Program Components:

Academic/remedial support

Collaborative funding

Roger Wolf, Dean

855 N. Vermont Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90029

213-669-4000, wolfrw@lacitycollege.edu

students and to increase the completion rates of all students at Los Angeles City College.

The practice is particularly beneficial to women in math and science. The Pi Shop and

Byte Shop are located in two computer labs that are set up to facilitate collaboration and

group projects. The Pi shop focuses on supporting students encountering difficulties with

math, and the Byte shop provides support in computer science. Students learn of the pi

and byte shops via word-of-mouth and classroom announcements. The program is

marketed to other faculty who are encouraged to send students who may be experiencing

difficulties. The shops are very popular with students and many spend time there

completing work in addition to receiving assistance. The shops serve as a support

network for these students. They can play an important role in supporting female students

experiencing difficulties in math and technical areas.

The shops are staffed by a full-time coordinator and part-time student tutors. The centers

contain computers, tables, and employ a tracking system via a log-in and log-out system

to monitor student use. The tracking system shows that the skills of students who

participate with the Pi Shop or Byte Shop increase to a level that is higher than average in

math and science. The cost of the programs is paid by student contact hours and a

National Science foundation district grant.