How to get involved in UC Action

UC Action functions efficiently through close partnerships with faculty, instructors, staff, and our student staff. We invite you to read through the relevant sections below to see how you can be a part of this CRLA certified, free academic assistance program.

Student Involvement

Desiree, one of our Peer Learning Assistants, helps students in an Organic Chemistry session, Spring 2008

Vocabulary for your involvement:

Peer Learning Assistant or PLA: These are undergraduate "tutors" who meet our high academic standards and undergo required training, even beyond the College Reading and Learning Association certification standards. The position is posted at the end of each semester at jobs.ou.edu.
Office Assistant or OA: These undergraduate staff are the frontline of contact with our clients in the evenings; they serve to track visits, make tutoring appointments, disseminate information, and do special projects for UC Action and the Student Success Seminars in UC's Student Learning Center. The position is posted at the end of each semester at jobs.ou.edu.
Graduate Assistants: we offer one or more Graduate Assistantships or hourly graduate student positions to help us oversee our staff of approximately 40 PLAs and 10 OAs; supervision, communication, research, and constructing PLA training modules are often involved. Contact us for more information.
Summer staff: We sometimes have need for summer student staffing to assist with special UC Action projects, Tutoring, or Student Learning Center login. However, these staff are hired from among our current staff.

Faculty/Instructor Involvement

Dr. Heather Ketchum working with students in her Human Physiology Action Center, Spring 2010

Faculty can choose to utilize a couple of their office hours to run an Action Center. Instead of lines of students waiting at your door, why not serve tens of students at once in an interactive learning environment? (Note: you could even assign GTAs to utilize a couple of their office hours here as well!)

Speaking about their UC Action Centers, faculty noted:

"Action Centers are the best thing to happen to my class since clickers. Thanks for doing such a great job." Dr. Marielle Hoefnagels, Biology, Facebook post September 14, 2010
"It's what I wish I could do in the classroom." Dr. Mark Morvant, Organic Chemistry, TSI February 5, 2010
[It is a] "Great way to engage students in learning." Cindy Cuccia, Accounting, TSI February 5, 2010
"At the end of last semester, one student told me, 'You've taught me not just the subject, but how to study/learn.'" Dr. Peggy Ellis, Political Science, TSI February 5, 2010

You provide us with your time and your marketing to your students to attend, and we provide you with a trained, undergraduate Peer Learning Assistant (where needed), advertising, tracking of client visits, an application for a $400 faculty grant, and more!