Accelerator Academy Program
Helping UCF students succeed in CHM 2210: Organic Chemistry I through academic support, faculty-student collaboration, financial benefits, and a strong peer community.
What is the Accelerator Academy Program?
The Accelerator Academy Program (AAP) is a specialized program for students re-attempting to successfully complete CHM 2210: Organic Chemistry I. The goal is to help students pass the course so they can stay on track to complete their program and graduate on time.
What Are the Benefits of Participating?
- Improve your grade in Organic Chemistry I
- Earn over $1,000 in participation awards
- Get personalized support from trained SARC staff
- Stay on track to graduate
- Join a motivated learning community
Who is Eligible to Participate?
To participate in Accelerator Academy, current UCF students must meet the following criteria:
- Be currently enrolled in CHM 2210 for Fall 2025
- Be re-attempting the course after earning a D or F grade or withdrawing in a previous term
How Can I Join Accelerator Academy?
- Opt-in by Friday, September 5, via this Qualtrics survey link.
- Please note that this program has a maximum enrollment capacity of 90 participants. Be sure to sign up early to secure your place! Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Come to the Overview Meeting in week 1 (see SI Schedule below).
- Start attending your weekly AAP SI sessions and book your ACE meetings (one in September, October, and November).
- Track your progress using the AAP participation punch card (ask your SI Leader).
What are the Requirements?
Click the tabs below to review details related to your participation in the Accelerator Academy Program.
Program Requirements
Participation Awards
Participation Expectations
Additional SARC Support
Program Requirements
What are the Program Requirements?
To qualify for participation awards, Accelerator Academy students must meet the following minimum participation criteria:
- Supplemental Instruction Sessions – Attend a minimum of 6 weekly AAP SI sessions with an SI leader assigned to your section of CHM 2210.
- Peer Academic Consultations – Meet with an ACE Peer Academic Consultant once in September, October, and November
Select the “Participation Awards” tab above to learn about how to earn the maximum award of $1,015.21 for your active engagement in Accelerator Academy.
What is Included?
- Week 1 Overview Meeting – Kick-off during the first week of classes to meet your AAP team, learn program benefits, and get tips for a strong start
- Supplemental Instruction (SI) – Weekly in-person peer-led study session
- Peer Academic Consultations (ACE) – One-on-one building meetings focused on learning skills, study strategies, and academic success (in-person or Zoom)
Participation Awards
Eligible students participating in Accelerator Academy can earn up to $1,015.21 in financial awards based on their participation in the program. There are three awards an eligible participating student can earn.
Tuition Award
This one-time award covers the cost of tuition for CHM 2210 for the Fall 2025 term.
Amount: $315.21
Award requirements: Sign up to participate in Accelerator Academy and meet the minimum participation requirements of completing 6 AAP SI Sessions and 1 ACE Peer Academic Consultation by Tuesday, November 25, 2025.
Engagement Awards
Engagement Awards are earned based on the amount of AAP SI sessions and ACE Peer Academic Consultations that participants complete. Students can earn a maximum of two engagement awards amounting to $700.00 total.
Engagement Award 1
Amount: $350.00
Award requirements: Attend and actively participate in a minimum of 6 AAP SI sessions and meet with an ACE Peer Academic Consultant at least 1 time.
Engagement Award 2
Participants who earn the first participation award of $350.00 can earn a second award based on their continued active engagement in the program.
Amount: $350.00
Award requirements: Attend and actively participate in a minimum of 10 AAP SI sessions and meet with an ACE Peer Academic Consultant at least 3 times. These totals are cumulative, meaning the AAP SI sessions and ACE Peer Academic Consultations that counted for the first award also count towards the second award.
Award Distribution
Engagement awards are processed as departmental payments at the end of the term. These payments are applied directly to your student account and will first apply to any outstanding charges you have to your account (e.g., tuition & fees). If you have no outstanding charges on your account, this may result in a refund issued to you in the form of a direct deposit, check, or refund to a credit card.
If your account was paid using a credit card, the departmental payment will be refunded to the same card.
Please note that third-party payments—such as those from the VA, Vocational Rehabilitation, or an employer (e.g., Disney Aspire Program)—may not result in additional funding being credited to your account. If you have questions or concerns about how awards are distributed and/or how you can see your distributions, please contact UCF Student Account Services.
Participation Expectations
Review the participation expectations below to ensure that your SI sessions and ACE consultations are counted toward your program requirements.
AAP SI Sessions
Attend 10+ AAP SI sessions in addition to 3+ ACE Peer Consultations to earn the maximum participation awards.
- Attend your assigned SI section. Attending other SI sections will not count towards your requirements.
- Join in person: Online CHM 2210 sessions and session recordings do NOT count towards AAP participation requirements.
- Arrive on time and stay for the full session. Arriving 15+ minutes late or leaving early means the session will not count towards your requirements.
