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| Comprehensive Standard: | 3.4.9 | |
| The institution provides appropriate academic support services. | ||
| Compliance Rating: | Compliance |
| Statement of Compliance: The University of Texas-Pan American provides appropriate academic support services. |
| Narrative: Various divisions in The University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) provide the foundation for the University’s mission to “prepare students for lifelong learning and leadership roles in the state, nation and world community”. Since the student population at UTPA is predominantly Hispanic and economically disadvantaged, support in the form of academic enrichment, tutoring, and advisement is essential to the academic well being of all students. Additionally, 68.8% report being first-generation college students as indicated by the publication entitled Report on Fall 2005 Entering Students. Thus, because many UTPA students do not have individuals in their households who have experienced the challenges of academic life, traditional academic support becomes vital to their success. The table below lists academic support activities provided to students. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Academic Enrichment Activities |
| UTPA provides students with academic research support through its University Library. Reference librarians train students to use discipline-specific databases and provide general research help for students writing their first research paper. Whole-class tutorials on using library resources effectively are offered to students in undergraduate and graduate courses. Students conducting research also use the service known as Interlibrary Loan. In 2004 and the first six months of 2005, over 3,000 students took advantage of this service, which allows them to borrow books, articles, and documents from other libraries. The Geographic Informational System/Media Lab is a library service which provides mapping equipment as well as computer programs and color printers for students preparing projects integrating maps, video, or audio segments. A unique area within the University Library is the Lower Rio Grande Valley Historical Collection, which is accessed by graduate students in a variety of disciplines. Using wireless technology, the University Library also offers laptop checkout use for students using multiple areas of the library. The needs of distance learners and those students at the Starr County Upper Level Center are met through library materials which can be accessed from off-campus, and tutorials are available on the web for students using these services. Reference librarians can also answer specific questions through the “Ask a Librarian” feature located on the library’s website. The University Library encourages frequent student evaluation by posting suggestions at a visible bulletin board and soliciting suggestions through its website |
| Innovative academic programs target a variety of students on campus. Assessing the needs of students with disabilities, the Office of Services for Persons with Disabilities (OSPD) offers academic services, such as note takers, and coordinates learning accommodations with faculty, thereby allowing students with disabilities full participation in the University and enhancing learning in enrolled courses. The needs of students seeking challenging curricula taught by qualified faculty in small classes with opportunities for research are met through the University Honors Program. Diverse learning experiences are encouraged for all students through Study Abroad opportunities, coordinated by the department of International Programs. These programs seek to help students better function in the multicultural “world community” that surrounds them as proposed by the University mission statement. |
| Distance learners, as well as those enrolled in hybrid courses (part face-to-face/part online), are offered academic support through the Center for Distance Learning and Teaching Excellence. This component of Academic Affairs supports students and faculty members as they use the WebCT learning platform offered by the University. Support includes orientations provided in the students’ classrooms, take-home informational compact discs, and an Online Help Desk, including a comprehensive online tutorial and an online request form for asking questions not addressed on the website. The comprehensive support offered by the Center for Distance Learning has been vital in the development of innovations such as the Online MBA Program and Interactive Video Courses, which allow UTPA instructors to interact with concurrent students taking University courses at their high school campuses. Part of the “innovative delivery systems” referenced by the University’s mission statement, this component has resulted in the addition of new online and hybrid courses every semester, which is of great benefit to students enrolled at the Starr County Upper Level Center as well as the general population of commuter students since only 592 beds are available for on-campus resident students. |
| Throughout the colleges represented in Academic Affairs, several UTPA departments host academic support programs which provide a variety of educational experiences to their students. Innovative programs exist in each college. For example, the Center for Advisement, Recruitment, Internship, and Retention in the College of Business Administration advises students seeking employment opportunities, including related internships and mentorships. All Business majors are also encouraged to become certified in Communication Skills to make them highly marketable to future employers. Furthermore, the College of Education offers programs such as the Curriculum Resource Center and Center for Applied Research in Education (CARE), which supports research and teaching activities undertaken by students in the college. Initiatives in the College of Health Science and Human Services include Project Enhance, which provides vital information regarding Assistive Technology to students with disabilities, and the Speech and Hearing Center, which offers assessments to students. The College of Arts and Humanities exposes students to experiential academic activities such as contributing to student publications like The Pan American and Panorama and performing in events like musical productions and University Theatre. Two research institutes in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences are the Center for Aging and Center for Survey Research, which expand the research opportunities available to students, and the College also sponsors the Law School Preparation Institute, a summer program for pre-law students. Finally, the College of Science and Engineering enriches the academic experience of its students through pre-medical, pre-dental, and pre-pharmacy programs and hosts a number of innovative programs such as the Texas Pre-Engineering Program and Premedical Honor’s College, which is a joint initiative with Baylor College of Medicine. Common to all of these enrichment experiences is their connection to the University’s mission to encourage its students to engage in “lifelong learning and leadership roles in the state, nation, and world community.” |
