UT Tyler summer program helps 'bridge gap to success'

The University of Texas at Tyler is helping local high school seniors bridge the gap to their academic success, Dr. Rick Osburn, UT Tyler provost and vice president of academic affairs, announced.

UT Tyler officials created the Patriot Summer Bridge to Success Program with a $66,107 grant that was awarded this past summer by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Working in collaboration with Tyler Independent School District, UT Tyler faculty, staff and students assisted selected TISD high school seniors with portions of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test, which is a requirement for graduation.

The five-week program targeted the key fundamental skills evaluated by TAKS.

UT Tyler faculty and staff provided individualized curricula in reading, mathematics, writing and science, as well as academic and career advising, while student-tutors adminis- tered reading assessments and tutorials. Three of the 13 high school seniors enrolled in the program passed the TAKS, with two of them fully enrolled in higher learning institutions this fall.

"Collaborating with our regional high schools fulfills the UT Tyler mission statement to provide specialized learning opportunities and access to instructional resources that promote economic, social, cultural and intellectual opportunities for all students from the East Texas region," said Dr. Lou Ann Berman, UT Tyler assistant vice president for student success, who served as program director.

"The overall experience was rewarding and positive," she added. "The student success outcomes for the first year established a baseline upon which we hope to build future summer programs. The participating UT Tyler faculty designed a phenomenal curriculum in a very short response time, and the UT Tyler students involved experienced a unique opportunity to mentor high school students and to further develop leadership skills that will prepare them for future professional endeavors."

One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service.

More than 70 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of more than 6,000 high-ability students at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.