APPENDIX A

MISSION STATEMENT

The University Outreach Center facilitates the mission of the community university by providing students access to higher education. A student learning imperative guides our work. As such, the Center advances economic and social development, enhances the quality of life, fosters respect for the community, provides for personal and career enrichment, and expands knowledge through academics and field trip experiences. The Center provides after-school and summer academic enrichment activities, tutorials, career guidance, cultural, social, and health awareness, leadership training, parent and community involvement, and economic self-sufficiency.

Through comprehensive support programs, individuals, parents, and teachers are provided early awareness of what it takes to succeed in college in order for them to take the necessary measures. These programs include:

· Young Farmworkers Academy

· Jason Project

· Camp 2000

· Talent Search

· GEAR UP

· Student Outreach Support (SOS)

· Hispanic Mother Daughter

· Blast Off

· South Texas Engineering Math and Science (STEMS)

· Upward Bound Classic

· Upward Bound Math and Science Center

· Endowment Scholarship

· Veterans Upward Bound

· South Texas Pipeline

PARTNERSHIP AGENCIES

· Environmental Protection Agency

· U.S. Department of Education

· National Aeronautics and Space Administration

· Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

· Cameron County Independent School Districts

· Lone Star Financial Services

· Valley Coca Cola Bottling Company

· Brownsville Catholic Dioceses

· Brownsville Medical Center

· Valley Regional Medical Center

· City of Brownsville

· The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio

· Gorgas Science Foundation

· Moorhouse Associates, Inc.

· College Mentors (UTB/TSC STEMS Mentor club)

· Community Volunteers and Mentors

· Kellogg Foundation

Young Farmworkers Academy

Purpose:

To provide children of migrant farm-workers a mentorship experience with an older professional. To help foster academic success. To increase awareness of opportunities for a college education and an awareness of the dangers of pesticides.

Goals:

Increase awareness and understanding of careers in math and science and the required college preparation during middle and high school. By complementing the regular school day activities and assignments, YFA serves to reinforce the importance of academics and making the right choices in school.

Strategies:

· Comprehensive mentoring incorporating interactions among migrant and university students, and community partners

· Intensive after-school project-oriented curriculum focusing on themes dealing with pesticide awareness and incorporating TEKS and TAAS objectives

· Career awareness activities, particularly in the areas of mathematics and science

· Field trips to reinforce themes students are studying

· Parental awareness and involvement

Funding Source: EPA and UTB/TSC

Award Amount: One year grant award of $87,186

Camp 2000

Purpose:

To create an awareness of and interest for higher education and career options at the elementary level through hands-on experiences, site visits, and observations.

Goals:

To recognize the significant role that classes in middle and high school play, to review goals, interests, and values, and to investigate career options and excite students about the importance of graduating from high school

Strategies:

· Workshops and seminars targeting careers, health awareness, environmental issues, and higher education awareness

· Exposure to the university community

· Opportunities to participate in motivational presentations

· Week-end camp out at the UTB/TSC campus

· Site visits to local hospitals and private industry

Funding Source: University Talent Search UTB/TSC

UNIVERSITY TALENT SEARCH

Purpose:

To promote higher education for middle and high school students who demonstrate financial need and are first-generation college bound. Talent Search is highly dedicated to enhancing the career opportunities and higher education opportunities of the students it serves.

Goals:

To bring awareness of the college application and admission process, to provide parenting skills and training, to expose students to funding sources such as scholarships, grants, and other financial aid programs, and to provide university campus awareness to participants by touring colleges and universities in Texas.

Strategies:

· Individual degree plans for participants

· Enhance student understanding of team-building, competition, leadership, and social skills

· Field trips and career workshops to enhance and broaden college and career options

· Workshops and seminars to students, parents, and school personnel on the college admission and financial aid processes

Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education

Funding Amount: Four year grant award for $908,976

GEAR UP

Purpose:

To accelerate academic achievement of cohort students

so that increasing numbers will graduate from high school

enroll in college and succeed.

