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Leslie Hammer, University of California, Santa Barbara, United StatesAbstract
Low-income, first-generation students at the University of California’s campuses face unique challenges that contribute to lower retention rates and lower GPAs compared to the majority of their UC peers. Many arrive to the UCs from high school less equipped for demanding classwork. They sometimes feel alienated upon joining a student population quite different than their own communities, and these students cannot easily turn to their parents for help in solving social and academic challenges they face. They often take on heavy financial burdens and work long hours outside of school. It is no surprise, then, that underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation students have a much higher rate of dropping out of college than the majority of their UC peers. To provide “at-risk” students extra support, the University of California at Santa Barbara’s Writing Program, Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), and Campus Learning Assistance Services (CLAS) created a successful and innovative program called Academic Communities of Excellence (ACE). I will give an overview of UCSB’s unique ACE Program; I will discuss our ACE writing courses, Summer Transitional Enrichment Program (STEP), and annual special events offered to our ACE students, all of which have proven to increase retention rates, boost academic skills, and build a network of peers that have helped our ACE students succeed at UCSB. I hope my presentation on UCSB’s ACE Program opens up a dialogue about other collaborative, innovative pedagogical programs and how we can better serve underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation students to make universities more equitable, diverse, and welcoming.
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