Promise Scholars Program
- The Promise Scholars Program at UC Santa Barbara, the first of its kind in the UC system, offers high achieving first-generation students a multi-year funding package totaling $125,000 for four-year students and $60,000 for transfer students. The program also works with Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) to deliver the Santa Barbara Promise Pipeline. The guaranteed grants and scholarships received by these deserving scholars of extraordinary promise, combined with academic counseling, added academic resources and various supplemental support services, are meant to ensure the highest level of student success in this population.
- The Promise Scholars Program envisioned by Dr. Mike Miller, Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services and Student Success, started in 2015 with 124 students and has now successfully graduated 6 cohorts of UCSB students. Currently in its 10th year, the program serves 2,300 students, with 833 new students having been accepted this year. We note here that originally the program was to target Native American and Black Students who are the most underrepresented groups at UCSB but that it became more inclusive in subsequent years.
- The Promise Scholars program is now headed by Director Holly Roose, assisted by a staff of two and some peer advisors along with a handful of faculty supporters who volunteer to engage with our Promise Scholars either in targeted courses, through research opportunities or other forms of academic engagement. Dr. Roose has been able to ensure that the highest level of excellence has been maintained in all aspects of the program.
- Among successes recorded (all numbers are higher than the general student population) : 94% of Promise Scholars remain at UCSB (versus 91% in the control group) and 72% obtain their bachelor’s degrees on time (versus 59% in the general campus population); over 60% of the Promise Scholars graduate debt free (with those who borrow graduating with $2,500 in debt compared to the average campus of $21,000). Promise Scholars self-report a higher rate of graduate school admissions compared to the general campus population. At least two Promise Scholars have received the Thomas Moore Storke Award, the highest University award given at graduation, whereas other scholars in the program have received other major University awards and recognitions. The Promise Scholars Program has become a prized UCSB program.
Rationale and Goals for the EA Promise Scholars Mentorship Program
- From the time of the conception of the program, Dr. Mike Miller consulted with a small cohort of faculty who had demonstrated extra commitment to serving this student population and assembled an advisory board to guide and support those first efforts. A class to introduce the Promise scholars to the university and research was created by Dr. Mark Shishim, Associate Dean in Student Affairs, and continues to be offered yearly. Faculty participation and mentorship were always key elements of the program. Now that the program has grown exponentially, faculty mentorship is needed even more.
- The UCSB Emeriti Association has always supported student scholarships as one of its key missions over the years and has endeavored over the past 4 years, under the leadership of former EA President, Prof. William Ashby, to offer yearly financial support to two Promise Scholars who are then named Emeriti Association Promise Scholars. These funds are used to supplement their fellowships, to buy books, cover extra expenses and prevent the scholars from graduating with any debt. The Emeriti Promise Scholars have attended luncheons with our emeriti faculty and the faculty has also attended Promise Scholars events in support of our own student awardees and other students in the program.
- The goal of the EA is now to create a full-fledged mentorship program in the next year with 10-12 emeriti faculty mentoring 20 to 30 Promise scholars. An EA committee (Profs. Muriel Zimmerman, Cynthia Brown, Judy Gough, Dorothy Chun and Claudine Michel with support from EA Coordinator Ellen Pasternack) has been in conversation with Dr. Mike Miller and Dr. Holly Roose to envision the scope and nature of the program. Our plan is to start a pilot project in Spring 2025 with 5-10 faculty mentors working with 10-12 students, with each faculty serving as mentor for one or two students (two students working with one faculty may be less intimidating for new students). The long term goal will be to increase the number of mentors and students participating in the program on a yearly basis, counting possibly 40 to 50 active emeriti mentors in 2035 and perhaps 80-100 students (roughly 10 % of the entering class).
- Though it was identified that students of color in the hard sciences and engineering, and women in STEM in particular, are the most vulnerable and needing the most faculty support, it was determined in consultation with Dr. Roose that cross-disciplinary faculty support would be welcome in the first iteration of the mentorship program.
