The seagull is the SOAR

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The seagull is the SOAR symbol reminding
students that they can soar above their
academic difficulties and possibly to
new academic heights.
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SOAR consists of two main branches
SOAR TRiO Programs Student Support
Services McNair Scholars Program
SOAR University Tutorial Cost-Share
Tutorial Supplemental Instruction
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SOAR Student Support Services
Student Support Services provides services for US
citizens or permanent residents who

• are first-generation college students
• meet a required income level
• have a documented physical or learning
• disability

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SOAR Student Support Services

• Services include
• Tutoring
• Seminars
• A computer lab
• Ongoing personal, academic, and
• career counseling

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Additional programs SOAR Student Support Services
supports
Student Organizations University Community with
Children (UCC) Project GO (focuses on
entrepreneurial leadership) Common Ground
(Christian organization)
Emerging Scholars FIG
College Completion Challenge Grant
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SOAR Student Support Services
Student Support Services makes a difference in
the lives of approximately 300 students per
academic year.
Retention rate 75 of each cohort of students
are
retained to the second
year. Graduation
rate over 40 of each cohort of SOAR

SSS participants graduate within

six years.
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SOAR Student Support Services Program Evaluation
10-Year Report (Office of Institutional Research
Planning)
The data show that SOAR-SSS participants attain
more advanced classification and receive degrees
at higher percentages than non-participants it
may be inferred that this is due to services they
receive that help them overcomebarriers.
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SOAR Student Support Services
my tutor has been a great help to me. I like
the fact that she encouraged me to ask questions
and she motivated me. Whenever I get an answer
right she praises me. She has helped me improve
my self-esteem because I know NOW that I can do
it. Nothing is impossible.
What SSS students say about the program
I am really thankful for such a great program.
They have helped me in locating resources for
school and for classes. I have had great tutors
and thanks to SOAR I have been maintaining a 3.2
GPA or better for each semester!
All of my dealings with SSS has been beneficial
and helpful and at all times the staff has been
professional and courteous.
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SOAR TRiO Programs
McNair Scholars Program
Works with a minimum of 25 undergraduates each
academic year to help prepare them for
future graduate study culminating in the Ph.D.
and a career in the professoriate.
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SOAR McNair Scholars Program

• The McNair Scholars Program
• provides
• information regarding research,
• the graduate application process,
• and the nature of graduate
• school and the academy
• Summer research internship
• with UTA faculty member
• (intern receives stipend of
• 2800).

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SOAR McNair Scholars Program

• GRE prep classes each summer and free
• tutoring for general and subject area tests
• Tutoring assistance to help students maintain
• a strong GPA (3.0 or above)
• Assistance with graduate school search and
• application procedures
• Funds for off-campus conference participation
• and graduate school visits

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SOAR McNair Scholars Program

• McNair Scholars are recruited each fall
• semester.
• Applications are available October 1
• in room 122 Hammond Hall, or
• on the SOAR/McNair webpage.
• An open house is held in mid-October
• (October 12,2005) in the program office.

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SOAR McNair Scholars Program
Participants are selected by a committee of staff
and faculty and must meet the following criteria

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent
• resident.
• UTA sophomores (by spring of
• program entry), juniors, seniors (not
  graduating until the
• following December at the earliest).
• First-generation and low-income OR
  underrepresented
• in graduate education
• Have a minimum 2.9 GPA
• Any major in which one can earn a Ph.D.

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SOAR McNair Scholars Program

• Program benefits include
• Opportunities to publish summer research in
  the
• UTA McNair Research Journal
• Assistance in locating graduate school
  funding
• Eligibility for McNair graduate school
  application
• fee waivers and graduate fellowships/
• assistantships
• Eligibility for two 500 Friends of the UTA
• Libraries Scholarships

• Free Transcripts
• Laptop borrowing privileges

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SOAR McNair Scholars Program
UTA McNair Scholars have entered graduate
programs at various universities throughout the
United States including

• Cornell University
• Florida State University
• Indiana University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Rice University
• Southern Methodist University
• University of California in Los Angeles
• University of Chicago
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of Wisconsin
• University of North Texas
• University of Texas at Arlington
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

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SOAR McNair Scholars Program
What McNair Scholars say about the program
The skills, preparation and networking
opportunities I received while in the McNair
program have tremendously helped in setting me
apart from many of the other incoming graduate
students.
During the completion of my masters,
particularly during the writing of my thesis,
and now as I move on to my Ph.D. studies, I truly
appreciate having had the experience of being a
McNair Scholar.
I didnt have parents or friends to guide me
through the undergraduate process, much less
the graduate process. The McNair staff (and
program) was that friend.
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SOAR University Tutorial Cost-Share
Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction
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SOAR Cost-Share Tutorial

