The university is offering different resources to freshmen in the Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship if they join the UTRGV Promise Program, which helps students graduate within four years.
“The UTRGV promise started as a result of a grant that was submitted to the UT System, and we had a pilot start-up last year with the college of business,” said Luzelma Canales, senior associate vice president of Student Success. “It’s a student compact between the university and the student. In that, we are signing how a student can complete a degree in four years.”
Canales said the promise includes not just the courses students need to take, but support and advising.
“The faculty have thought through very clearly in each year what kind of career education students need to be undergoing to understand the career that they’re going into, very intentional advising. Students must register within X number of hours of having been advised. They must go through an orientation,” she said. “It’s a really purposeful program that helps students go in and through to finish on time.”
Canales said 150 students from the business college have signed the promise.
“Our goal is this fall, Fall 2019, we are saving up to include the liberal arts, include again the College of Business. In health professions, we are including also two,” she said. “We will have four colleges that will have UTRGV promises.”
Canales said the goal is to have at least 150 students in each cohort.
Students will be able to meet with the college-level programs to better understand the program.
“It’s the perfect time right now for students to go through the application, and, or ask about it at orientation,” Canales said. “This is all for incoming, new students, because you have to sign up for the promise beginning your first year at the university.”
Graduating high school seniors, who have been accepted to UTRGV and know the degree program they would like to pursue, can already sign up for the UTRGV Promise.
The program would like to add other colleges in the future, including some which take more than four years.
“Let’s say there may be a program that may require more,” she said. “Then, the program would be four-and-a half years or five years. The idea of the promise is that we define it in a way that students can complete in the time that the compact, that the promise, outlined for them. That we’re scheduling the courses when they’re needing it but also that students … do their part also. That they go through advising. That they go through career exploration.”
Canales said there is no penalty for changing majors or fulfilling the promise.
Students in the program will have additional resources available to them.
“The students would receive support from the UTRGV Promise coordinator that works very closely with the associate dean to ensure that the courses are available,” Canales said. “We are also going to designate within our advising team, some advisers will be designated as Promise advisers.”
She said she hopes the program is scaled out.
“As we scale out, because next year, the year after, we will be scaling to include nursing, to include social work, to include engineering,” Canales said. “Our goal is to increase it so that we have as many students as possible because we really do want students to finish their degree when they’re supposed to.”
She said students should take advantage of the promise.
“The UTRGV Promise really is about [students] getting the courses that they need when they need them,” Canales said. “And, also for them to go through the academic support services that we know help them be successful in meeting their goals.”
Morgan Hernandez, a finance freshman, said she signed the promise form during Vaquero Roundup and chose to take the opportunity. She said she chose her major during the summer.
“It wasn’t always a thought in my head,” Hernandez said. “I like numbers, I like dealing with money, and I like talking to people.”
She plans to graduate in 2022. Hernandez added that the program helps guide students, answer questions, and she likes the structure it provides.
“It’s a good program,” she said. “I’m glad I took it. Again, it’s structured, and I needed that. Not everyone needs that, but I’m not scared to admit that I do need it. There’s help everywhere. People are very easy to contact in the program. … Yes, I would recommend it. Especially, if you’re doing business because business is a little difficult, but with the structuring you can get help [with] what classes you should take. It’s like advising but better.”
