SLA Girl, Slay: Structured, Supported, Successful in CHEM 1211/1212 - The Professional Tutor’s Perspective on Program Growth and Academic Impact
Location
Morgan
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
Structured Learning Assistance (SLA) at South Georgia State College began in 2018 as a stop-gap solution: a group tutoring model created to support students in CHEM 1211/1212, gateway courses with historically high attrition rates. What started as an improvised intervention has, over the course of 25 semesters, been refined into a structured, evidence-based program anchored in student learning outcomes and curriculum mapping. Led by a professional tutor, the SLA model integrates scaffolded sessions, intentional reinforcement of course assessments, and explicit development of problem-solving strategies. This alignment has transformed course performance patterns: the percentage of students earning A’s has risen from 3% to nearly 30%, while DFW rates—once exceeding 50%—have been reduced to nearly zero. This presentation—part one of a two-part presentation—comes from the perspective of the professional tutor who has led every SLA session since its inception. It will focus on the academic framework, implementation, and measurable impact of the program, laying the groundwork for the student-led companion presentation on the personal and community outcomes of SLA.
Keywords
Structured Learning Assistance (SLA), STEM, Student Success, Higher Education, Retention
Professional Bio
Sarah E. Braswell joined the faculty at South Georgia State College in Fall 2025 as Lecturer of Biology, after nearly a decade as Coordinator of Tutoring and Student Success. She holds an A.S., B.S., and M.S.(abt) in Biology and a M.Ed. in Higher Education. She is currently an M.S.A.P.S. student at Georgia Southern and an Ed.D. student at Columbus State. She has been awarded GES’s Master’s Researcher of the Year, INSIGHT Into Diversity’s STEM Programming Award, and SGSC’s Presidential Staff Scholar-in-Residence. A seven-time Student Choice “Staff Member of the Year,” she is also recognized for student programming, advising, and service.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Braswell, Sarah E. and McKeon, Meaveen, "SLA Girl, Slay: Structured, Supported, Successful in CHEM 1211/1212 - The Professional Tutor’s Perspective on Program Growth and Academic Impact" (2026). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 18.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2026/2026/18
SLA Girl, Slay: Structured, Supported, Successful in CHEM 1211/1212 - The Professional Tutor’s Perspective on Program Growth and Academic Impact
Morgan
Structured Learning Assistance (SLA) at South Georgia State College began in 2018 as a stop-gap solution: a group tutoring model created to support students in CHEM 1211/1212, gateway courses with historically high attrition rates. What started as an improvised intervention has, over the course of 25 semesters, been refined into a structured, evidence-based program anchored in student learning outcomes and curriculum mapping. Led by a professional tutor, the SLA model integrates scaffolded sessions, intentional reinforcement of course assessments, and explicit development of problem-solving strategies. This alignment has transformed course performance patterns: the percentage of students earning A’s has risen from 3% to nearly 30%, while DFW rates—once exceeding 50%—have been reduced to nearly zero. This presentation—part one of a two-part presentation—comes from the perspective of the professional tutor who has led every SLA session since its inception. It will focus on the academic framework, implementation, and measurable impact of the program, laying the groundwork for the student-led companion presentation on the personal and community outcomes of SLA.