Goals:

To design and promote rigorous academic course work and teacher/counselor training initiatives in order to help more cohort students have equal access to rigorous courses that prepare them for college. To have a more competent teaching staff with skills aligned with academically rigorous curriculum. To inform cohort students and parents about college options and financial aid by designing strategies and activities for increased student and parent involvement in the college access and enrollment process.

Strategies:

· Rigorous courses that prepare students for college

· Early information to students and parents about college options, required courses, and financial aid

· Solid academic foundation for college in schools through challenging courses, well prepared teachers, and modern learning tools

· Intensive, individualized, and coordinated support to students that includes mentoring, counseling, and tutoring

· Ongoing staff training and professional development opportunities to help teachers raise expectations for all students

· Strong partnerships that involve a long-term commitment and meaningful role for each partner in improving students’ preparation for college

· Local and state efforts that encourage investment to sustain GEAR UP activities and services beyond the 5-year federal grant period

· Comprehensive projects informed by research on effective practices that include careful evaluations to enable continuous improvement for guiding the project

Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education

Funding Amount: Five year grant award of $7.9 million

STUDENT OUTREACH SUPPORT (SOS)

Purpose:

To provide training to high school seniors from targeted schools

who will in turn dedicate themselves to assisting other students

complete college admissions and financial aid applications and helping

each other transition successfully through high school and college graduation.

Goals:

Through the promotion of community service, an effective and innovative method is achieved for reaching and assisting prospective college students.

Strategies:

· Intensive training to high school seniors on the financial aid and college application processes

· Leadership skills through mentoring activities

Funding Source: In-kind UTB/TSC staff support

HISPANIC MOTHER DAUGHTER

Purpose:

To identify academically talented 8^th grade, Hispanic female students from area school districts and to promote math, science, engineering, and technology careers. The Hispanic Mother Daughter Program is dedicated to increasing the number of Hispanic women in nontraditional careers.

Goals:

To support and encourage the successful promotion to high school and college. To bolster the participation of Hispanic females in MSET careers. To promote self-sufficiency and self-respect through dialogue and mentoring.

Strategies:

· Academic support services to assist with the completion of high school and college

· Break down of cultural and sexual barriers to MSET careers

· Discussions and presentations on health issues affecting the Hispanic family

· Mentoring and retention model to serve as a safety net

Funding Source: NASA

Funding Amount: Three-year grant award for $93,598

BLAST OFF

Purpose:

To introduce and motivate students to the field of engineering and to pursue post secondary study by focusing on the career opportunities available to graduates in engineering and engineering technology.

Goals:

To provide hands-on, interactive experiences through the development of a strong foundation in mathematics and the principles of engineering technology. To emphasize conceptual understanding, mathematical modeling, numerical skill development, problem-solving skill development and basic teamwork

Strategies:

· Saturday workshops covering basic science concepts

· Academic enrichment course in engineering math

· Field trips to local industrial facilities, college campuses, and Johnson Space Center

· College and Career Awareness seminars

Funding Source: NASA

Funding Amount: Three year grant award of $300,000

SOUTH TEXAS ENGINEERING MATH AND SCIENCE

Purpose:

To promote UTB/TSC and higher education by coordinating educational and

community projects and providing indoor and outdoor educational opportunities.

Goals:

To promote field experience, college and community projects that assist students to pursue college and appreciate natural and cultural resources, and to provide a five-week summer project which will inform students about college opportunities, engineering, math, and science career awareness and outdoor activities.

Strategies:

· Field experiences to national and state parks and recreational areas

· College mentors

· Scientists involved in mentoring activities

· University campus visits

· Community projects related to science fields and field trips tied to core courses

· Science and engineering competitions

· Indoor and outdoor educational seminars on the UTB/TSC campus

Funding Source: Local School Districts Texas Parks and Wildlife

Funding Amount: Annual award of $117,000

Classic

Upward Bound

UPWARD BOUND CLASSIC

Purpose:

To promote academic achievement and higher education through comprehensive academic intervention services including social and cultural enrichment activities usually not offered to students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Upward Bound is dedicated to helping students develop academic potential for success in a post secondary institution.

