3.4.9: The institution provides appropriate academic support services.  Narrative:   The University of Texas (UT) at Arlington supports a variety of undergraduate and graduate student success programs that help students connect with the University environment and achieve academic success in their classes. UT Arlington support services offer academic tutoring, counseling, career, assessment, advising and computer services. Academic service programs are housed in both the academic and student affairs divisions and are funded through student fees and department, college and central administration budgets. Central reporting of the student support activities is tied to the College Learning Team (CLT). The CLT, an administrative committee consisting of representatives from various UT Arlington student support programs, creates an annual report containing information regarding: (a) student demographics, (b) the nature of the success programs, (c) the number of students served, (d) funding allocations, (e) summaries of student and director/staff program evaluations, (f) future program recommendations and needed resources and (g) retention and graduation statistics of the students who participate in CLT support service programs. [1] Expansion of the CLT is currently underway, and it is anticipated that all other UT Arlington success programs will join the CLT in the near future. Services that are not currently part of the CLT are listed under “Other Learning Resources. “  CLT Programs:  Students Obtaining Academic Readiness (SOAR):   Academic support services for this federally-funded program are available to qualifying students and include: (a) tutoring in core courses, (b) academic skills seminars, (c) counseling/advising, (d) a staffed computer lab, (e) a laptop lending program and (f) tickets to local cultural events provided at no cost to participants. The program also offers grant assistance to income-eligible freshmen and sophomores and a UT Arlington Freshman Interest Group (FIG) for first-generation college freshmen. [2]  Cost-Share Tutorial: Individual tutoring in many 1000-3000 level courses is available to any UT Arlington student at a cost of $6.50 per hour. All tutors are upperclassmen who have a minimum 3.0 GPA, were recommended by faculty and trained by SOAR staff. [3]  Supplemental Instruction (SI): Free weekly study sessions are provided for specific sections of difficult courses. Exam reviews are offered for each major test. SI leaders have taken the course before and attend the class again, offering three study sessions per week. SI schedules, handouts, leader contact information and Email information may be accessed on the SOAR website. [4]  McNair Scholars Program: Services in this federally-funded program prepare eligible undergraduates for success in graduate school. The program includes: (a) a faculty-mentored summer research internship with a $2800 stipend, (b) seminars and workshops related to program goals and (c) tutoring and individual advising regarding academic and professional goals. Opportunities to attend research conferences, graduate school fairs and visits to graduate schools are also provided. [5]  Upward Bound Programs:   These federally-funded programs are designed to prepare eligible high school students for higher education. Participants receive instruction in literature, composition, mathematics and science on the UT Arlington campus after school, on Saturdays and during the summer. Tutoring and testing are available, as well as academic and career counseling. Information is given on the college admissions and financial aid processes. Other services include career development workshops and seminars and cultural and educational field trips. Upward Bound students are invited to participate in a six-week residential program on the UT Arlington campus which can culminate into the Bridge Program, which provides a scholarship for summer graduates to receive six hours of college credit during the second six-week UT Arlington session. [6]  Counseling, Advising, Assessment and Career Services:  Counseling Services: The UT Arlington Counseling Services assists students with a wide range of concerns, including: (a) personal and relationship problems, (b) transitioning into college, (c) choosing a major, (d) making career decisions and (e) improving grades. Services include personal counseling and growth seminars, career development testing and group counseling, which may involve relaxation training, academic support and self-esteem enhancement. Faculty, staff, student and parent consultations are also available. [7] Counseling services [8] and seminars [9] are evaluated annually by students who access the services.   