UTSA receives $2.6 million grant to research Hispanic student retention
Graduates at Convocation Center, UTSA Main Campus
(Photo by Mark McClendon)
Graduates at Convocation Center, UTSA Main Campus
(Photo by Mark McClendon)
Share this Story(Sept. 4, 2014) -- UTSA President Ricardo Romo, along with Congressman Joaquin Castro, today announced a five-year $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will go to the UTSA Academy for Teacher Excellence (ATE). The Sustainable Support System for Student Success (S5) grant will be used to support research on Hispanic student retention.
More than 70 percent of students at UTSA are minority and more than 50 percent are first-generation students, giving the university the unique opportunity to provide educational experiences that help these groups succeed academically.
The grant will allow ATE to work with community colleges and high schools in the surrounding area to ensure Hispanic students are college ready upon graduation. The new research will support work the academy already is doing, including developing culturally responsive support systems for underserved students.
ATE will be tasked with several goals. The grant will increase the number of Hispanic students who major in critical teaching shortage areas, as well as help at least 75 percent of students graduating from the program find employment or enroll in graduate school. Research and best practices in Hispanic retention found will then be disseminated.
Other goals for the grant include developing a task force to align the ATE vision with the UTSA Graduation Rate Improvement Rate (GRIP).
Lorena Claeys, executive director and research associate for the Academy for Teacher Excellence; Margarita Machado-Casas, associate professor in the Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies; and Guadalupe Carmona, associate professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, developed the proposal on the university’s behalf and will conduct the research.
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For more information, visit the UTSA Academy for Teacher Excellence website.
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Events
The Racial Justice Book Club was established at UTSA by members of the campus community to explore social justice following acts of racial violence across the nation over the last few years. We are reading The Injustice Never Leaves You: Anti-Mexican Violence in Texas by Monica Muñoz Martinez. We will meet every Wednesday in September and October at 2 pm on Zoom.
Virtual EventCelebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at our very own street fair - Calle UTSA. We will have activities, performances, food, music, and piñatas to break open.
Student Union Paseo"La Plática" is a space for thoughtful dialogue to build a sense of connection among the Roadrunner Community by getting to know each other better and sharing what's on our minds and about ourselves to increase to increase awareness of diverse perspectives.
Virtual EventThis September 30, the Friday Series will feature Prof. Milena Ang, who will be presenting A Tren to Nowhere: Statistic Development and the Politics of Racial, a paper co-authored with Tania Islas-Weistein where they discuss Mexico's long history of state-led development projects that contribute to economic and racial inequality. The authors argue that despite professing racial justice, official discourses surrounding the Tren Maya reproduce existing symbolic and material forms of racism.
McKinney Humanities (MH 4.01.01,) Main CampusWe invite you to learn about the process of screenwriting and explore the intersection of identity and pursuing dreams from Jorge Ramirez-Martinez and Raymond Perez, screenwriters for the Selena: The Series, released on Netflix. They will discuss their careers and writing process, including how their identities as Mexican American and gay men have shaped their professional experiences.
Virtual EventPlease join us in remembering those who have entered the next part of life by designing a nicho box in their memory. This workshop will provide the necessary items to create your nicho box, though please remember to bring a photo or small object that can fit in a 3.5 x5x1 inch box (small jewelry box).
John Peace Library GroupSpot B, Main CampusLMSA invites you to join us in celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month through an interactive cooking lesson! This cultural experience will teach you how to prepare a popular Mexican dish, street taquitos. You will be able to sample this dish and learn the recipe to use in your own home.
Recreation Wellness Center Demo Kitchen
