Department of Academic Success
Ashley Ward, Executive Director
The UT Tyler Office of Academic Success offers programs and services that are designed to improve individual performance and academic achievement through quality academic advising, peer tutoring programs and communities of learners grouped together by majors or interests. These Academic Success programs and services exist primarily to provide academic advising to freshman and sophomore level students, and academic support and social integration to undergraduate students enrolled in freshman, sophomore and junior level courses.
Academic Advising
The Academic Advising Center provides excellence in advising while building relationships with students and supporting them in achieving their academic goals. The advising staff is committed to creating a supportive, student-friendly atmosphere; to encouraging students to set academic and career goals; to empowering students to reach their goals; and to providing individual academic guidance through quality advisement while maintaining confidentiality and honoring the dignity and potential of each student. For additional information, contact the Academic Advising Center at 903-565-5718 or visit us on-line at http://www.uttyler.edu/advising.
Academic Alert
Academic Alert is the early intervention program for UT Tyler and is designed to identify students who are experiencing academic difficulties in one or more courses. Staff works closely with the faculty, academic advisors and other departments on campus to monitor student progress and to ensure that they receive the full benefit of campus resources. At-risk students are contacted with the goal of helping them remain on track towards personal and academic success.
Supplemental Instruction (SI)
Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a series of weekly peer-assisted study sessions designed to support students in courses which have consistently proven to be difficult (high failure and withdrawal rates). Many freshman and sophomore level classes, especially in the math and science areas, are among those supported through SI. The weekly study sessions are guided by an SI leader who is a current UT Tyler student and who has previously been successful in the class he/she is supporting. These leaders are given extensive training to be able to lead effective study sessions for the students they serve. The goal of every session is to focus not only on what students need to learn but also on learning the study skills that are necessary to succeed. UT Tyler students who participate regularly in SI have higher grades and course completion rates than those who do not participate. SI is a free service to UT Tyler students. Please visit us at www.uttyler.edu/si to see our complete listing of available sessions as well as the meeting days and times. For questions, please call 903-565-5567.
PASSages Program
The PASSages program is designed to help students achieve academic success. Students enrolling with ACT/SAT scores and high school rankings below UT Tyler’s published admission criteria, and/or students enrolling as ‘liable’ or ‘not satisfied’ according to published state standards for TSI compliance, will be required to participate in the PASSages (Patriot Academic Success Services) program during their first semester of enrollment.
The program consists of four main components: (1) weekly seminars, (2) appointments with an Academic Advisor, (3) a maximum course load of 12 hours and (4) two required core classes. The seminar portion of PASSages is designed to provide valuable tools to aid in student success. It is a non-credit course and is considered a required part of the weekly schedule. There are multiple sections of the PASSages seminar, and these will be taken into consideration when planning semester schedules.
If, for some reason, a student fails to get enrolled in a PASSages seminar during their initial registration appointment, they will be automatically placed in the appropriate support program’s associated course at the university’s discretion. Students in this situation will be notified through Patriot email of this addition to their schedule. Failure to participate in the required program may result in additional registration and enrollment restrictions.
Mentoring and Advising Patriots for Success
Probationary or suspended students who are first-time freshmen will be required to participate and must enroll in an academic support program such as Mentoring and Advising Patriots for Success (MAPS) in the following semester. Failure to participate in the required program(s) may result in additional registration and enrollment restrictions. First-time freshmen will need to consult with their freshman advisor to plan an appropriate support program and to determine the steps necessary for compliance. A student who fails to comply by the deadline will be enrolled in the appropriate support program(s) associated course at the university’s discretion and will receive notification via Patriot email.
PASS Tutoring Center
The PASS (Patriot Academic Success Services) Tutoring Center is a free walk-in tutoring center, with an individual appointment option, for current UT Tyler students. It is located in the University Center room 3114. The walk-in hours are Monday – Thursday 12PM – 8PM and Sunday 4PM – 8PM, and specific course hours are posted on our website each semester (www.uttyler.edu/tutoring). The subject areas and courses are chosen because of their historically high failure and withdrawal rates at UT Tyler.
Transfer Resource Center
The Transfer Resource Center provides transitional support and guidance to all transfer students. Academic advising services are provided to those students transferring to The University of Texas at Tyler with 30-60 credit hours. The primary goals of the Transfer Resource Center are to provide systematic, student-centered support to undergraduates transitioning to UT Tyler; to assist transfer students in developing meaningful educational and career goals; and to identify support services on campus which can help students achieve academic success. For additional information, contact the Transfer Resource Center at (903) 565-5785.
Student Learning Communities
Student Learning Communities (SLCs) are available in the fall semester for first-time freshmen and are composed of small groups of students with a common major or interest who take classes and a Freshman Year Experience class together. The supportive environment created in these learning communities brings students, faculty, and staff together to promote academic and social success. Freshmen may register for learning communities while registering for fall classes with Academic Advising.
For more information about Student Learning Communities, please visit http://www.uttyler.edu/slc or call (903) 565-5676.