The Supplemental Instruction program at PennWest California earned full accreditation from the International Center for Supplemental Instruction, becoming the only accredited higher education SI program in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to hold the distinction.

The International Center for Supplemental Instruction, based at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, provides resources and accreditation for higher education institutions with a dedicated SI program. Accreditation with the ICSI also allows PennWest California to collaborate with other accredited higher education institutions and gives prospective students from across the world a clearer path toward a degree from PennWest.

Tyton Brunner, assistant director of Supplemental Instruction and Learning Strategies at PennWest California, said the accreditation was earned through the hard work of the SI staff, starting with the 2022 ICSI conference.

"There was a lot of data and outreach involved with the process, and I can't thank our GAs and staff for how much work they put in to getting the California campus accredited during this process," Brunner said.

ICSI accreditation will help to expand SI to PennWest's Clarion, Edinboro and Global. A pilot program is schedule to begin in Fall 2023 at PennWest Clarion – Venango Campus.

"Being accredited now, we get access to people from the International Center to help guide our program to help us expand the SI program for the other campuses," he said. "We also now have the visibility on their website that says we can now offer for students who had other learning styles from other states or other countries."

The expansion of SI services to all of PennWest is part of the university’s goal to make sure students who attend a PennWest campus have resources and pathways to graduate on time.

"We get a lot of comments at NSO from parents who say, ‘Man, I wish I had that when I was in school,’" Brunner said. "When a newer student comes into the SI program, they are talking with professors and SI leaders who have run into the same issues the newer student may run into," he said. "The leader can say, 'Hey, I've been there. I know where you may get stuck,' and they can help them with that area they are stuck. It encourages strong, independent thinking."

For more on PennWest California's Supplemental Instruction, visit the SI website.

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