms. Marie Benjamin | mbenjam2@sgu.edu
Ms. Micah Balwah-Ramcharan | mbalwahr1@sgu.edu
Ms. Reetuparna Nath | RNath@sgu.edu

Director, Learning Strategies Unit
Dr. Crystal DeRiggs | cderiggs3@sgu.edu

Learning Strategists
Dr. Adenique Alleyne | AAlleyne1@sgu.edu
SOM, 1 & 2, and CASP & CLIN

Dr. Alena Wade | AWade@sgu.edu
BPM3, PCM1, PCM2 and Premed Yr 3/CFP/PostBaccs and SAS

Ms. Ariel Wildman | awildma3@sgu.edu
BPM 1, 2 & 3, PCM 1, SAS and MSAP

Dr. Catherina Gonsalves | cgonsalv@sgu.edu
SOM 1 & 22, CASP and Clin

Dr. Fomba Kanneh | fkanneh@sgu.edu
SOM, MSAP & Premed 1, 2 & 3 and Clin

Ms. Jaclyn Tuason | jtuason@sgu.edu
FTV,  Terms 1 & 2

Dr. Jessica Milner | jmilner1@sgu.edu
SOM and Clin

Mr. Kimon Sandy | ksandy1@sgu.edu
PreVet and SVM Terms 1, 2 & 3

Dr. Peter Slinger | pslinger@sgu.edu
SVM Terms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7

Mr. Stephen Boddy | sboddy@sgu.edu
SOM1; SOM2; PCLN

Director
Ms. Asha Lessey-Charles | alessey@sgu.edu

Coordinators
Ms. Gillian Francis | gfrancis5@sgu.edu
SAS PLGs & Pre-Clinical Success Teams

Ms. Golda Mahesh | gmahesh@sgu.edu
Timesheets & Compliance

Ms. Davette St. Louis | dstlouis@sgu.edu
SOM AEP

Ms. Tandy James | tjames4@sgu.edu
Peer Learning Programs & SOM PLGs

Ms. Neisha Salfarlie | NSalfarl@sgu.edu
SVM AEP & PLGs

Ms. Kizzy Francis | KFranc1@sgu.edu
SOM AEP and PLGs

Ms. Shanel Frame | SFrame@sgu.edu
SOM AEP and PLGs

Ms. Bevalin Alexander | balexan1@sgu.edu
Learning Analytics Specialist

Mr. Darren St. Bernard | dstbernar@sgu.edu
Learning Analytics Specialist

Director
Ms. Lisa Findley-Stroud | lfindley@sgu.edu

SL Faculty
Ms. Carlene Chasteau | cchastea1@sgu.edu
Ms. Kamini Wall | kwall1@sgu.edu
Ms. Leeann Dowden | ldowden1@sgu.edu
Ms. Timiah Fletcher | tfletch4@sgu.edu

Division Director
Dr. Caroline Henry-Packer | chenrypa@sgu.edu

Faculty Development
Director, Faculty Development
Dr. Lisa Francis-Charles | LFrancha@sgu.edu

Innovation Coordinators
Mr. Jonathan Modica | jmodica@sgu.edu
Mr. John Swope | jswope@sgu.edu

LEAD Faculty
Ms. Reba David-Andrew | rrdavid@sgu.edu
Ms. Lisa Findley-Stroud | lfindle1@sgu.edu

Academic Programs
Master of Education
Director, M.Ed.
Dr. Caroline Henry-Packer | chenrypa@sgu.edu

Medical School Assessment Program
Director, M.S.A.P
Jonathan Modica | jonathanmodica@sgu.edu

Administrative Team

Administrative Assistant
Ms. Kamille Williams | kwilliams@sgu.edu

Executive Secretaries
Ms. Maisha Archibald | myarchibald@sgu.edu
Ms. Zahirah Antoine | zantoin1@sgu.edu
Ms. Zhona Joseph | Zjosph1@sgu.edu

Clerical Assistant
Ms. Deslyn Abraham | dabraha2@sgu.edu

Department Email: des@sgu.edu