An Academic Model for SEM Student An Academic Model for SEM Student Success in an Urban Commuter InstitutionSuccess in an Urban Commuter Institution

Connie Kubo Della-Piana, Evaluation Director

Benjamin Flores, MIE Project Director

Rosa Gomez, ACES Assistant Director

Helmut Knaust, Associate Dean

Support for this program wasprovided by the National Science Foundation

February 19, 2002

UTEP Student Population Profile (Fall 2001)UTEP Student Population Profile (Fall 2001)

24 years of age (undergraduate average)

69% Hispanic (Mexican American)82% from El Paso County 98% commuter81% employed54% first generation university students

El Paso County Demographic Data:El Paso County Demographic Data:Census 2000Census 2000

Fall 2001 EnrollmentFall 2001 Enrollment

16,220 students

2,010 UG in Engineering

+ 904 UG in Science  2,914 18% total enrollment

UTEP SEM Students from 1994 to 2001UTEP SEM Students from 1994 to 2001

UTEP Undergraduate Science & Engineering UTEP Undergraduate Science & Engineering ProgramsPrograms

SCIENCE• Biology• Chemistry• Environmental Science• Geology• Geophysics• Microbiology• Mathematics• Physics• Psychology

ENGINEERING• Civil Engineering• Computer Science• Electrical and Computer

Engineering• Industrial Engineering• Materials and

Metallurgical Engineering

• Mechanical Engineering

UTEP’s Academic Model for SEM Student UTEP’s Academic Model for SEM Student SuccessSuccess

CircLES SEM Entering Student ProgramCircLES SEM Entering Student Program

Goal of the CircLES Program:to increase the retention of SEM entering students via the implementation of learning communities in the freshman year

• Week long summer orientation• Placement exams in Math and English• Course clustering (Math, University Seminar,

English Composition)• Proactive advising and scheduling

ORIENTATION

LEARNING COMMUNITIES

ADVISING

PEER LEADERSHIP

STRUCTURESTRUCTURE

CONNECTIONS MATH REVIEW

COLLEGE SUCCESS SKILLS

LABORATORY/DESIGN

ORIENTATIONORIENTATION

SCIENCECHALLENGE

SKILLSEMINARS

CAMPUSTOURS

MATHREVIEW

ASSESSMENT

PERSONALIZED ADVISING

SCHEDULE BUILDING

EXPANDING CONNECTIONS

INTRUSIVE ADVISING

ADVISINGADVISING

LEARNING COMMUNITIESLEARNING COMMUNITIES

Pre-College or CollegeEnglish

Seminar in CriticalInquiry

Pre-College Math I

IntroductoryEng / Sci Course

Pre-College or CollegeEnglish

Seminar in CriticalInquiry

Pre-College Math II

Engineering / Science Discipline Course

Pre-College or CollegeEnglish

Seminar in CriticalInquiry

Pre-Calculus

Engineering / ScienceDiscipline Course

Pre-College or CollegeEnglish

Seminar in CriticalInquiry

Calculus

PEER LEADERSHIPPEER LEADERSHIPPEER LEADERSHIPPEER LEADERSHIP

FALL 2001 TEAM

Fall 2001 Status of CircLES Peer Facilitators Fall 2001 Status of CircLES Peer Facilitators (n=97)(n=97)

CircLES First Semester Student CircLES First Semester Student PerformancePerformance(Fall 2000)(Fall 2000)

CircLES SEM Student RetentionCircLES SEM Student Retention

Anticipated Degrees Conferred (2001-2015)Anticipated Degrees Conferred (2001-2015)

UTEP SEM Degrees Conferred to Minority UTEP SEM Degrees Conferred to Minority Students from 1993 to 2000Students from 1993 to 2000

Academic Center for Engineers and Academic Center for Engineers and Scientists (ACES)Scientists (ACES)

Goal: To promote and support good study habits in a state-of-the-art environment for all SEM commuter students

• Classroom Complex• Physical Sciences• Biology and

Environmental Science

• Mathematics

ACES SERVICESACES SERVICES SEM TutoringSEM TutoringSeminars and WorkshopsSeminars and WorkshopsCareer OpportunitiesCareer OpportunitiesGraduate School Graduate School

RecruitingRecruiting

ACES Average Student Usage: Fall 2000/ ACES Average Student Usage: Fall 2000/ Fall 2001Fall 2001

Academic Center for Engineers and Academic Center for Engineers and ScientistsScientists

Center for Effective Teaching and LearningCenter for Effective Teaching and Learning

Goals:• To provide leadership in

teaching excellence at UTEP and in the region

• To mentor new faculty and encourage senior faculty to stay focused on their teaching

• To support scholarship of teaching

Faculty CETaL Workshop Attendance (1998-Faculty CETaL Workshop Attendance (1998-2001)2001)

LESSONS LEARNEDLESSONS LEARNED

• Know that change = hard work• Review of organizational history• Identify new roles and people for new challenges• Identify innovators, champions, chairs and key senior

faculty• Communicate, coordinate & make joint decisions• Support and recognize• Disseminate internally and market• Assess, adapt and modify

Support for this program wasprovided by the National Science Foundation