When Curel Jones came to UTC as a freshman in 2020, she quickly realized she was a bit in over her head. As a first-generation student, Jones had no idea what to expect from college.
It’s never too late for education: EOC’s mission to serve adult learners
The Educational Opportunity Center, located on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus, is a 100% free program that provides counseling and information on college admissions to qualified adults who want to enter or continue a program of postsecondary education. The program also offers services to improve participants’ financial and economic literacy.
First gen graduate gives back and pays forward
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…