The Office of Multicultural Affairs

Rites of Passage

 

 

The Rites of Passage Program is designed to support the educational and professional aspirations of incoming freshmen and transfer male students from historically underserved populations. The goal of the program is to help students succeed academically, to fully immerse themselves in college life and to enhance their life management skills.

Program Overview

During the school year, students will participate in the Rites of Passage Learning Community where they will enroll in at least two (2) concurrent courses with integrated learning assignments and at least one planned co-curricular activity linked to course material and the goals of the Rites of Passage program. Rites of Passage workshops will take place monthly during fall and spring semester to address topics of  related to Academic Enhancement, Career Exploration, Civic Engagement, Personal Development and Leadership Development. Rites of Passage Mentors stay in touch with Rites of Passage participants through academic and social events and checking in with participants to make sure they are finding everything they need to be successful.

Becoming a part of the Rites of Passage Learning Community gives you direct access to all of the campus resources with additional mentorship, advising, and opportunities that will enhance your ability to successfully progress through your degree program.

The goals of the program are:

• To help minority male students persist from semester to semester.

• To support minority male students to complete their degrees and graduate in a timely fashion.

The specific benefits of the program include:

• Receiving regular advising from a graduate assistant or professional staff in the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
• Receiving mentorship from a Rites of Passage faculty/staff mentor or peer mentor.

• Having direct access to campus resources (i.e. career services and financial aid).

• Priority registration in courses designated for the learning community.

• Being involved and connected to a university recognized learning community with other first year and transfer males of color.

Courses offered for Rites of Passage Learning Community

• Integrated Studies Lab (ISL 101)-Freshmen
• Foundations for Learning (FFL 250)-Transfers
• One (1) of the following courses:
• Introduction to Sociology (SOC 101)- (General Education Requirement-Social and Behavioral Sciences)

OR

• Introduction to African American Studies (AFS 201)- (General Education Requirement-Historical Perspectives; College of Arts & Sciences Requirement-Modern Historical Perspectives)

*Note: Students who are unable to fit AFS 201 or SOC 101 in their course schedule must participate in co-curricular experiences that focus on learning outcomes related to these courses.

Integrated Studies Lab for Freshmen Fall 2012

• This course will meet Tuesday and Thursday 2:00-3:15 pm.
• This course will count toward a speaking intensive course requirement for graduation.
• Integrated Studies Lab is a semester-long, 1-credit university studies course designed for learning communities.
• This course informs students about the university environment and campus resources, provides instruction and practice to develop academic and professional skills and provides instruction to develop integrated learning, information literacy, and oral communication and presentation skills.
• The following topics/experiences will be included in the course:
• Time Management, Effective Study Techniques for Different Courses, 8-Semester Graduation Plan, Note Taking, Test Taking, Financial Literacy, Career Exploration, Diversity Awareness, Research Opportunities, Team Building Experience, Trip to International Civil Rights Museum, and Student-Faculty Engagement.
• Assignments will be created to allow students to reflect on multiple courses they are taking across their major. Students will be able to identify their academic area of interest that they would like to integrate with this course.

Foundations for Learning for Transfers Fall 2012

• This course will be meet Tuesday and Thursday 3:00-4:15 pm
• This course will count toward two (2) graduation elective credits
• This course is designed to expose first-semester transfer students to essential competencies for academic and personal success, including knowledge of the university environment, self-awareness, and academic success skills.
• The following topics/experiences will be included in the course:
• Time Management, Effective Study Techniques for Different Courses, 4-Semester Graduation Plan, Note Taking, Test Taking, Financial Literacy, Career Exploration, Diversity Awareness, Research Opportunities, Team Building Experience, Trip to International Civil Rights Museum, and Student-Faculty Engagement.
• Assignments will be created to allow students to reflect on multiple courses they are taking across their major. Students will be able to identify their academic area of interest that they would like to integrate with this course.
• Academic advising meetings will be incorporated in this course.
• A Supplemental Transfer Advisor will be provided for students and will attend the first class meeting to schedule advising meetings with students. The advisor will schedule 3 advising meetings with students each semester.

Optional Experiences for Program Participants

Leadership Option

• Students will have the option to choose to participate in a year-long experience through the Office of Leadership and Service-Learning Leadership Challenge Program.

• Fall Semester
• Large Group (previous and current cohorts)-There will be a discussion that will take place to gather a sense of issues students are facing. Students will also participate in team building activities to foster a community of accountability among participants.
• Freshmen- How to Apply for Campus Leadership Employment Opportunities
• Sophomores-Discovering Your Purpose-This will be an interactive workshop to help clarify your purpose and declare/change your major.
• Juniors and Seniors-Graduate Placement Exams-This will be an interactive workshop for juniors and seniors to develop study techniques and preparation for the GRE, MCAT, LSAT, GMAT exams.
• Large Group- Students will also participate in team building activities to foster a community of accountability among participants.
• Spring Semester
• Large Group- Students will also participate in team building activities to foster a community of accountability among participants.
• Freshmen- What You Should Know When Doing Your Taxes and Completing the FAFSA
• Sophomores-Resumes-This will be an interactive workshop for sophomores to work on their resumes and have them critiqued by staff from Career Services
• Juniors and Seniors-Building Your Professional Brand with Alumni- Come join us to talk about different types of etiquette and how knowing the proper type of etiquette can help or hinder your social and employment opportunities.
• Large Group- Students will also participate in team building activities to foster a community of accountability among participants.

Program Design

• Academic Enhancement
  • Peer mentoring/tutoring
  • Retention
  • Regularly scheduled study sessions
  • Academic advising strategies/mapping
  • Enrollment management (financial aid, registration, etc.)
  • Financial literacy
  • Student/teacher engagement
  • Transfer/graduation
  • Early alert/intervention system
• Career Exploration
  • Career mapping strategies
  • Internship opportunities
  • Resume/portfolio design
  • Mock interviewing
  • Job shadowing
  • Work-study
  • Membership in state/national professional associations
• Civic Engagement
  • Service learning communities
  • Research opportunities
  • Volunteerism/community service
  • Political involvement
• Personal Development
  • Etiquette workshops
  • Soft Skills workshops
  • Student/teacher engagement
  • Branding (image building, dress/attire, grooming, etc.)
  • Conferences
  • Wellness workshops
  • Diversity awareness
• Leadership Development
  • Team building skills
  • Group dynamics
  • Networking opportunities
  • Conflict resolution management