5 | Arts & Life 7 | Sports Latinx Experiences 2017 C-USA Football Visualized at Preview Guadalupe Arts Center Vol. 56, Issue 2 Est. 1981 August 29 - September 5, 2017 The Paisano Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community /PaisanoOnline /ThePaisano @PaisanoMedia @ThePaisano www.Paisano-Online.com DROPPED Graphic by Chase Otero, The Paisano Instructor-initiated drop policy may cost students money and course credit By Samuel De Leon severity of the consequences for students were officially dropped (students) should attend and tending school. Co-News Editor not attending class. from their courses. participate in all scheduled class “I am wary of the possible In the spring of 2017, 13 “Students have a responsibility meetings.” unintended side effects that this COLFA instructors piloted a to help UTSA maintain top-tier UTSA policy requires students may cause,” sophomore biol- Beginning this semester, any program in which they could status by achieving and maintain- to attend class as scheduled, but ogy major Lee Gonzalez said. UTSA faculty can drop students drop students from their courses ing high academic standards. If student reactions vary on the new “(The policy) may unfairly affect from a course for non-attendance for non-attendance. This program students attend classes regularly enforcement. non-traditional students that as long as drop requirements are spanned over 22 courses with as required, then the instructor Some students believe the have obligations outside of the clearly stated in the syllabus at- a total enrollment of 1,708 stu- drop policy should be of no im- policy is unfair, noting that every classroom.” tendance policy. dents. Currently, the program has pact on them,” Levitt said. “The student has different needs and For professors to institute this The instructor-initiated drop is rolled into more classes, and is instructor drop policy is simply should therefore not be required policy, it must be clearly writ- an effort to curve low attendance set to take a larger, more detailed another way to enforce existing to attend class. ten in their syllabi. Faculty were in classes with high rates of analysis of an instructor-initiated policy.” “I have mixed feelings about given notice that any professor drops, failing grades and with- drop. The policy Levitt refers to is it,” senior physics major Gil- looking to include the policy in drawals (DFW). According to Dr. The pilot program for the the class participation policy in berto Garcia said. “On one hand, their syllabus had to submit the Steven Levitt associate dean of instructor-initiated drop had a the Catalog Information Bul- professors are given more control written portion in which the in- the College of Liberal and Fine positive impact on attendance letin and Section 5.09 of the over who passes and who fails structor-initiated drop was men- Arts (COLFA), class attendance for the classes. Of the 13 original UTSA Handbook of Operating their course. On the other hand, tioned to their department chairs is positively correlated with the COLFA instructors, only six procedures. The Catalog Infor- students who enroll and pay for prior to the start of Fall classes. grade a student receives in a dropped students from their mation Bulletin states, “Students the course have less freedoms If students are dropped by their course, meaning the less often courses. According to Levitt, are expected to regularly attend concerning their decisions to instructors for non-attendance, a student attends class they are 196 warnings were sent out to and participate in all meetings participate in a way of their students must still pay for the more likely to earn a lower grade students not attending classes. Of of courses for which they are choosing.” course; however, students can ap- for the course. Some professors those warnings, only 46 students registered.” The UTSA Hand- Some students are concerned peal to financial services and ask encourage attendance in their were dropped from the courses book says, “Unless otherwise about this policy affecting non- for the money back. If students classes by making participation by their instructors. Respectively, stated in the instructor’s syllabus, traditional students, including choose to appeal, Fiscal Services impact students’ grades which is 11.4 percent of students were or unless an absence is excused students who must work or take require professor approval for a a new initiative to increase the sent warnings and 2.7 percent of in accordance with this policy, care of their families while at- student refund of any kind. UTSA attempts to improve graduation rates with CLASS initiative Programs aimed at incoming freshman and transfer student success By Vivian Guillen and Financial Aid. Of the six “Now, there are ten academic Contributing Writer elements, three will have direct pathways ranging from architec- impact on freshman and first-year ture, social sciences, to arts and transfer students. One priority humanities. However, UTSA of the CLASS initiatives is