Goals:

To support high school students who have all the characteristics of an at-risk population: disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, first-generation college, and a member of a traditionally underrepresented educational group, to successfully enter a post secondary education program.

Strategies:

· Academic and career related support to enable students to complete high school and enter a post secondary program

· Comprehensive needs analysis plan for each student

· Program-sponsored on-campus social and cultural activities

· Scheduled tutorials during the academic year

· Opportunities for parents to participate in at least two activities a year

· Summer bridge program

Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education

Funding Amount: Five year grant award of $1.6 million

Upward Bound Math and Science Center

Purpose:

To assist a 9^th grade cohort of high school students to become successful college students and positive role models in the student’s community. Participants will explore math and science through workshops, field experiences, competition, and

a six-week summer bridge program.

Goals:

To support high school students who are low-income and first generation

college to successfully complete high school and enroll in post-secondary

education pursuing a program of study in the areas of math or science.

Strategies:

· Math and science role models and career awareness

· Academic and summer enrichment classes in math and science

· Saturday workshops, tutoring, study skills and test preparation

· Fundamental support in the college admission and financial aid process

· Social and cultural field experience in math and science

· Mentoring activities designed to acquaint students with the range of career options

· Skills building and enrichment activities designed to enhance academic

performance, self-esteem, career and cultural awareness, leadership,

communication, and teamwork through activity-based instruction and

discovery methods

Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education

Funding Amount: Four year grant award of $828,000

ENDOWMENT SCHOLARSHIP

Purpose:

To encourage higher education through scholarship credit for good grades in academically challenging courses.

Goals:

To address three critical issues facing education: to improve basic skills among high school graduates, to increase higher education accessibility through financial resources, and to support public school efforts in reducing the drop out rates.

Strategies:

· Presentations to public and private schools within the TSC taxing district

· Awareness of academically challenging courses

· College tuition for students

Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education Challenge Grant

Funding Amount: A $1 million grant award

VETERANS UPWARD BOUND

Purpose:

To identify low-income and/or first generation college veterans from our target area of Cameron and Willacy counties who are interested in pursing a program of post secondary education.

Goals:

To generate in program participants the skills and motivation necessary to enter and complete a program of post secondary education. Through collaborative efforts, Veterans Upward Bound provides pre-post assessment testing, career goal exploration, identification and assistance with personal and educational barriers, identification of academic strengths and needs, college admissions and course selection, and college survival and advisement.

Strategies:

· Awareness of veterans through media publicity

· Advocacy

· Network referral

· Presentations and workshops on veterans issues and needs

· Mailouts

· Individual Education Action Plan (IEAP)

· College preparation and supplemental instruction in composition, literature, mathematics, science, computer literacy, foreign language

· Social, educational & multi-cultural activities

· Career counseling

· Veterans Club sponsorship

· Student tracking and graduation

Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education.

Funding Amount: Four year grant amount of $831,600

South Texas Pipeline

Purpose:

To improve college performance through a summer college bridge program.

Goals:

The program enhances successful pursuit of health careers by providing a summer bridge program to rising high school seniors through the junior year in college in core curricula, MCAT preparation, and health career awareness.

