Thursday, September 19, 2024
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UTA Welcomes 125 New Faculty Members |
Colleagues,
We are well into the fall semester, and I am grateful to each of you for your unwavering dedication and hard work in ensuring our students have become well-settled in Maverick Country. Because of your commitment that our students have had a smooth transition into their academic journeys. Your support and guidance have been instrumental in creating a welcoming and nurturing environment for all.
Additionally, we are excited to welcome 125 new faculty members to our university community. Their diverse expertise and fresh perspectives will undoubtedly enrich our academic environment. We look forward to their innovative ideas and contributions. Thank you for your warm welcome and for fostering a collaborative and inclusive atmosphere that makes our University a great place to work and learn.
This semester, we are thrilled to welcome another large cohort of first-time-in-college students. Your enthusiasm and readiness to embrace these new students have been truly inspiring. We are confident that with your continued support, they will thrive and make the most of the opportunities available to them.
September is also filled with many celebrations, including Hispanic Heritage Month, which began this week and continues through Oct. 15. I hope you will take time to attend one of the many events hosted on and off campus.
With Maverick Pride,
Tamara L. Brown, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
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Improving Student Success via Curriculum Paths |
To gain deeper insights into student experiences and further invest in their success, UT Arlington developed an action plan that reexamines curriculum and student support for English and math developmental education.
This UT System-led initiative, called the Exemplary Student Pathways (ESP) project, aims to enhance student success by redesigning curricular pathways at UTA and other UT System schools. The ESP project has three primary objectives: positioning curriculum as the central element for achieving equitable student success, fostering data agency through a Participatory Action Institutional Research (PAIR) model, and identifying projects and action plans that align with long-term institutional goals.
Special thanks to Ashley Purgason, vice provost for student success, and the “PAIR cohorts” for their creation and implementation of the action plan. Mathematics cohort members included Laura Boddicker, Deysi Delgado, Esteban Diaz, and Laura Holm. English cohort members included Justin Lerberg and Jo Ward. Adriane Jones and Jen Griffis and Jeremy Martin were also cohort members.
The ESP project focuses on providing enhanced support to achieve positive outcomes for students in developmental education. The dedicated work of this cohort aims to improve student pass rates and retention rates at UTA, ultimately enriching the student experience.
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| Helping UTA Students Meet Their Basic Needs
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We realize that a student's financial wellness can impact their ability to excel academically. With that in mind, two resources are available for students in need.
The first is the Maverick Pantry, located at 520 S. Center Street. Open Tuesday through Friday during the fall semester, the pantry allows students experiencing food insecurity to shop for free food essentials and toiletry items. Shopping appointments are required due to limited space in the pantry. Students can search for "Maverick Pantry" on the UTA website to find the appointment link. Food options vary based on donations received. Mavericks must have their MAV ID.
In addition, UTA students experiencing temporary financial hardships resulting from a sudden emergency may apply for help through UTA's Emergency Assistance Fund. Students must meet specific eligibility guidelines for this one-time assistance of $500. For more information and to apply, students can search for "Emergency Assistance Fund" on the UTA website.
Our goal is to set our students up for success, and we recognize that you as faculty and staff serve vital roles. We are also here to support you in your efforts. Feel free to reach out to Michelle Kelly (Michelle.kelly@uta.edu) with any questions or concerns that you have around student health and well-being.
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Research Mavs Gains Momentum |
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Since its soft launch in February, Research Mavs program has already proven to be incredibly valuable for students. John Wang, Dean of UTA Libraries, hopes you will continue to encourage your students to participate in the program.
Student mentors have already participated in nearly 1,700 online chats and addressed more than 500 tickets.
Through the Research Mavs program, experienced students provide guidance and offer support to fellow students navigating the research process. This peer-to-peer collaboration is designed to enhance academic skills, promote knowledge-sharing, and create a supportive community within the Libraries and University.
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Faculty Postdoctoral Mentors Selected |
We are pleased to announce that 12 awards were made to support faculty mentors hiring RISE 100 postdoctoral fellows. These awards will support the fellows for two years in conducting research in an area of interest to the faculty mentor, who is expected to develop their protégé’s capability as an independent researcher and scholar who will be competitive for prestigious academic or non-academic opportunities.
Postdoctoral fellows will receive competitive salaries, benefits, and funds for travel and professional development. Selection of awards for faculty mentors of our inaugural fellows was highly competitive, and many excellent proposals were received. The following faculty received awards and are now hiring or recruiting postdoctoral fellows. We know the UTA community will do what it can to welcome the new fellows and support their success.
Cory Forbes, College of Education
Kytai Nguyen, College of Engineering
Maria Konsta Gdoutos, College of Engineering
Michael Vasilyev, College of Engineering
Junzhou Huang, College of Engineering
Sam Haynes, College of Liberal Arts
Alison Ravenscraft, College of Science
Peter Kroll, College of Science
Todd Castoe, College of Science
Kwangho Nam, College of Science
Micki Washburn, School of Social Work
Christian Vazquez, School of Social Work
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| Elevating UTA's Community Engagement |
The UTA Strategic Plan, UTA 2030: Shared Dreams, Bright Future, has an intentional focus on community. Join us as we launch our new sustainable initiative to enhance and elevate community engagement at UTA!
What is Community Engagement?Community engagement is collaboration between institutions of higher education and their external communities (locally, regionally, nationally, and globally) in a context of partnership and reciprocity for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources that contributes to the public good. (Source: American Council of Education, Elective Classification for Community Engagement)
We need to know…Are YOU Community Engaged? We know that UTA faculty and staff collaborate with community partners through service learning, campus-community volunteerism, service on nonprofit boards and committees, collaboration on grants, and more. Think about your community-engaged activities fit within the goals of the strategic plan, then SHARE your community engagement activities HERE.
Questions? Comments? Email areYOUengaged@uta.edu.
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| Invite the provost to speak |
Do you have an upcoming event that Provost Brown should speak at or attend? If so, send us the details! Submit a request to the Office of the Provost via the speaker form on our website and we'll let you know if she's available.
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The Provost continues to host monthly office hours! The next office hours will be Wednesday October 23 from 9-11:00 a.m. Faculty, staff, and students can drop by UAB 321 or sign up via email at provost@uta.edu.
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Have a story idea?
Have something that you want us to highlight in a future newsletter? If so, submit your idea to provost@uta.edu.
Missed an edition of the newsletter?
Prior editions of the monthly newsletter can be found online here.
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Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
321 University Administration Building | Box 19118 | Arlington, TX 76019
817-272-2103 | provost@uta.edu
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The University of Texas at Arlington
701 S Nedderman Dr | Arlington, TX 76019 US
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