Student Advising: Advising at UT Arlington follows a mixed model where undeclared students are advised through the University Advising Center [10] and students that are majors or pre-majors are advised by the appropriate college and/or department. Advisors assist students with: (a) course selection and scheduling, (b) major and career advice, (c) policy and procedure explanations and (d) referrals to available campus resources. Advisors communicate with continuing and prospective students through individually scheduled appointments, walk-in appointments, Email advising, as well as web and telephone inquiries. New freshman students are required to attend a summer orientation session for advisement. Students are given the opportunity to evaluate the University Advising Center services on an annual basis. [11]  Assessment Services: Assessment Services administers the many tests required at UT Arlington. Among these are: (a) admission tests (SAT and MAT), (b) Texas Success Initiative (THEA: Quick and Computer Assisted), (c) Credit by Exam (CLEP) and (d) GTA Exams (Spoken English Assessment). Other exams administered include: Computer Proficiency Test (CPT), Major Field Test in Business and correspondence and distance education exams. Assessment Services also serves as a test site for national exams such as ACT, SAT, LSAT and MCAT. [12] Students are given the opportunity to evaluate Assessment Services annually. [13] This includes evaluations of CLEP [14] and CPT [15] services.  Career Services: Career Services has three locations on campus: Career Services, Business Career Services and Student Employment Services. Career Services provides the following: (a) fall and spring campus-wide career/job fairs, (b) graduate and professional school fair, (c) on-campus interviews and online job listings for internships, (d) work-study positions and (e) the Workforce Recruitment Program, a federal program for students with disabilities. New innovations include the RezFuzion Virtual Mock Interviewing Program and Podcasts developed on career related topics. The Career Diploma Series, six workshops designed to build skill-sets needed to prepare for and obtain meaningful work, is also offered. Other services include presentations to classes and student organizations. [16] Students are given the opportunity to evaluate Career Services workshops. [17]  Student Success Programs:  Adapting to a new college environment can present academic and social challenges to new freshman and transfer students. The Student Success Programs Office [18] links students to a wide variety of programs, activities and services to enhance their UT Arlington experience. The Student Success Programs Office: (a) oversees Year One @ UT Arlington, [19] (b) administers the Maverick Scholars learning communities, [20] (c) provides the College Learning Course (EDUC 1302) for the Gateway Advantage program [21] and (d) coordinates the activities of a variety of academic support programs and Welcome Days Student Round-Up [22] events on campus. The Student Success Programs Office also provides information and referral for students on: (a) University transition, (b) transportation, (c) disability assistance, (d) academic support, (e) financial aid, (f) career advice, (g) campus activities and (h) student health.  The Office of Student Success Programs also serves as a liaison between Academic Support Programs, including: (a) College Adjustment (EDUC 1131), [23] (b) College Learning Course (EDUC 1302), [21] (c) SOAR programs, [2] (d) English Writing Center, [24] (e) Math Clinic, [25] (f) Science Education and Career Center, [26] (g) Service Learning, [27] (h) University Advising Center, [10] (i) UT Arlington-HOSTS! [28] and (j) the University Library. [29] Summary student and director/staff evaluations of Student Success Programs are located in the CLT annual report. [1]   Other Learning Resources:  Departmental Tutoring, Clinics, Labs and Centers: Several academic departments offer their students support services through tutoring, clinics, labs and centers. Examples of these services include the: (a) Accounting Lab, [30] (b) Business Computer Labs, [31] (c) Marketing Research Instructional Lab, [32] (d) Physics Clinic, [33] (e) developmental English classes [34] and (f) statistical services. [35] Other resources include the: (a) Chemistry Clinic, (b) Architecture Design Center, (c) Finance Tutorial, (d) Statistics Lab and (e) developmental math classes. The Language Acquisition Center serves as an electronic library, housing all media for the Department of Foreign Languages, and doubles as a supplemental classroom, complete with a staff of computer lab assistants available to individuals needing help with materials. [36] The Nursing Learning Resources Center provides: (a) undergraduate nursing students a place to develop, refine and apply knowledge in clinical practice; (b) graduate students a setting to study selected aspects of clinical practice and education by providing needed learning resources and (c) faculty with resources to support classroom teaching, clinical learning activities and scholarly endeavors. [37] The Nursing department also offers students the opportunity to utilize patient simulators through its Smart Hospital.  [38]  Center for Distance Education:  UT Arlington is a leader in providing distance education across Texas and around the world. The Center for Distance Education’s (CDE) [39] mission is to “retool undergraduate and graduate courses for more flexible delivery to learners enrolled at UT Arlington.” [40] In order to accomplish this mission, the CDE offers a variety of student resources.  