Strategies:

· Academic enrichment courses in core areas

· Health career awareness presentations

· Field trips to local hospitals and the UTHSCSA

· Job shadowing

· Mentoring with community health professionals

· MCAT preparation sessions

Funding source: The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio

Funding amount: Three year grant award of $173,826

Pre-College Pipeline

Pre-college early intervention programs are designed to increase pre-college opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Most notable of the pre-college programs are the TRIO programs, (Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math and Science Centers, Veterans Upward Bound, and Talent Search) STEMS, and GEAR UP. Research indicates that high school experiences, parental expectations, developing clear occupational aspirations by the 9^th grade, access to information about college offerings, gathering information about financial aid, and involvement in college outreach programs are major factors which have been found to increase the chances of enrolling in college. The flowchart below is an illustration of the pre-college programs at UTB/TSC. Data as well as best practice research indicate that these programs increase the college-going and graduation rates of traditionally under-represented individuals.

Grade

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

YFA Young Farmworkers Academy. Pesticide awareness & academic enrichment

GU GEAR UP. Systemic curriculum reform & college access

CAMP 2000 Futuristic career and college awareness

HMD Hispanic Mother/Daughter. Encouragement for 8^th grade females to pursue science/math careers

TS Talent Search. College access and financial aid awareness program

BO Blast Off. Introduces exposure to math/science/engineering careers & enhanced academics

SOS Student Outreach Support. Peer mentors helping each other with financial and college applications

STEMS South Texas Engineering Math Science. Career awareness through field based projects

UB Upward Bound. College prep program with intensive academics and tutorials

UBMS Upward Bound Math Science. College prep program with intensive academics & field experience

VUB Veterans Upward Bound. Support and academic enrichment to increase college enrollment

STP South Texas Pipeline. Collaborative pre-health career program with UTHSCSA

NSR New Student Relations. UTB/TSC office with which the Outreach Center collaborates and

coordinates pre-college initiatives and college enrollment activities

APPENDIX B

DISTANCE EDUCATION

Current Status

Distance Education is a very attractive recruitment tool not only for DE courses and programs, but for all courses and programs offered by UTB/TSC. The use of DE and the showcase of technology in the institution’s advertisement campaigns will project a modern, high tech, and professional image for our institution, which will help recruit both DE and traditional students.

UTB/TSC is becoming a leader in Distance Education, both at the local level and the state level through offering our courses and programs through the UT Telecampus.

Distance Education has started to expand and diversify at UTB/TSC. The institution offers several types of DE deliveries, such as Web Based Instruction, Videoconferencing and Telecourses. These DE offerings have recruited undergraduate, graduate and continuing education students for our institution. DE has the potential to take educational opportunities to the home, work and high school of future UTB/TSC students in the valley, state, nation, and the world.

Short Term Problems

The total expenses on recruitment materials by the Office of Distance Education was only $ 824.00 in FY 2001-2002. There have been problems listing appropriately the DE courses in the general course schedule. There is a need for a gradual usage of the Web by UTB/TSC faculty members to place some of all of their course materials. Currently, UTB/TSC lacks an easy to use Web Course Platform with a institutional software license and very few “hybrid” courses combining face to face instruction with Web based instruction. This lack of usage has limited the number of complete DE courses offered by this institution. There are also missed opportunities to expand our regular courses to remote sites via videoconferencing to remote sites at high schools, hospitals, community colleges and other remote sites already connected via the existing local and state video network. This same course could be offered simultaneously via broadcast TV to recruit students in their own homes.

Opportunities for Solutions (2002-2003)

Use Distance Education in all recruitment efforts and advertisement campaigns.

DE recruitment materials such as brochures, newspaper, radio and TV ads must be exponentially expanded. In order to serve the biggest local market, school district employees, UTB/TSC could request BISD and other Valley districts to insert in every employee pay check envelope an UTB/TSC DE Course brochure.

Produce an attractive Distance Education Course Schedule to be distributed on campus, school districts, workplaces, and in the newspaper. Also, email the DE Course Schedule to all current and previous UTB/TSC students and to the staff and teachers of local ISD’s and community colleges.

In order to recruit and enroll students at remote sites in the valley, each school and college should try to offer at least a section of their most popular courses via videoconferencing to local high schools, community colleges, and other higher education institution part of UTB/TSC’s existing video network. These same courses could be transmitted live via a UTB/TSC cable channel or via a local TV channel and students could interact via telephone and e-mail.

