History

In the 1999-2000 academic year, 1,031 freshmen enrolled in UNIV 1301 through the newly created Entering Student Program, housed under University Studies. In the first three years of UNIV 1301 being offered, UTEP saw an increased retention rate of students who took UNIV 1301 (72%) compared to those who did not take UNIV 1301 (43%). UTEP also saw the average GPA increase of first-year students who took UNIV 1301 (2.94/4.0) compared to those who did not take UNIV 1301 (2.33/4.0). It was clear that the seminar was helping keep students enrolled and striving for academic success.

In its early rendition, UNIV 1301 focused on topics that would help students succeed: getting familiar with the UTEP campus, understanding the value of higher education, practicing academic success skills, avoiding hazards or missteps along the way, learning about financial literacy, and planning for a professional career beyond college. But that wasn’t enough.

Always keeping entering UTEP students at the forefront of its purpose, UNIV 1301 sought the feedback from its students for ways to improve the course. UNIV faculty continued to revise the course to fit the needs of UTEP’s ever-changing and growing student body through a combination of pedagogical research and the testimonies of thousands of entering students who took the course every year.

From 1999-2020, UNIV 1301 courses were taught by instructors who specialized in an academic field or industry. Each UNIV section had an “academic theme” to it, allowing students to choose a theme that aligned with their major or intended career path and formed unique bonds with instructors who were experts in their respective fields. Students engaged in a learning environment of like-minded students critically thinking about their education and future plans. The success of UTEP’s entering students, and by extension the UNIV 1301 course as a whole, was dependent on embedding success skills into a thematic course based on the instructor’s field of expertise.

In 2020, the Entering Student Program combined with Developmental English and Developmental Math to create the Entering Student Experience unit. UNIV 1301 underwent a major redesign to shift the focus from the instructor’s expertise to creating a common first-year experience amongst all entering students. Academic themes were removed, and the entire course was redesigned around the five pillars of success: agency, belonging, engagement, academic success, and professional preparation. Through the exploration and development of these five pillars of success, students build a strong foundational network of support that will help them achieve their personal, academic, and professional goals. UNIV 1301 serves as a springboard for success at UTEP. Read More