UT Arlington CDE offers distance education students several resources to enhance their learning experiences. The CDE offers: (a) an assessment to determine if distance education is right for the student, [41] (b) a WebCT Checklist, [42] (c) proctored testing [43] and (d) information regarding student advising, registration, library and miscellaneous services. [44] The CDE also offers faculty a wide variety of resources. [45]  Office for Students with Disabilities:  It is the goal and policy of the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) to ensure that no qualified person be: (a) excluded from participating in any University program or activity, (b) denied the benefits of any University program or activity or (c) subjected to discrimination with regard to any University program or activity. As part of its commitment to a diverse campus culture, the OSD envisions full participation and integration of students with disabilities. In order to achieve this goal, OSD promotes the cooperative efforts of the departments, offices and personnel, which are essential in preparing students to work, live and contribute to an increasingly complex society. To this end, the Institution continues to strive to achieve excellence in its services and to assure that its services are delivered equitably and efficiently to all of its members. The OSD attempts to guarantee equal access by removing possible barriers, both in campus structures and in the classroom environment. This is done through: (a) counseling, (b) referral, (c) assistive technology, (d) interpreters, (e) reasonable accommodations and (f) the provision of disability related information. [46]  Office of International Students:   The Office of International Students offers a variety of student and scholar services to help international students succeed at UT Arlington. The Office assists students with employment, social security, academic and travel issues. [47]  University Library:  As a physical entity the Library is comprised of a Central Library [48], two branch libraries (Architecture and Fine Arts Library, AFA, [49] and Science and Engineering Library, SEL, [50]) and four satellite libraries (Electronic Business Library [51]; Social Work Electronic Library [52]; UT Arlington/ Fort Worth Higher Education Center [53]; UT Arlington at Santa Fe Station, which will open in spring 2007). These facilities offer access to a diverse collection of print, microform, media and electronic information resources which were developed to enhance student learning and support faculty research. The Library’s increasing number of electronic resources enables access to a variety of electronic monographs, full-text journals and databases for the University community and is accessible in the Library, University facilities and off-campus.      Honors College:  The Honors College [54] offers its students an interdisciplinary undergraduate curriculum that is intellectually challenging. The Honors College offers its students the following academic support services: (a) Honors Academic Advising Center, [55] (b) The Carolyn A. Barros Reading Room (library and computer lab), [56] (c) Honors College Listserv, [57] (d) Online Forms and Digital Document Library [58] and (e) FIGS. [59] Information about the Honors College and its services is available in the online and paper versions of the Undergraduate Catalog [60] and on the Honors College website. [54]  Other Programs: UT Arlington also offers its student body several nonacademic support programs and resources. Nonacademic programs and resources are outlined in Core Requirement 2.10. [61]   Adequacy, Appropriateness and Accessibility of UT Arlington Academic Support Services:  Adequacy and appropriateness of academic support services are determined in a variety of ways. First, support service staff keeps current on local and global higher education issues, thereby providing insight into how other institutions deal with critical issues. A case in point is found in UT Arlington’s Counseling Services Office. One method of ensuring that students receive high-quality services through UT Arlington Counseling Services is by supporting professional staff in continuing education activities that keep them attuned to the latest developments in college counseling. Attendance at professional conferences provides opportunities to keep abreast of the latest developments in the field, to remain informed about standards for best practice and to learn about beneficial programs and initiatives at other campuses from colleagues in the field, as such programs may prove beneficial to UT Arlington. For example, the Director of UT Arlington Counseling Services attended the American University and College Counseling Center Directors’ Association Conference, where he learned about the Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) method of suicide prevention used at The University of Kentucky and Texas A & M University. The suicide prevention program was developed by the QPR Institute in Spokane, Washington, and Counseling Services staff investigated the feasibility of bringing the program to UT Arlington and subsequently submitted a proposal to the administration that was accepted