Juan Carlos Aponte Ortiz’s experiences at UTC led him to become deeply involved with student-oriented, peer-mentoring programs on campus. He has worked with Student Support Services, Student Success Programs, the Office of Student and Family Engagement, the Center for Women and Gender Equity, and the Center for Wellbeing.
TRIO Day event brings high school students from across Tennessee to UTC
TRIO programs, which have been part of the UTC campus for more than 50 years, are federal outreach systems designed to identify and provide services for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The initiatives are intended to serve and assist low-income and first-generation college students and those with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline.
Programs help low-income, first-gen and disabled students prepare for college
This spring, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s five TRIO programs are working together to support local schools in the community. TRIO programs are federal outreach and systems designed to identify and provide services for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The programs are targeted to serve and assist low-income and first-generation college students and those with…
Student Support Services can help ease fear and stress
Advice, assistance or just a friendly ear.
UTC is doing an outstanding job on graduation and retention rates for black males
Though he had attended college for two years in Florida, Jujuan Lewis felt adrift when he transferred to UTC. He turned to Student Support Services for help. Today, Lewis is a senior in finance and SGA president. “I got the tools necessary to succeed on campus, to make the grades, to get involved,” he says.
Black male student initiative boosts retention and graduation rates
A highly structured program focused on more than success in the classroom is increasing the number of black male graduates at UTC.
Student Support Services (SSS) launched the University’s first-ever black male initiative, Black Males on Campus (BMOCS) in fall 2010 to promote the retention of black male students so that they can succeed and graduate from UTC. Not only does this program focus on success in the classroom, it also addresses social, cultural, emotional, personal and financial issues.
Graduate achieves success despite brain injury
When Anthony Ervin’s parents arrived at a hospital in Tullahoma, Tennessee five years ago, doctors told them that their son had little chance of survival after his car had hit a tree. Not only did Ervin survive, but he thrived. He went on to graduate summa cum laude from the UTC College of Health, Education…
Student Support Services hosts African-American males conference
In an effort to increase retention and graduation rates of African American males enrolled at UTC, campus Student Support Services (SSS) began a multi-year initiative called BMOCS (Black Males on Campus). The group of young men, which has been meeting regularly since 2010, recently held its first annual BMOCS Brotherhood conference, “Breaking the Cycle,” to…
UTC staff, student honored at regional conference
Elizabeth Follis, a UTC student, and Dr. Bryan Samuel, UTC Director of Equity and Diversity, were honored at a regional conference for the Southeastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (SAEOPP). Both were nominated by Shirl Gholston, UTC Director of Student Support Services.