The First Generation and Transfer Student Center has been recognized as a national model.
Oct. 3, 2019 — The UTSA First Generation and Transfer Student Center has been recognized by Excelencia in Education as a Program to Watch for 2019–2020. UTSA is one of only 20 programs out of 166 that were nominated for this recognition.
Excelencia in Education is a national organization based in Washington, D.C., that is committed to promoting the academic and economic success of Latino student populations and propelling them into positions of leadership in U.S. society.
The First Generation and Transfer Student Center provides students with mentoring, student-success activities and community-building opportunities through the First to Go and Graduate and the Roadrunner Transition Experience programs. Both initiatives aim to increase retention and graduation rates of the students they serve.
Forty-five percent of UTSA undergraduates are first-generation college students and 41% are transfer students.
Rooted in the belief that peer mentors and faculty coaches can provide students with valuable and relatable information, resources and advice, the FGTSC is a space and support network that helps these student populations become more engaged and therefore more likely to graduate.
Based on the data, this approach appears to be working. For the fall 2017 cohort the first-year retention rate was 85% for students in the F2G&G program and 86% for students in the RTE program. For the fall 2018 cohort the first-year retention rate was 77% and 88%, respectively. These retention rates fall in line with the university’s goal to reach an 85% first-year retention rate by 2023, which is one of the institutional targets set by President Taylor Eighmy.
“It is a significant accomplishment for our First Generation and Transfer Student Center to be nationally recognized for the positive impact its programs are having on helping our students navigate their way through college towards graduation,” said Tammy Wyatt, vice provost for student success. “UTSA is proud to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution that is proving a model for other universities as they focus more attention on serving vulnerable student populations.
F2G&G and FTE are two of four PIVOT for Academic Success programs at UTSA that are funded by a U.S. Department of Education Title V grant.
As a next generation, Hispanic-thriving, multicultural institution where students from all backgrounds can excel, UTSA serves as a prosperity engine graduating world-engaged civic leaders of tomorrow.
Learn more about Excelencia in Education’s 2019 Programs to Watch.
Learn more about UTSA’s First Generation and Transfer Student Center.
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Celebrate the accomplishments of the graduates of the College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and College of Sciences.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St, San Antonio, TX 78203Celebrate the accomplishments of the graduates of the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design and University College.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St, San Antonio, TX 78203Don’t know where to start in looking for a job or internship? Virtually join in a live job/internship search navigation lab-style workshop. Follow along to bookmark and save opportunities you are interested in applying for.
Student Union (SU 2.02.04,) Main CampusDon’t know where to start in looking for a job or internship? 🔍 Primary platforms utilized during this workshop are Handshake and LinkedIn. Some industry-specific job search boards may be utilized.
Student Union (SU 2.02.04,) Main CampusFirst Friday Stargazing gives anyone free access to the night sky using university telescopes and teaching equipment. Weather permitting, experienced astronomers will provide a handful of telescopes of varying designs, give training on how each operates, and point to various astronomical objects that may appear in the sky for that given time of the year. If you have a telescope and do not know how to operate it, feel free to bring it and get instructions on its use.
4th Floor of Flawn Science Building, Main CampusThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
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We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