with the support and collaboration of the Department of Residence Life. The proposal included implementing QPR in several stages, the first of which was to bring a certified QPR Trainer to UT Arlington in July 2005. This Trainer provided training to staff in counseling and mental health services that resulted in staff being certified as “QPR Instructors.” In January 2006 approximately 60 UT Arlington Academic Advisors received training, and plans are now in place to offer the training to Residence Life and Student Activities staff and student campus leaders in the 2006-07 academic year. The QPR program at UT Arlington has been a successful initiative that has enhanced campus safety and security and has led to the improvement of the well-being of many UT Arlington students.  Second, student support service providers maintain communications with Student Congress on a regular basis. This allows all entities the ability to identify and address issues in a way that gives resolution for all parties. For example, in the fall of 2004, the University Advising Center (UAC) submitted a proposal to the Student Congress Technology Fee Committee requesting funding for computers for the lobby of the UAC for students to utilize for enrollment activities and campus resource exploration. Communicating need and outlining the benefit to student constituents resulted in a $15,000 award by the Committee for 16 student computers and the needed hardware. Third, the majority of academic support services are evaluated by students on an annual basis. Student feedback is essential in determining how best to meet student need, either through the adaptation of current services or through the creation of new services. Examples of student feedback are found in the 2004-2005 CLT Report. [1] Another example is the 2004-2005 Unit Effectiveness Plan. As a result of assessment efforts regarding student feedback, the 2004-2005 Unit Effectiveness Planning cycle reflects changes that were made to EDUC 1302: College Learning Course, which is associated with the Gateway Advantage Program. Course evaluations and instructor feedback indicated that students were discouraged by the results of the Learning and Study Skill Inventory (LASSI), which was contributing to the ineffective behavior change projects for the course. To address this issue, the Strengths Quest assessment tool, a strength-based improvement program, was incorporated into the course in addition to the LASSI assessment. Fourth, appropriateness is determined through the evaluation of institutional trends. For example, the Maverick Scholars learning communities [20] were started in 1997 to address low retention and graduation rates at the institution. The success of the initial learning communities spawned the Kalpana Chawla Hall Experience, a living-learning residential learning community that opened in 2004. [62] Fifth, all campus units must submit Unit Effectiveness Plans [63] to the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness. These plans list program goals and record achievement in the form of formative and summative goal development, attainment and measures of improvement in specific identified services and procedures. Evidence of program effectiveness is seen in the unit plans. [64] [65] [66] [67] [68] [69] [70] [71] Lastly, adequacy and appropriateness of student services are often determined through a combination of the aforementioned ways. An example of this is the Graduation Rates Task Force. This committee was charged with evaluating the impacts that affect UT Arlington retention and graduation rates and time-to-degree lengths. To accomplish this task, the committee used a combination of five lines of inquiry: (a) research on student graduation success factors and identification of best practices, (b) identification and evaluation of current resources, (c) identification of department and faculty practices, (d) identification and evaluation of administrative/process barriers and (e) data analysis. The committee presented its findings in the 2005 UT Arlington Graduation Rates Task Force Final Report [72] and made short-, mid- and long-range recommendations and actions based on their findings. Students and faculty are made aware of support services through various means. Student services are listed in the paper and online versions of the Undergraduate [73] and Graduate [74] Catalogs, the Student Handbook [75] and the Student Service Program websites. Student support services are also advertised to students through: (a) orientation, (b) welcome receptions, (c) direct mail, (d) Year One Guide, (e) Parent Guide, (f) Preview Days, (g) direct marketing emails, (h) parent listserv, (i) posters, (j) flyers, (k) advertising cases, (l) brochures, (m) advertisements in the student newspaper, (n) residence hall move-in day activities, (o) open houses, (p) chalking of classrooms and (q) pens and highlighters with the program’s phone number and email address printed on it. Student support services are advertised to faculty through the: (a) Advisor Handbook and listserv, (b) UT Arlington Advising Association listserv and newsletters, (c) MAV Scholar letters and (d) Faculty Mentor Luncheon.