Students struggling in math and science courses will soon have increased access to one-on-one tutoring with math counselors.
The Community Programs Office plans to open the Math Success Program this quarter for underrepresented students in math and science fields, said CPO Director Antonio Sandoval.
CPO received $25,000 from the UC Office of the President in October to provide more programming for underrepresented students. It will use the money to hire three math tutors for the program.
The funding is part of the $2.5 million UCOP has allocated to UC schools to help implement grants and fellowships for marginalized students.
The CPO will pay student tutors between $13.50 and $14.50 per hour, for 15 hours a week, according to CPO’s website.
The Academic Advancement Program and the Student Retention Center will help the program target students of color who want to succeed in the sciences, Sandoval said. However, the program is open to all students.
AAP is a multicultural program on campus that aims to provide academic support to the diverse undergraduate student body. SRC is a student-run center that focuses on serving communities that suffer from low retention rates.
“The program’s goal is to defy the stereotype that underrepresented students are not able to make it in the STEM field or succeed in difficult math courses,” said Sandoval.
Students said they think the new grant will benefit the university and more grants like this should be created.
“Grants are beneficial because they help the overall community and also give students a chance for success,” said Karina Trujillo, a third-year statistics student.
Douglas Wong, a first-year computer science and engineering student, said he thinks establishing new grants is a good use of funds.
Wong said he thinks offering more grants and programs to students would create stronger departments, because they would promote success throughout the entire university.
The CPO plans to renovate its office and rearrange office space to make more room for the new program, Sandoval said.
He added the program is still in its pilot stage. The office will interview potential math counselors Thursday.
While this is a great service – why don’t we take advantage of the free online math help service that’s out there as well? Sites like https://www.khanacademy.org/math/ or https://www.studypug.com/ has done wonders in providing cost effective solutions for students in need.
Perhaps we can then shift the budget in providing additional support for students?