Intermediate Plan of Action – (2004-2005)

In order to increase significantly the number of DE students, the number of DE offerings via the web and videoconferencing should continue to grow. Since this constitutes a big paradigm change in education, both for faculty and students, it must be done gradually and systematically.

All faculty should be provided the opportunity to create “hybrid” courses that combine classroom instruction with Web Based instruction. UTB/TSC should provide a very easy to use Web Course Platform for all UTB/TSC standard for all faculty members and customized training to develop their own materials online. The end result of the use of the DE technologies will be a significant expansion in the number and quality of UTB/TSC’s Distance Education courses and programs.

Establish a partnership pilot project with BISD for the automatic admission of all high school seniors to UTB/TSC and their enrollment in a University Experience course via the web and combining videoconferencing and face to face interactions with the instructors, mentors and advisors at the university.

A multidisciplinary (enrollment, advising, and financial aid) “ UTB/TSC Mobile Registration Unit” would process completely the admission, financial aid, advising, testing, and registration process for all high school students starting at the beginning of their senior year.

Long Term Plan of Action – (2006-2010)

All courses and programs offered at UTB/TSC will contain a distance education component and/or an alternative mode of delivery via the Web, Videoconferencing or Future technologies. This expansion in the educational opportunities will increase the number of students enrolled in every program offered by the institution.

UTB/TSC will have its own interactive cable or web channel for the delivery of educational programming, including the use of future two way video interactivity with Videophones at the home s, Personal Digital Assistants or Video-Cell-Phones or Personal Digital Assistants.

Multiple DE courses will be offered to high school students via the web and combining videoconferencing (via the web, cable channel, and face to face interactions with the instructors, mentors and advisors.

All Valley ISD students will automatically be admitted to UTB/TSC at the beginning of their senior year.

UTB/TSC Mobile Registration Unit will admit, advise, and register all Valley high school students.

APPENDIX C

UTB/TSC Graduate Studies Recruitment Strategies

Stop Outs

Phone calls, post cards and/or e-mails are sent to students who register a previous semester and have not registered for the next semester.

Partial Applicants

Post cards and/or phone calls are made for those that have submitted a graduate application but have not completed the process.

Graduating Seniors

Barbeque: A note of congratulations and invitation is sent to all UTB/TSC seniors who have applied for graduation for a specific semester.

Postcards: Postcards are sent to graduating seniors congratulating them for their graduation and informing them of the masters programs that are available.

Orientation for International Students

An ad is placed in El Bravo advertising this event. So far, we have averaged 20-25 interested persons from Mexico for these recruitment sessions. We cannot predict with certainty which programs they will be interested in before they arrive. A representative from the Graduate Office and Counseling Office will do a short presentation and will be there to answer questions.

Paseo Table

Tables are set up in the endowment courtyard. Departments are there to hand out information on programs available. Graduate Office sets up a table with general information on graduate programs and admissions requirements.

Graduate and Professional School Fair

Sponsored by the Office of Career Services and Placement. Graduate Office and departments have information tables.

Job Fair

Sponsored by the Office of Career Services and Placement. Graduate Office has information tables.

Schools & Businesses

Letters are sent out with general information to human resources managers. Brochures are mailed. Presentations are made at different schools/businesses (ex. Presentation was given at a school in Matamoros, presentations have been given at Border patrol offices). Packets have been sent to the different schools with the general information needed for graduate school and brochures have been handed out.

Registered but not paid

Postcards go out to all students who have registered a specific semester reminding them of the deadline to pay.

Bachelor degrees +1-2 years*

Letters will be sent out to all students who have received their bachelor’s degree from UTB/TSC in the past two years who have not yet started our graduate programs.

*We are in the process of getting these lists and sending out letters. This will be the first time we do this.

Ongoing

Newspaper ads, Web Site, Brochures