| Tutoring and Advisements |
| The University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) provides academic support in the areas of tutoring and advisement. To support its mission to “serve the higher education needs of a rapidly growing, international, multicultural population,” essential tutorial and advisement programs are offered through the Divisions of Academic Affairs, Business Affairs, and Enrollment and Student Services. |
| Tutoring is offered by departments within colleges as well as other campus organizations. The Department of Mathematics offers math tutoring through The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Math Lab while the College of Business Administration supports business student organizations, like the Business Student Advisory Council’s tutoring program in accounting and statistics. The writing skills of all students are met through the University Writing Center, a joint effort by Academic Affairs and Enrollment and Student Services. The needs of students are met through this center with extended evening hours to meet the needs of night students in the fall and spring semesters. An online-tutoring service meets the needs of weekend students as well as those enrolled at the Starr County Upper Level Center. Assessment of writing services occurs every fall and spring semester. Reports are generated and distributed to divisional leaders so that services can be enriched to fully meet the needs of all enrolled students. For example, since the fall 2005 evaluation indicated students would like more tutors and computers to be available in the University Writing Center, divisional heads are investigating possible funding sources for an expansion of the existing center. |
| In addition to offering tutoring within departments, Academic Affairs has been instrumental in generating innovative responses to University advisement weaknesses referenced in the Customer Service Report Fiscal Year 2004, particularly at the upper-division level. The University Retention and Advisement Program is one program which meets the advisement needs of students within colleges. Assigned advisors work closely with faculty and students within each college. These advisors coordinate their activities with the professional guidance counselors and academic advisors in the Academic Advisement and Mentoring Center, established in 2005. Jointly, these two groups advise students who have cleared developmental coursework within each college, offer workshops specific to the college, and co-teach with faculty teaching the Learning Framework course. |
| Advisement and tutoring needs of specialized groups are also met through other departments on campus. For example, in the Division of Business Affairs, the Intercollegiate Athletic Department directly supports all student athletes on campus. Trainers and coaches provide for the student’s athletic development by ensuring each athlete’s compliance with National Collegiate Athletic Association regulations. To demonstrate its commitment to supporting the “lifelong learning and leaderships roles” referenced by UTPA’s mission statement, this department places a strong emphasis on the academic progress of its student athletes as evidenced by its investment in the Student-Athlete Academic Learning Center. This center is coordinated by the Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Support/Student Services and staffed with an Athletic Counselor and other academic support staff members who provide for the educational needs of the student athlete. An established reporting process allows for ongoing communication among the student athlete’s coach, academic advisor, and professors. As a result, according to the UTPA athletic website, the average graduation rate of student athletes at 41% exceeds the average six-year graduation rate of undergraduate students at 26%. |
| A number of advisement and tutoring needs are met through components of the Division of Enrollment and Student Services. For example, the advisement and tutoring needs of seventy migrant students are met through their participation in the College Assistance Migrant Program. The needs of this group are assessed so that skill development can be enhanced and developed. Furthermore, all enrolled students are offered drop-in tutoring in the areas of Math, Science, Social Sciences, and Writing (through the University Writing Center, a co-divisional program with Academic Affairs) through the Learning Assistance Center. Using the peer tutoring approach, the tutorial areas are staffed by degreed professionals, graduate tutors, and undergraduate tutors. Tutors, many of whom are UTPA students, are trained and certified through the College Reading and Learning Association. The effectiveness of this component is assessed so that students are provided beneficial and effective services. In addition to non-course based educational developmental labs provided to developmental students through the Math, Writing, and Computer-Assisted Instruction Lab, all other tutorial services are offered to enrolled students. |
| The Learning Assistance Center also manages the Academic Advisement Center, International Student Advisement Office, and Counseling Center. All entering freshmen, as well as students needing to clear the requirements mandated by the Texas State Initiative (TSI) Program, are advised by degreed professionals in the Academic Advisement Center (AAC). Students remain with AAC advisors until they have cleared their developmental coursework. AAC advisors also offer small-group and classroom workshops as needed and work closely with the new student orientation program coordinated by the Office of New Student and Visitor Services. Using assessment results, the Academic Advisement Center has enriched its program to better meet the needs of its students. For example, the Annual September 2004-August 2005 Report indicated a need for more counselors. In response, the AAC has contracted with one additional counselor to better serve students until a new position can be budgeted. The advisement needs of international students transitioning to academia in the United States are met through immigration workshops and seminars conducted by the International Student Advisement Center. Students with mental health issues are served through the Counseling Center, which offers personal and small-group counseling, and coordinates with other departments on campus to offer wellness screenings. Substance-abuse counseling is also offered to students coping with alcohol and drug problems through the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program housed in the Dean of Students’ office. |
| Thus, through the cooperation of various divisions on campus, the advisement and tutoring needs of all students are effectively met, providing a solid foundation for the “lifelong learning” experiences referenced by the UTPA mission statement. |
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