- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ýLR receives Bank of America grant for Summer Bridge Academy

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 21:13:21 +0000

A recent award from the will help fund a University of Arkansas at Little Rock program that prepares incoming freshmen for college-level work. The $12,500 donation will help finance this year’s Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy, a three-week residential program. Students who participate in the program can save $1,000 by eliminating the need for remedial math and English courses. In addition, they earn a $200 stipend, get free room and board through the university, and participate in special events, motivational workshops, and fun activities. Since the academy began in 2013, 107 students have completed the program. “For young people in the Little Rock community, productive opportunities during the summer like schooling or employment are critical for filling free time and preparing them for a successful outlook,” said Donnie Cook, Bank of America’s Arkansas state president and Little Rock market president. Cook said that when students are engaged in continuing their education or working during the summer months, it often leads to a better future for them and for the local economy. “At Bank of America, we’re proud to partner with organizations like ��Vlog��ýLR and in particular the Summer Bridge Program because we know that with access to the right resources, young people can obtain the education and workforce skills they need which are so critical to long-term career success for them and our community,” Cook said. Summer Bridge Coordinator Jonathan Bobo said ��Vlog��ýLR administrators started the program to ensure students do not fall behind in their academic classes. “While they are important, students do not gain college credit by taking developmental classes, and it can keep them from graduating on time,” Bobo said. “We wanted to try to intervene prior to the students coming to college. The Summer Bridge Academy also gives them an opportunity to get a taste of the college life. A lot of the students are nervous when they first arrive, so it gives them a chance to get to know the campus.” Participants also have the opportunity to build long-lasting relationships with faculty, staff, mentors, and peers. Prospective students must apply to be considered for the program, which is intended for students who have been admitted to ��Vlog��ýLR but require developmental math based on standard test scores. Applicants must be willing to commit to spending the full three weeks — including weekends — on campus in an academically intensive learning environment. This year’s program is set to run from July 10-30 on the ��Vlog��ýLR campus, and 25 to 30 students are expected to participate. In the upper right photo, ��Vlog��ýLR students participate in the 2015 Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy.

Incoming freshmen complete Summer Bridge Academy

Shanna Fitzgerald — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 22:32:40 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is set to celebrate the accomplishments of incoming freshmen who completed a program designed to prepare students for university-level courses. Participants in the ��Vlog��ýLR Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy, who might otherwise need to take remedial math or English courses, save money, earn a stipend and receive free room and board during the three-week course. They also have a little fun along the way. This year’s CWDSA 2015 Summer Academy ceremonies took place Sunday, July 26, at the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Ave. All 55 participants were scheduled to take part in the closing ceremonies. “It has been a great and exciting experience for both CWDSA staff and students,” said Laza Razafimanjato, office manager for the program. Selected students must be admitted to the university and prepared to spend three weeks in an academically intense learning environment. Participants are required to stay in residence for the full three weeks, including weekends. During the program, students attend motivational workshops and special events and take part in fun activities, while building long-lasting relationships with faculty, staff, peers, and mentors. Future students interested in enrolling in the program can contact Jonathan Bobo, recruitment and enrollment manager, at jxbobo@ualr.edu for more information. For more details about the , visit .

Charting the history of ��Vlog��ýLR’s desegregation

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 16:44:02 +0000

Several freshman students are attending a different kind of composition course this fall at ��Vlog��ýLR – one where they will learn to master rhetoric and writing, while also delving into an important piece of the university’s history. The students are all enrolled in a carefully designed curriculum focused on the history of the 1964 desegregation of ��Vlog��ýLR, then Little Rock University. An interdisciplinary approach involving faculty and staff members from different academic departments requires the students attend math, world history, U.S. history, rhetoric, and first-year experience courses together as part of the same learning community. Dr. Sherry Rankins-Robertson and Amber R. Smith, Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy Learning Community program co-coordinators, are leading the effort. “Our hope is for this learning community to offer students the human connection to history,” said Rankins-Robertson, who is also director of composition in the ��Vlog��ýLR Department of Rhetoric and Writing. “Primary research provides meaningful work for students; it provides transformative educational experiences and a life-changing perspective.” Research shows that students who are immersed in learning communities are retained and persist toward graduation at a much higher rate, according to Rankins-Robertson. The decision to create a learning community focused on the history of the university’s desegregation efforts was influenced by several factors, but especially, the benefit to the students and broader community.