- Participate actively throughout the session. SI Leaders will note if you are not engaging with the group during the session. Passive attendance does not count towards your requirements.
- Only regular weekly AAP SI sessions count. Exam reviews do not count towards your program requirements.
ACE Peer Academic Consultations
Attend 3+ ACE Peer Consultations in addition to 10+ SI sessions to earn the maximum participation awards.
- Meet with an AAP ACE Consultant once a month in September, October, and November.
- Schedule in advance to ensure you can meet with a consultant each month.
- Arrive on time and stay for the full appointment. Arriving 15+ minutes late or leaving early will not count towards your requirements.
- Participate actively in the conversations and activities with your consultant. Passive attendance does not count towards your requirements.
- Reschedule within the same month if you must miss a meeting. Scheduling all three ACE Peer Consultations in the same month may not count towards your requirements.
Additional SARC Support
Previous Accelerator Academy students shared that engaging with additional UCF support resources helped them reach their goal of passing CHM 2210.
We highly recommend that Accelerator Academy students engage with these additional SARC resources:
- SI Exam Reviews. Attend optional 1 hour and 50 minute sessions where an SI leader goes over a practice exam in preparation for upcoming exams. Modality (in-person or online) varies by SI leader.
- Group & 1-on-1 Peer Tutoring. Get extra practice with CHM 2210 concepts in either online or in-person tutoring sessions. Visit the webpages linked below for more information:
- Workshops. Participate in one-time sessions on advanced study strategies and exam preparation. While most workshops are general, one is tailored to Organic Chemistry I:
- Organic Chemistry Unlocked: From Confusion to Clarity – Tuesday, October 7, 3:00–3:50 PM, TCH 355 & Zoom. Drop-ins welcome.
- View the full SARC workshop schedule
The above resources are optional and will not count towards Accelerator Academy Program requirements.
Schedule & Locations
SI Schedule - Fall 2025
Each section of CHM 2210 has its own dedicated 1 hour and 50 minute AAP SI sessions with an SI Leader assigned to attend that section of Organic Chemistry I.
During the first week of classes (August 18–22), the first hour of each listed SI sessions will serve as an Overview Meeting, which is an introduction to the Accelerator Academy Program where you will meet program staff and learn how to get the most out of AAP.
Find your section of CHM 2210 below to see your AAP SI weekly schedule options.
Note that you must attend the SI sessions for your section of CHM 2210 for the session to count towards your participation requirements.
SI Leader: Lea R.
Fall 2025 schedule:
- Mondays, 4:30–6:20 PM, Room CB1 113
- Fridays, 10:00–11:50 AM, Room CB1 109
SI Leader: TJ F.
Fall 2025 schedule:
- Mondays, 10:00–11:50 AM, Room CB1 107
- Thursdays, 6:00–7:50 PM, Room NSC 114
SI Leader: Aitan E.
Fall 2025 Schedule:
- Mondays, 12:30–2:20 PM, Room NSC 116
- Wednesdays, 12:00–1:50 PM, Room VAB 217
SI Leader: Selin I.
Fall 2025 schedule:
- Mondays, 6:30–8:20 PM, Room NSC 210
- Tuesdays, 10:00–11:50 AM, Room BA1 115
Selin also offers an optional SI session on Zoom. This session does NOT count towards Accelerator Academy requirements, though you are encouraged to join for additional support.
- Zoom session: Fridays, 3:00–3:50 PM
ACE Appointment Scheduling
Students participating in the Accelerator Academy Program must schedule appointments exclusively with one of the four designated AAP consultants. Meetings with other consultants will not count toward program participation requirements.
The four AAP consultants are:
- Aaliyah Brown
- Emma Cerda
- Gianna Grzechowiak
- Marcelo Viejo Rubio
Appointments should be scheduled via MyKnight STAR during the months of September, October, and November.
For in-person appointments, check-in at the SARC front desk in Trevor Colbourn Hall, Room 117. The front desk staff will point you to the study rooms in TCH 155/156 for your meeting.
Visit the Academic Consultation & Engagement (ACE) Program webpage for more information about what to expect during your ACE consultation and instructions on scheduling appointments.
Sample Weekly Schedule
To see what participation looks like in the program, here’s an example of a typical week in the Accelerator Academy. Your actual schedule may vary depending on your course section, but this shows how SI sessions, ACE consultations, and optional tutoring and workshops fit together.
Contact Us
Have questions or need support?
- Program questions: Dr. Maryann Orawczyk (maryann.orawczyk@ucf.edu)
- Supplemental Instruction (SI): Erika Staiger (erika.staiger@ucf.edu)
- Peer Academic Consultants (ACE): Jessica Johnson (jessica.johnson@ucf.edu)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Click the FAQs below to learn more about the different program components.
