U of A's New Start summer program now free by invitation

Housing, parking and other core expenses to participate will be covered, the UA said in a news release Monday.

The program, which is invitation-only, has updated offerings in writing and academic literacy, tutoring, math readiness, workshops and structured study support.

The major focus for students now will be math readiness. They’ll participate in daily math instruction, projects, structured practice and individualized coaching.

New Start is a residential summer program offered in partnership with specific Tucson-area high schools that gives first-year students a head start by being on campus before the rest of the student body, to build academic confidence and become familiar with campus resources. Social activities are included to help students make friends and build a community before the broader student population arrives on campus in the fall. 

The updated model will actively track students’ progress to make sure their foundational skills are stronger as the fall semester starts. The UA says it will also more clearly evaluate the program’s impact through metrics such as student engagement, course completion, math progress and fall retention outcomes.

University officials said the updated program places more emphasis on skills and behaviors “most closely associated with student success, including academic preparedness, time management, college-level writing, resource navigation and early engagement with support services."

“Students who arrive on campus with a stronger understanding of expectations, resources and support systems are better positioned to succeed from day one,” Registrar Alex Underwood said in the news release. “New Start helps create that foundation before the semester beings.”

The program has helped more than 14,000 students in its five decades.

“New Start gave me the confidence to step outside my comfort zone and fully embrace the college experience,” Ernesto Jacobo, a University of Arizona graduate and former New Start participant, said in the UA news release. “The friendships, skills and support I gained helped me succeed during my first year and shaped the path I chose afterward. It inspired me to continue working with students and pursue my goal of becoming a counselor.”

The program this year will bring about 100 to 150 students to UA and will run from July 11 through Aug. 7, with instruction taking place July 12 through Aug. 6.

Students admitted to the UA from Cholla, Desert View, Pueblo, Sunnyside and other local high schools have received invitations to participate in the program.

University officials say the new invitation-only strategy is “intended to strengthen partnerships with Tucson-area schools and support local students who may benefit most from early academic and transition support.”

But Gary Rhoades, a professor in UA’s Center for the Study of Higher Education, wrote an op-ed in the Tucson Sentinel this spring saying changing New Start to invitation-only is "crushing the dreams" of many who hoped to become students, and that the program should instead be expanded to serve more first-generation students.