Dr. John Kirk, chair of the ��Vlog��ýLR History Department

“I think it is important that ��Vlog��ýLR has a strong foundation in its own institutional history on matters of race, and we can do a better job of that than we have done in the past,” said Dr. John A. Kirk, Donaghey Distinguished Professor and Chair of the History Department. “The 50th anniversary of the desegregation of ��Vlog��ýLR provides a perfect moment to reflect on, remember, and chart the changes that have occurred in the university during that time,” he added. In 1964, Little Rock University officially desegregated its student body. According to Kirk, seven African American students enrolled at the university that year. During the course of the project, students will look for more information on this historic event including interviewing members of the ��Vlog��ýLR Seven – so named by Kirk – and anyone else with primary knowledge of the time period such as faculty, staff, and other students. “The students’ educational backgrounds, and even their family histories, are directly related to the story of school desegregation and its consequences in the present.” said Dr. Barclay Key, assistant professor of history and the instructor for the learning community’s U.S. History since 1877 course. “The students are ultimately learning their own stories and by conducting this research, they will develop the tools to effectively tell those stories in ways that are more authentic than a textbook or college professor,” he said. The students are taking information they learn in their history classes and learning how to develop the source-based content to be consumed by the public using principles they learn in their composition class taught by instructors Johnny D. Gilbert and Bryant Lytle. “In history, we talked about Reconstruction and the civil rights movement and how its relates to us today,” said one student who had just taken Key’s history class for the first time. Soon, the knowledge she and her fellow students acquire will be easily accessible. The students will share the results of their work throughout the semester through the ��Vlog��ýLR website. “The campus gets to see the benefits of collaboration and how it can directly influence student success. Some amazing people have come together to see this dream become a reality and I can’t wait to see the results,” Smith said.

Summer Bridge scholars celebrate 90 percent plus success rates

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 17:14:47 +0000

��Vlog��ýLR recently celebrated the success of nearly 100 students who completed two separate summer bridge academies named for Dr. Charles W. Donaldson, ��Vlog��ýLR’s recently retired vice chancellor of ��Vlog��ýLR’s Division of Educational, Student Services, and Student Life. Students in the ��Vlog��ýLR Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy made huge leaps over the summer, with a 97 percent passage rate on math scores, 90 percent passage rate on reading scores, and 100 percent passage rate on composition. Fifty-eight high school graduates of the Pulaski County Special School District completed the new Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy, joining the 37 students enrolled in the Summer Bridge Academy. They all immersed themselves in an intensive three-week experience designed to mitigate the need for remediation. The Summer Bridge Academy was launched in the summer of 2013 as a pilot program. The academy showed such promise that it provided the foundation for the Scholars Academy with PCSSD. The Donaldson Scholars Academy was offered on the campuses of ��Vlog��ýLR and Philander Smith College and was funded through the PCSSD’s $10 million desegregation settlement secured by attorney John Walker, who represented the plaintiffs. Walker spoke to a packed audience gathered at the Donaghey Student Center during closing ceremonies on Saturday, Aug. 2. “I am in awe by what I see here,” he said. “You have demonstrated that challenges can be overcome. It is important you came … so you can determine who you are … and what contributions you can make.” Why Test Scores Matter The improved scores not only boost student morale, they will also help with the bottom line, since remediation translates to more tuition paid for courses not counted toward completion of a degree. In fact, bypassing remedial courses because of the improved scores helped the students see about $55,000 in combined college tuition savings, according to Dr. Brad Patterson, interim vice provost for student affairs and dean of students at ��Vlog��ýLR. In addition, all 58 of the Donaldson Scholars Academy students now plan on attending college at ��Vlog��ýLR or another school. Amber Smith, who directed both Summer Bridge and the ��Vlog��ýLR component of the Donaldson Scholars Academy, said this change in attitude was a significant achievement in itself. “We witnessed the evolution of the students’ vision of themselves. They are now able to visualize themselves in college, whereas many did not have that kind of vision before,” she said. “There is a sense of hope for the future.” The success of both programs depended on the dedicated, qualified staff of educators who knew their material and were given resources they needed to be effective, according to Smith. Getting an Early Start In the coming academic year, the program will expand its reach even further. Ninth graders in PCSSD schools will begin preparing for university life through a yearly program that will continue throughout the duration of their high school careers. The Donaldson Scholars Academy will be the bedrock for student college preparation with literacy engagement and mathematics enhancement. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to begin thinking about career options, preparing for college entrance exams, and developing relationships with college faculty, hopefully sparking their interest in college. ��Vlog��ýLR freshman Robert Gere, a home-schooled student, expressed his appreciation for the resources, friendships, and other opportunities provided by the funding sponsors, which included Bank of America, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, and the Charles A. Frueauff Foundation, in addition to PCSSD. “There is no one else to thank but you,” he said. “This program is top notch. Socially and academically, I am much more confident, and I have no doubt about my future success.” Students enrolled in the Donaldson Scholars Academy will receive mentoring and support in college and are eligible for a $2,500 college scholarship renewable for four years.

