Learning Assistants
Quarter Plus Learning Assistants are essential to the program's success. As peer mentors, they exemplify academic achievement, personal integrity, and dedication to the Cal Poly community. Their role is crucial in guiding students and maintaining daily communication with staff, faculty, and program coordinators. Most Learning Assistants are Quarter Plus alumni and many also belong to the University Honors Program.
Dr. Marni Goldenberg
Faculty Learning Assistant Coordinator
As the Quarter Plus Faculty Learning Assistant Coordinator, Dr. Marni Goldenberg serves as the primary point of contact for the Quarter Plus Program’s Learning Assistants and is responsible for designing and facilitating the Learning Assistants’ training. She will mentor and guide the Learning Assistants throughout the Quarter Plus program, as well as act as a liaison between the instructors and Learning Assistants. Dr. Goldenberg is currently a professor in the Experience Industry Management Department at Cal Poly, and a Quarter Plus instructor. She has worked at Cal Poly for twenty years and has a specialization in outdoor and adventure leadership, has lead teams and groups in a variety of settings, and strives for continued students development and growth.
Dr. Victoria Zamora
Quarter Plus COMS Faculty Coordinator
Dr. Victoria Zamora (she/they) has taught quarter plus the past two years and is now serving as the new Quarter Plus COMS Faculty Coordinator. As the point-of-contact for all the COMS faculty teaching Quarter Plus, Dr. Zamora is responsible for mentoring COMS faculty new to Quarter Plus and coordinating support and resources while also assisting with the training of COMS Learning Assistants. A passionate educator with extensive teaching experience, Dr. Zamora currently teaches public speaking, communication theory, and rhetoric in the Communication Studies department at Cal Poly. She also assists the English- and Spanish-language debate teams.
Responsibilities & Qualifications
Study Sessions
Study sessions provide optional learning environments outside of class to supplement material taught by the course instructor. No new material is taught in study sessions; rather students are provided with an opportunity collaborate with one another to further their academic success in the program. Learning Assistants guide discussion of the material, provide learning activities, and challenge students to critically engage with the course material.
Study sessions will vary by course. Learning assistants attend all weekly class sessions so they can focus on that week’s content, not on general review. Learning Assistants are paid for prep time of 2 hours/study session and are expected to prepare collaborative, challenging activities to foster student learning. There is no tutoring involved. What study sessions involve:
- Discussion, debate and practice of specific course topics
- Focused and structured study time
- Collaborative learning
- Critical thinking and application
- Study skills in context
- Opportunities to complete course assignments, as needed
What study sessions do NOT involve:
- Individual Tutoring
- Excessive homework time
- Lecture – not re-teaching material
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Questions?
Contact EPaCE at (805) 756-2053 or quarterplus@calpoly.edu
