Student Learning Center
Founded in 1973, the Student Learning Center is the primary academic support unit on campus, serving approximately 40% of the undergraduate student population. Harnessing the power of peer pedagogy, the Center seeks to foster an inclusive learning culture that values process, collaboration, intellectual risk-taking, and creativity. See below for a list of academic programs and services:
DECAL PROGRAM
DeCals, short for Democratic Education at Cal Program, are an aggregate of Academic Senate-approved 98 or 198 courses that are proposed, designed, and led by Cal undergraduates under the supervision of a faculty sponsor. Offered through over 60 departments, these 1-2 units P/NP courses provide students the opportunity to experience the power of peer-led facilitation, and collectively, the DeCal program adds over 300 student-run courses to Cal’s curriculum on a yearly basis. Students looking to develop their DeCals can find start-up training and facilitation support resources through the Undergraduate Course Facilitator Training & Resources (UCFTR) Program at the Student Learning Center.
STUDENT LEARNING CENTER (SLC)
Established in 1973, the Student Learning Center (SLC) is UC Berkeley’s primary academic support unit on campus, serving approximately 40% of the undergraduate population each year. Grounded in peer pedagogy, the Center fosters an inclusive and rigorous learning culture that values process, collaboration, and community. Below is an overview of the SLC’s core academic programs:
ECONOMICS PROGRAM
The SLC Economics Program provides tutorial support for Cal students taking Economics 1, 2, 100A, 100B, 136, and 140. We serve as a platform for students to learn from one another and succeed together. Our services offer students not only the means to achieve content mastery, but also the opportunity to experience an inclusive, dynamic global learning community.
LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM (LEP)
The Language Exchange Program provides a free, flexible, and fun-filled way for Cal students to meet and share their language skills. The program emphasizes mutual exchange by all participants, so each will have the opportunity to learn and teach a language. Participants are grouped or paired with a proficient speaker of the language they are interested in practicing. Through the program, participants will be able to refine not only their language skills but also their ability to communicate effectively across cultures.
MATH & STATISTICS PROGRAM
The Mathematics & Statistics Program offers inclusive learning support to help students realize their potential and develop a passion for the material to achieve academic success. Students work with professional staff and trained peer tutors to hone their quantitative reasoning skills and develop the learning strategies necessary to thrive in gateway math and statistics courses at Cal.
SCIENCE PROGRAM
The Science Program supports undergraduates in their pursuit of scientific learning at Cal. Through peer-led services, services are designed to meet students where they are and strengthen their foundation for academic success. Students are served through a variety of access points, from one-on-one tutoring to study groups and exam reviews.
STUDENTS AS SCHOLAR-PRACTITIONERS (SSP)
Students as Scholar-Practitioners (SSP) is the hub for the Student Learning Center’s undergraduate research programs, which include the Lucheta-Vaterlaus Scholars Program and Research Associate Program. SSP fosters students to be producers of knowledge with a purpose, not simply passive receivers of information. In addition, SSP undergraduates draw from their lived experience, including their passions, interests, and pursuits. SSP aims to cultivate and foster the research identity of budding scholars, engaging students to be entrepreneurial, question and think from a critical mindset, problem-solve, and seek transformation towards equity, justice, and social impact.
STRATEGIC LEARNING PROGRAM (SLP)
The Strategic Learning Program (SLP) supports Cal undergraduates in gaining a deeper understanding of the learning process and a greater awareness of themselves so that they can be strategic in designing and driving their own learning. Through academic coaching, workshops and seminars, SLP empowers students to build habits, strategies, mindsets, and skills to thrive as effective lifelong learners at Cal and beyond.
SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAM
Summer Bridge serves a globally diverse community of entering undergraduates in a six-week academic residential program. Scholars take a full course load, including two academic courses and a mentorship program that helps them navigate the academic expectations of the research university. Bridge takes a holistic approach to supporting scholars, working to ensure that they complete the program with the skills, the disposition, and the academic connections necessary to thrive at Cal.
WRITING PROGRAM
The SLC Writing Program supports Cal undergraduates in their journey to become more persuasive and purposeful writers. We work with students on any academic assignments at any stage of the writing process. Through one-on-one conferences and peer-facilitated workshops, services are designed to empower students to take ownership of their academic voice and growth.
UNDERGRADUATE COURSE FACILITATOR TRAINING & RESOURCES PROGRAM (UCFTR)
The SLC UCFTR program provides mandatory pedagogical training and consultation services to student instructors of Student-Facilitated Courses, conventionally known as DeCals. Our services equip student facilitators with a theoretical and practical foundation to improve their craft of teaching in both in-person and virtual formats, as well as support them on their journey of becoming effective, student-centered peer educators. Our ultimate goal is to empower undergraduate students to be agents of their own learning, to cultivate community among one another, and to actively contribute to the process of knowledge production and exchange at Cal.