About

Mission

The WCSI Conference began in 2015 as a grass-roots effort by California Inland Empire colleges and universities that support students through Supplemental Instruction and Tutoring programs. The mission of the WCSI Team is to promote the collective success of peer-led support on campuses across the western region of the U.S. The conference was designed to create a network of Support Staff, Faculty, Administration, SI Leaders, and Tutors and to provide a platform for sharing ideas and best practices. The WCSI Conference centers around the initiative of “students empowering students to succeed” with an emphasis on sharing:

Best Practices in Supplemental Instruction and Tutoring
Supplemental Instruction and Tutoring Research Assessment
Innovation in Supplemental Instruction and Tutoring
Collaborative Learning Strategies
Professional Learning
Student Success Strategies

Values

Responsibility

Providing opportunities that will help further develop participants as valuable members of the educational team
Encouraging personal and professional growth along with the development of best practices in peer-led academic support
Empowering and equipping participants to become civic-minded leaders within their community

Collaboration

Building a network of leaders and educators across the western region of the U.S.

Equity

Fostering an environment that welcomes and celebrates each participant’s unique perspectives and contributions

Fun

Providing learning experiences that are fun and memorable

Executive Planning Team

Rebecca Moon-Stone, M.P.A. is the FIER Regional Network and Southern California Network Coordinator for the California Community Colleges Success Network (3CSN). She has served on the WCSI (IESI) Executive Planning Team since its formation in 2015. Rebecca held SI Coordinator positions within the Riverside City College District for more than 16 years, working with multiple state and federal grants focused on placing SI Leaders into Basic Skills, STEM, and college-level courses to promote student success, and implementing the first Leadership Development training for Student Employees at her college. Rebecca received her Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in Communications and a Master’s degree in Public Administration, both from California Baptist University.

Janice Levasseur, M.S. is the Assistant Director of the Center for Academic Achievement at East Tennessee State University and an SI Associate and Certified Trainer with the International Center for Supplemental Instruction. She has served on the WCSI (IESI) Executive Planning Team since its formation in 2015 and is excited to expand the WCSI’s reach. Janice has over 20 years of experience at Mt. San Jacinto College in southern California where she taught math and tutor training courses. She served as Math Center Coordinator before becoming the Supplemental Instruction Coordinator. Janice is committed to creating and supporting safe and inclusive learning spaces and opportunities for students across college and university campuses.

James Graham, M.A. is the Coordinator of Supplemental Instruction at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) and has served on the WCSI (IESI) Executive Planning Team since January 2016. James has a broad background ranging from musical arts to organizational leadership— from professional education to exercise science— and holds degrees and certifications from the University of Oklahoma, California Baptist University, and the American Council on Exercise. He has served as faculty at SAGU (Texas) and CSUSB. He is a frequent conference and symposium presenter on cross-divisional collaboration, data-driven programming, inter-system partnerships, and personal/professional wellness. Whether at the individual, classroom, or organizational level, James is an ardent advocate for learning, growth, and strategic development.

Arezoo Marashi, M.S. is the Coordinator of Supplemental Instruction and Embedded Tutoring programs at Moreno Valley College and teaches Mathematics at Cal Poly Pomona. She has served on the WCSI (IESI) Executive Planning Team since its formation in 2015. Arezoo has a long history of developing and coordinating various academic support programs and working with state and federal grants with a strong focus on supporting students in the STEM fields. She is committed to building equitable academic support services to help students improve their learning experiences. Arezoo earned her Master of Science in Mathematics from Cal Poly Pomona.

Kathalena Rios, M.S. is the Coordinator of Supplemental Instruction at Mt. San Jacinto College and has served on the WCSI (IESI) Executive Planning Team since July 2016. Kathalena has a long history with the Supplemental Instruction Program having served as both an SI Leader and SI Mentor. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from California State University, San Marcos in Human Development and a Master’s degree from California Baptist University in Higher Education Leadership and Student Development. Ms. Rios is relentless in her efforts to find new ways to support students in achieving their goals and reaching their full potential.

Matthew Tener, M.A. is the Supplemental Instruction Coordinator at California State University East Bay and joined the WCSI Executive Planning Team in 2021. His professional background includes managing comprehensive learning support and regional college-preparatory outreach programming for the California State University Maritime Academy and instructing academic writing and coordinating tutoring for Disability Services at University of the Pacific. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 2008 from California State University Sacramento and a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 2012 from University of the Pacific.

David Rowell, A.A./A.S. is the Embedded Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction Specialist at Mt. San Jacinto College and has served on the WCSI Executive Planning Team since February 2023. David has been involved with Supplemental Instruction and various other academic support programs for many years, beginning as a Supplemental Instruction Leader supporting American Sign Language in 2019. David has earned associate degrees in English Literature and ASL/English Interpreter Preparation from Mt San Jacinto College. He is committed to student success and passionate about equity and accessibility in academic support services.

Allied & Honorary Members

Ali Saadat

Inland Empire SI Team Founding Member

WCSI Emeritus Team Member

About

Responsibility

Collaboration

Equity

Fun

Conference Partners

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