- While we envision the program as a faculty-student direct mentorship program, we also want to possibly organize one or two faculty emeriti panels that would be open to all Promise Scholars in general. These could be panels on applying for graduate schools, on senior job interviews, or presentations about their research or life topics relevant to students’ needs. Research finds that first-generation and students of color are in need of mentors and role-models. So panels on faculty trajectories could be most informative and empowering.
- Dr. Claudine Michel, one of the faculty members who worked with Dr. Mike Miller at the time of the inception of the program, volunteered to serve as liaison between the Promise Scholars office and the Emeriti Association. Another faculty currently serving on the Emeriti Board will also be welcome as a second faculty liaison.
Objectives of the Mentorship Program
- Offer general academic support and guidance to increase retention, students’ academic success and overall positive campus experience.
- Set goals for the mentorship with the students themselves and hold them accountable for coming to meetings, reporting on their academic progress and successes as well as any challenges they may have encountered.
- Assist students with navigating both the university and their majors, understanding that the needs of first-year students differ from that of graduating seniors who are about to complete their degrees and plan to either apply for graduate school or enter the work force. The faculty support will take different forms depending on the student class level and specific interests.
- Offer specific support for particular majors, including sharing resources, providing mentees with knowledge, insights and understanding about their fields of study, research possibilities, internships, and other professional opportunities.
- Get a general sense of the student standing in their major and assist with directing them to the right resources at key moments of their academic journey on campus.
- Encourage students to take advantage of all the services and educational opportunities available to them in the classroom, in Student Affairs, and on campus and off-campus. This includes encouraging them to study a foreign language and study abroad if that is one of their interests, helping them with securing campus employment if they so desire, and supporting their networking efforts regarding local and national internships and future employment.
- Be a mentor that can be reached for advice and support even outside regularly set meetings. The faculty mentor is an academic guide who can assist the student with their studies, choice of majors, career decisions but can also serve as an advocate when it is deemed appropriate for a student in other situations (for example, a referral may be needed in some circumstances).
- And be ready to celebrate with the student(s) and their family at graduation. It will be a proud moment for you too as mentor!
Logistics
- Faculty will meet in informal sessions at least twice per quarter with each student mentee, possibly in pairs. The meetings could be via zoom, with at least one in-person meeting per quarter. Faculty could invite students to meet in the library, at their office, or take them to coffee. One lunch per year would be desirable. Faculty can also meet students at an event they themselves plan to attend and that they think would benefit the student(s). This could be a campus talk, a campus performance or a Santa Barbara event.
- A paragraph or two summarizing the interactions with each student over the year will be submitted to EA and the Promise Scholars office in June of each year. We would also appreciate a faculty self-evaluation and suggestions for change and improving the program. Of course, faculty can reach out at any point to the faculty liaison(s) or directly to Director Roose if there are issues that emerged with a student, either with their academics or any other concerning matters.
- A yearly gathering either at the beginning of the school year or at the end of the academic year will be planned to allow Promise Scholars mentors and mentees to interact with the larger group and share their experiences with the program.
Outcome
- Emeriti faculty have a wealth of knowledge in their respective fields and beyond; and also incredible experience about navigating campuses and universities and the work force. We are teachers at heart. So the EA Promise Scholars Program is a formidable opportunity for emeriti to continue informing/forming the next generation of scholars. Those of us who have engaged in similar mentorships can attest that the rewards for the faculty in seeing their students succeed are certainly worth the investment of time. It is also a way to contribute to the diversity of our campus, with supporting top-notch scholars who are first-generation students.
- For our talented Promise Scholars interacting closely with a faculty mentor will be a rare opportunity to continue on their journey of rigorous academic engagement and experiencing the joy of participating in cutting edge-research at a Research 1 institution, while also learning from emeriti faculty who have much to share about bodies of knowledge, leadership, and life.