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Academies geared toward college readiness conclude Aug. 2

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 20:08:11 +0000

The Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy (CWDSA) and Summer Bridge Academy (SBA) will conclude Saturday, Aug. 2, in a closing celebration at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock that promises to be standing room only. The event–which includes the first cohort of Pulaski County Special School District students enrolled through the desegregation settlement agreement–will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Donaghey Student Center, Ledbetter Hall. Students in the each program have been engaged for almost three weeks in an academically-intensive learning environment while receiving room and board, free of charge, at ��Vlog��ýLR and Philander Smith College. The CWDSA aims to improve educational exposure, opportunities, and access for all students in the Pulaski County Special School District. Students in this program are afforded the opportunity to explore the idea of college attendance, refine skills needed to be successful at the collegiate level, and eliminate remedial coursework. In addition, CWDSA seeks to ease the financial burden of college by providing a $2,500 renewable scholarship for students attending Philander Smith College or ��Vlog��ýLR. Students will continue as a Donaldson Scholar should they choose to attend either of these institutions. SBA, last year’s pilot summer bridge program showed such promise that it provided the foundation for CWDSA, a separate entity created as part of a desegregation settlement agreement on behalf of African American students from the Pulaski County Special School District. The SBA has the established goals of easing students’ transition to college, building relationships between faculty, staff, and students, and eliminating remediation. Representatives of the Pulaski County Special School District, including Superintendent Jerry Guess and Attorney John Walker, are scheduled to attend the closing celebrations on Aug. 2. Media are invited to see these students as they are recognized for their achievements and to hear some of the progress made in test scores over the last three weeks. The SBA program is partially funded by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, the Frueauff Foundation, and Bank of America. CWDSA is funded by the Pulaski County Special School District.

Bank of America gives $20,000 to ��Vlog��ýLR summer academy

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 17:32:43 +0000

For the second year, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation is providing $20,000 for the Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy. The academy, scheduled for July 13-Aug. 2 on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s campus, will provide an academically-intensive learning environment to help incoming freshman improve ACT scores and prepare for college. Last year, Bank of America and other sponsors helped fund the pilot residential program at ��Vlog��ýLR in which students made huge leaps in standardized test scores. “Bank of America continues to support the Summer Bridge Academy because we know how great of an impact it makes in our community,” said Donald J. Cook, Arkansas market president at Bank of America. “We support organizations that provide access to jobs and education because we know it’s a critical part of helping people start down a path to financial stability.” The pilot summer bridge program showed such promise that it provided the foundation for the Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy, a separate entity created as part of a desegregation settlement agreement on behalf of African American students from the Pulaski County Special School District. The intent of the Scholars Academy is to enroll students who have low standardized test scores and prepare them to enter college without the need for remediation and to graduate within four years, according to ��Vlog��ýLR Program Coordinator Amber Smith. “Students who devote time to non-credit remedial coursework not only pay more tuition, they also lose potential income with the delay in college graduation,” Smith added. Several recent graduates from PCSSD’s six high schools are enrolled in the Summer Bridge Academy at ��Vlog��ýLR. However, enrollment is not restricted to just PCSSD students or African American students. “All students with low standardized test scores are encouraged to avoid remediation courses during their freshman year,” Smith said. ’s commitment to corporate social responsibility guides how they operate in a socially, economically, financially and environmentally responsible way around the world, to deliver for shareholders, customers, clients and employees. The goal is to help create economically vibrant regions and communities through lending, investing and giving.

