Student Success Update
Math Preparation for Incoming Freshmen
This month, NSM launched the pilot for the Summer Scholars Academy, a nine-week program that provides a pathway for incoming freshmen to begin their first fall term in their first-choice majors. SSA is designed for students with excellent high school academic records who were admitted to UH but did not meet the SAT requirements in NSM or Engineering. In previous years, these students would have started college in the Exploratory Studies program.
Participants will work through a pre-calculus refresher and then complete Calculus I for credit. In addition to receiving standard instruction five days each week, they will also benefit from a recitation section and Scholar Enrichment Workshop, both of which also meet every weekday.
In addition to studying calculus, SSA students are receiving a preview of the chemistry coursework they will complete in the fall and spring. Both calculus and chemistry are significant stumbling blocks for many students, especially those who are under-prepared by their high school training. Students who complete the Summer Scholars Academy will be admitted to their college of choice at the end of the summer.
A Farewell
Associate Dean for Student Success Andrew Hamilton has accepted a new role as Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. There he will continue to advocate for the importance of minority serving institutions and work to broaden access and increase support for students, especially those from vulnerable populations. In the interim, Donna Stokes (Physics) and Donna Pattison (Biology & Biochemistry) have been appointed as Assistant Deans while a search for a permanent Associate Dean for Student Success and Undergraduate Affairs is conducted.