re- plans on expanding in the near This is the first article of a two-part working the first-year experience future.” series on UTSA’s initiative to address for UTSA’s students. To better assist FYE, AIS is be- graduation and retention rates. Complaints about the Academ- ing revised to create a “signature ic Inquiry and Scholarship(AIS) experience.” AIS will tailor stu- In 2016, UTSA’s overall course were frequently heard dents’ education in critical think- six-year graduation rate was 35 from those who enrolled via ing, communication, leadership percent, according to a report by course evaluations. AIS was in- and career exploration, based on the Office of Institutional Re- tended to give first-year students that student’s academic pathway. search. According to the National an introduction into research One example is the business Center of Education Statistics, the writing. To address the AIS com- studies pathway. In this pathway, national six-year graduation rate plaints, the First Year Experience students will compete against was 59 percent, based on students (FYE) looked outward to other other business studies section for enrolling in 2009 and graduating universities with similar demo- a booth at Best Fest. However, in 2015. First year student reten- graphics to UTSA. Georgia State the competition will require tion rates at UTSA were around mirrored UTSA most similarly; students to create a marketable 76 percent and ranked from aver- through its minority-majority idea and explore the items needed age to below average. campus and socioeconomic chal- in sustaining its “business.” Peer mentor meeting with first-year students. The Coordinated and Linked lenged student body, the demo- Students in these sections will Approaches to Student Success graphics of UTSA and Georgia fall into marketing teams, finance Initiative (CLASS), was an- State clicked. teams, management teams and nounced by Dr. Mauli Agrawal, UTSA is currently trying Geor- other categories of study in the vice president of academic af- gia State’s “meta-major” system College of Business. fairs, set to evaluate and resolve to improve UTSA’s first-year ex- Aside from the first year issues of overall student success. perience, or an academic path for experience, the CLASS initia- “We measure student success students that permits flexibility in tives will also focus on leadership in terms of how many students core courses, while ensuring their and professional preparation. To we retain every year and ensure early course credits will count enhance this key element, Dr. they graduate successfully so towards their final majors. Rhonda Gonzales, along with they can go get jobs,” Agrawal “What we are working towards other key faculty and administra- said. over this next year is trying to tors, focused on “onboarding.” The CLASS initiative is modi- identify curriculum that would A plan to help students suc- fying and implementing six key apply to all or most majors within cessfully navigate the university. elements that Agrawal believes that academic pathway,” Dr. One key component is LEAD are essential to raising retention Tammy Wyatt, associate vice and graduation rates as well as to provost of student success, said. achieve “student success focus.” “While there is still a choice, These are: Advising, First Year it helps to focus the choice for Continued on page 2 Experience, Onboarding, Focused the student so they aren’t taking See ‘CLASS program’ Academic Support, Leadership classes that won’t be applicable Photos courtesy of UTSA First-Year Experience and Professional Preparation to their major. Student signs up for mentor meeting. 2 AUGUST 29 - SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 UTSA Groundbreaking will UTSA is not a sanctuary campus begin on a new large-scale testing facility on UTSA’s Designation uncertainty in lieu of SB 4 becoming law main campus Wednesday, August 30th. The 15,000 Joe Izbrand, associate vice square feet facility will By Benjamin Sharini president for communications feature a floor with the Staff Writer and marketing, notes that UTSA capacity to test loads up to is not a sanctuary campus, as one million pounds and up protections for student infor- to four million pounds in Sanctuary campuses are uni- mation exist under the Family thicker regions of the floor, versities which abide by similar Educational Rights and Privacy providing researchers the rules as sanctuary cities; on sanc- Act (FERPA) which prohibits ability to test large-scale tuary campuses, students rights disclosure of student information systems and full-scale are prioritized over the desire in many cases. buildings. This building of federal agencies like ICE to “We have not identified UTSA addition to the College of query the immigration status of as a sanctuary campus because Engineering will allow detainees. there is no legal standing or researchers to simulate a The “#SanctuaryCampus” protection that comes from that wide range of problems campaign is in large part a result designation,” he said.