• Student Service fee funded
• Subsidized individual tutoring in large number
• of 1000 to 3000 level courses
• http//www.uta.edu/soar/UTProgram/CS/course.htm
• 6.50 per hour billed to any UTA students
• account

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SOAR Cost-Share Tutorial
Online Tutoring available via e-mail http//www.u
ta.edu/studentsuccess/soar.php In the following
courses ACCT 2301, ACCT 2302, BIOL 1441, BIOL
1442, BUSA 3321, CHEM 1441, CHEM
1301, CHEM 1302, FINA 3313, HIST
1311, PHYS 1441, PHYS 1443, POLS
2311, SPAN 1441, and SPAN 1442
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SOAR Cost-Share Tutorial
Who are the tutors?

• Juniors, Seniors, or Graduate students
• with a minimum 3.0 GPA
• Recommended by UTA faculty

Students apply online for individual subject
areas Application periods are usually August and
November
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SOAR Cost-Share Tutorial
Tutor Certification

• Tutors are certified through
• the College Reading and
• Learning Association
• based on
• Training
• Experience
• Evaluations

• There are three levels
• of certification
• Regular
• Advanced
• Master

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SOAR Cost-Share Tutorial
How do students receive tutoring through
Cost-Share?
First-time users come to 130 Hammond Hall
Receive access ID to TutorTrac
Schedule appointments from any
location using TutorTrac
TutorTrac
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Finding a tutor using TutorTrac
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SOAR Cost-Share Tutorial
User Statistics

• Serve approximately 1000 students each academic
  year
• Sell over 8000 tutoring hours each academic year
• Serve more juniors, seniors, and graduate
  students than freshmen
• and sophomores
• In 2003/2004, Cost-Share students mean GPA was
  2.8

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SOAR Cost-Share Tutorial
What Cost-Share students said about the program
when asked What worked well in your tutoring
session?
He had the ability to explain the different
mechanisms to me so that I better understood
them. He was patient with me when I had a hard
time understanding a certain concept. He also
tried to make the most of my time.
Very knowledgeable about the subject and was
very good at explaining.
My tutor was very easy to understand and asked
me questions to ensure I was learning.
One on one service did help.
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SOAR Supplemental Instruction
The Goal of SI is to help improve student grades
and increase student retention and graduation
rates.

• Review sessions attached to challenging courses
• Over 30 SIs 50 class sections each long term
• 3000 UTA students access SI services each school
  year

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SOAR Supplemental Instruction

• SI is typically offered in
• ACCT 2301, 3311
• BIOL 1441, 1442, 2457, 2458, 3315, 3444
• CHEM 1441, 1442, 2321, 2322
• CSE 1320
• ECON 2305
• FINA 3313
• HIST 1311, 1312
• MATH 1301, 1302, 1303, 1308, 1316, 1323
• PHYS 1441, 1443

• SI sessions
• Average 4-10 students
• Some classes average 25 students
• Exam reviews receive 25 to 100 students

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SOAR Supplemental Instruction

• SI leaders sit in on the class again and hold
• three unique study sessions each week.

• Each SI leader has a peer or staff supervisor

• SI leaders also hold special exam review
• sessions and provide handouts in the session
• and through the SI Web Portal.

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SOAR Supplemental Instruction
SI Web Portal
http//www3.uta.edu/soar/default.aspx

• Each SI leader has a web page complete with
• Email
• Announcements
• Message Board
• Calendar
• Uploaded Handouts

15,000 hits the first semester Fall
2004 17,000 hits the second semester Spring
2005
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SOAR Supplemental Instruction
____ is really good. Helps clear information,
concepts and ideas.
____ was a strongly effective SI leader and has
helped me tremendously in this course. He made
the lessons clear and useful.
I did not attend SI sessions because my schedule
conflicted. I did use handouts and review
exercises on the web portal and found them to
be very useful.
Student Comments about SI
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SOAR SI Evaluation Results
In Fall 2003/Spring 2004, 1218 (42) of the 2908
student participants completed scantron
evaluations and gave the SI program a rating of
5.26 on a 6 point scale, indicating 90
satisfaction with the SI services they received.
59 of the 107 class sections (55) reached one
goal of SI - students achieving one-half to one
full letter grade better than non-SI students.
AN IRP study of the SI program indicated that SI
positively impacts grades, retention, and
graduation rates.