University of San Francisco Learning, Writing, and Speaking Centers

Mid-semester Updates

The Learning, Writing, and Speaking Centers would like to keep fellow Dons informed on some valuable information about our academic support services, excellent USF resources, and upcoming opportunities!

Course-specific Academic Support

The Learning Center provides course-specific academic support through peer tutoring, supplemental instruction (SI), and peer-led team learning (PLTL) programs. The SI program concentrates on assisting some biology and nursing courses, and the PLTL program provides additional support for chemistry (I and II) and organic chemistry courses.

Peer tutoring services are available in both 1:1 and small-group sessions via Zoom and/or in person. While both SI and PLTL programs provide weekly small-group study sessions, only PLTL enrollment offers course credits.

For more information on the course-specific academic support services, visit the Learning Center web page.

Academic Skills Coaching/ Academic English Support

The Learning Center provides online resources, workshops, and one-on-one academic skills coaching to help students maximize their efforts. Visit the Study Skills and Resources web page for tools and downloadable worksheets.

Additionally, a coach is available for all international students at USF (undergraduate and graduate) who desire assistance in cultural adjustment and developing strategies related to effective communication, collaborative learning, active studying, and time management.

International students can follow the "How to Schedule an Academic Skills Coaching (ASC) Appointment" instructions, and at step #6, select "Academic English Support" from the drop-down menu of programs.

The Writing Center

The primary goal of the Writing Center is to empower students as writers by fostering their knowledge and skills in development, organization, style, and structure. Through one-on-one interactive conferences, the faculty consultants support all student writers working in different disciplines and rhetorical contexts.

The work of writing consultants is to engage in a conversation with students about how to conceptualize and develop an idea, how to write persuasively and with sophistication, and how to correct their own errors at the level demanded by college courses. The consultants do not edit or copy-edit the work of students, but instead, they work with students so that they can learn to edit for themselves.

For more information, visit the Writing Center web page.

Student giving a virtual presentation on their laptop

The Speaking Center

The Speaking Center is available to help students prepare for public speaking — including speeches, oral presentations, team presentations, and visual aid demonstrations.

Coaches are trained peer tutors who are skilled teachers and experienced public speakers, and who can assist with a variety of aspects of public speaking, including effective oral communication skills, researching and writing speech content, developing well-organized, concise, and informative main points, crafting introductions and conclusions, and more.

For more information, visit the Speaking Center web page.

Employment Opportunities

The Learning Center provides paid leadership opportunities for students. We hire for positions such as peer tutors, PLTL leaders, SI leaders, and project success coaches throughout each semester. If you're interested or would like to nominate a student, please visit our Employment Opportunities web page.

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San Francisco, CA | 94117 United States

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