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Bank of America Foundation provides grant for ��Vlog��ýLR summer academy

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 16:35:02 +0000

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has awarded $20,000 to a ��Vlog��ýLR summer program aimed at improving retention and graduation rates among targeted minority populations. The funding will help support the Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy at ��Vlog��ýLR. In the summer of 2013, the academy became the first on-campus, intensive residential program aimed at improving student remediation rates before the start of the fall term.

Recent graduates of the Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy at ��Vlog��ýLR receive a medallion from Dr. Donaldson

The pilot residential program served 44 participants and provided them room and board free of charge. Students made huge leaps in standardized test scores, including nine who became eligible for honors composition, subsequent to their participation in the three-week residential program. Studies show that students who must devote time to non-credit remedial coursework will not only pay more tuition, they also lose potential income with the delay in college graduation. In addition, the costs to institutions to remediate unprepared students results in losses to the state in income tax revenues and available funding for postsecondary institutions. BOA Senior Vice President Susan San Martin said in a letter that work done by ��Vlog��ýLR and other agencies “help lift up local communities.” For more information on the Summer Bridge Academy, call Amber Smith at 501.569.8713 or email arsmith2@ualr.edu.

Pilot program shows remediation rates can make significant improvements

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 20:41:39 +0000

Nearly half of college-age students in Arkansas require some type of academic remediation. Perhaps more distressing is that many of those same students will never make it to graduation day, according to the national nonprofit Complete College America. But the Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy has offered 44 incoming University of Arkansas at Little Rock freshmen an impressive antidote to those dismal statistics. The results have been nothing short of amazing, according to Brad Patterson, director of the ��Vlog��ýLR Office of Testing Services and Student Life Research. They include: • Eleven students now eligible for honors composition • Thirty-eight students, or 88 percent, who have bypassed developmental math, with an average math score increase of 20 points • Almost 80 percent who have bypassed developmental composition, with average composition scores jumping 18 points • Fifty percent who have bypassed developmental reading • In all, 58 total course advancements According to ��Vlog��ýLR Student Services Success Initiatives program officials, the recently completed pilot three-week academy for minorities represents the first intensive residential summer program in Arkansas that has data to prove that remediation rates can be improved before the start of the fall term. Although SSSI developed the program, they were quick to point out that its success stemmed from the cross-disciplinary contributions of many faculty and staff. The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and Bank of America provided major funding. The program culminated with an award ceremony and celebration on Aug. 3, where Dr. Sherece West-Scantlebury, president and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, charged the Class of 2017 to never falter in their “patience, passion, persistence, and purpose.” The ceremony also featured newly retired Vice Chancellor Dr. Donaldson, who was rarely seen without a huge smile as he helped distribute student awards. According to program coordinator Amber Smith, a “work hard, play hard” mentality pervaded the entire program, backed by high expectations and something even more powerful. “These students know that they matter,” said Smith. “They weren’t just told that. They were shown it.” The improved test scores may be the best proof the program can work beyond the pilot phase and plans are already underway to offer it again next summer. Program administrators said an unexpected bonus was seeing certain intangible outcomes as the weeks passed–the camaraderie, the mutual respect, and the sense of empowerment the program seemed to foster. The students will continue to be tracked into future semesters to compare their successful completion of subsequent courses and fall-to-fall retention, according to program officials.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ýLR receives Bank of America grant for Summer Bridge Academy