Supplemental Instruction (SI) FAQs
Yes. The 50-minute sessions do NOT count as program attendance, though you are still welcome to attend if you want extra practice
Your SI Leaders may decide to offer additional Exam Review sessions outside their regular session times. While exam review attendance is highly encouraged, exam review sessions will not count towards program attendance.
SI works because it is interactive! If you do not actively participate in the SI session, your SI Leader will mark you absent, and your attendance will not count towards program requirements.
All SI sessions for the Accelerator Academy program are in-person. Exam reviews may be offered online as supplemental resources, but these will NOT count towards fulfilling your program requirements
You must stay the entire time to receive credit for the session. The SI Leader will take note of anyone who leaves more than 10 minutes early or arrives more than 15 minutes late
SI Leaders do not directly re-explain content the way a professor or TA might in office hours. Instead, expect to be asked open-ended questions designed to get you to think through content. You will also participate in group activities and group problem solving. Studies show that peers teaching peers is one of the best and most effective ways to learn! SI Leaders guide you to the answers. They don’t tell them to you. This helps you become a more independent learner and helps you better learn and retain content. Students who attend SI regularly on average earn one half to one full letter grade higher than their peers who do not attend. In the Fall 2024 version of this program, all participating students passed with a C or better and half of program participants earned a B or better.
Attend class regularly, watch all lecture videos, and take notes. Supplemental Instruction is supplemental. It is not intended to replace going to class. SI sessions are based on what the majority of session attendees want to go over so come with specific questions or topics to add to the agenda. Bring your notes and your textbook with you to sessions, as you will be asked to use them frequently.
ACE Academic Peer Consultations FAQs
ACE (Academic Consultation and Engagement) meetings are 50-minute, one-on-one sessions with a Peer Academic Consultant who understands the pace, content, and challenges of CHM 2210. We’ll work together on study strategies, time management, note-taking, and test preparation – everything you need to stay on top of Organic Chemistry I.
No. ACE is not peer tutoring or Supplemental Instruction (SI). ACE is one-on-one peer academic consultations focused on helping you succeed in CHM 2210 by building skills and strategies like study planning, time management, and test preparation. We don’t re-teach Organic Chemistry I or review course content; instead, we give you tools to learn and apply the course material more effectively on your own.
A: You’ll meet with one of our four AAP ACE consultants once each month—September, October, and November. To qualify for the Engagement Incentives, your ACE consultation attendance must meet the following criteria:
- Engagement Incentive 1: Attend 1+ ACE consultation and 6+ AAP SI sessions = $350.00
- Engagement Incentive 2: Attend 3+ ACE consultations and 10+ SI sessions = $700.00
Only meeting with your assigned AAP consultant will count toward these incentives.
If you have to miss, log into MyKnight STAR to cancel your meeting and reschedule within the same month so that your meeting counts toward the program requirements. If you do not cancel your meeting ahead of time, you will be marked as a no-show in MyKnight STAR.
- Arrive on time and stay for the full 50 minutes.
- If you’re 15+ minutes late or leave early, it won’t count.
- Be ready to actively participate by asking questions, sharing your challenges, and trying the strategies we discuss.
Yes! ACE meetings can be in-person or on Zoom – whatever works best for your schedule.
- Study strategies for reaction-heavy courses
- Note-taking tips for lectures and problem sets
- Test-prep plans that fit CHM 2210’s fast pace
- Time management for balancing labs, lectures, SI, and homework
Think of ACE as your personal game plan for Organic Chemistry I. It’s designed to help you manage the workload, strengthen how you learn, and apply study strategies that fit the pace and demand of the course.
Additional SARC Support FAQ
SI Exam Reviews offer a focused, 1 hour and 50-minute session where an SI leader walks you through a practice exam. These sessions help you identify gaps in your understanding, reinforce key concepts, and build confidence before test day. Previous Accelerator Academy students found these reviews especially helpful in improving their exam performance. Exam reviews are optional and will be announced on a case-by-case basis. They will be held outside regular SI session hours and do not count towards fulfilling Accelerator Academy program requirements.
Peer tutoring gives you extra practice with CHM 2210 concepts in a supportive setting. Group tutoring allows you to collaborate with peers and learn from shared questions, while 1-on-1 tutoring offers personalized help tailored to your needs. These sessions are a great way to reinforce what you’re learning in SI.
Modality:
Group tutoring is available in-person, hybrid, and online.
1-on-1 tutoring is available online only.
These one-time workshops focus on advanced study strategies and exam preparation tailored to CHM 2210. They’re designed to help you study smarter, manage your time effectively, and approach exams with confidence.
No, these resources are optional and do not count toward Accelerator Academy Program requirements. However, students who actively engaged with these additional supports are more likely to reach their goal of passing CHM 2210.
While ACE consultations and SI sessions are core components of the program, these additional SARC resources provide extra layers of support. They help reinforce learning, offer different perspectives on the material, and give you more opportunities to practice and prepare. Think of them as powerful supplements to your Accelerator Academy experience.