What is A&SRC?

Want to learn more? Read on!

Guiding Force: RLC Coordinators

These are faculty and staff within the College of Arts and Sciences. Coordinators usually teach one or more courses exclusively for their RLCs. Additionally, they plan and lead several co-curricular and social activities for their members each semester and provide informal mentoring for their students.

Peer Support: Programming Assistants

These RLC members are typically returning students who previously participated in their community. They help coordinators organize and promote events and facilitate general communication with RLC members. Programming assistants receive special scholarships from Housing and Residence Life for their valuable contributions to their RLCs.

Residence Hall Guidance and Mentoring: Faculty in Residence

The Faculty in Residence (FIR) lives in Decosimo and provides formal and informal interaction through educational programming, classes, individual and small-group advising, and casual association with our students. The A&SRC FIR is a faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Building Community in the Classroom

RLC Coordinators select one or more courses that align with their membership’s particular interests and curricular plans and designate these as their RLC academic cohort courses. RLC members enroll in these courses as a group to help build community in the classroom. A&SRC members are expected to participate in their designated academic cohort courses.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

At A&SRC, learning happens in the classroom, in the residence hall, and in the community. Special activities and events amplify our students’ learning and skill acquisition and provide them with unique opportunities to apply this new-found knowledge and skills.

Recipe for Success

Our mission is your success. We recognize that A&SRC’s benefits grow out of your engagement. For this reason, we want you to understand that accepting a place in A&SRC is an implicit commitment to be an engaged member of our communities, participate in our special programming, explore our resources, and take advantage of our unique services.

Eligibility

UTC undergraduate residential students majoring in programs in the College of Arts and Sciences are eligible to join A&SRC’s RLCs. Most RLCs are open to first-year, returning, and transfer students. Undeclared students interested in CAS academic programs are also eligible to participate.

Application Process

Students indicate their interest in one of A&SRC’s RLCs during the UTC Housing application process. A team of Housing staff and RLC coordinators reviews these applications. Selected students receive invitations to join their RLCs; invited students must formally accept the invitation before officially being considered members of their RLC and A&SRC.

Cost

A&SRC is funded by a partnership between the College of Arts and Sciences, its constituent departments, and Housing and Residence Life. This means students can participate in this fantastic program at no extra cost!

Participant Guidelines and Expectations

A&SRC is a student success initiative that brings together UTC’s Academic Affairs and Student Affairs faculty and staff to develop and incorporate high-impact practices that amplify student success. The program’s mission is to cultivate a sense of belonging in its members by creating communities that live together in a residence hall and engage in curricular (through academic cohort courses), co-curricular (through RLC-organized programming), service, and social activities. Interested students must apply and be accepted to participate in this competitive program. Participation in A&SRC and its RLCs is FREE, thanks to support from our partners in Housing and Residence Life, the College of Arts and Sciences, and its constituent departments. We make this significant investment to benefit our students, but for this impact to result, students must commit to being fully engaged participants.  

The following guidelines clarify A&SRC’s expectations of its student participants. You must acknowledge your understanding of these guidelines by signing the acknowledgment statement as part of the application process. Please note that your A&SRC and RLC membership are not finalized until you have signed the acknowledgment statement. Your signature also asserts your commitment to abide by these guidelines and expectations. Failure to do so will result in your forfeiting your membership and being room-changed out of your RLC in Decosimo so other interested students can participate. 

Academic Cohort Courses: Our faculty and staff partners carefully select the academic cohort courses to cultivate community in the classroom. As an A&SRC participant, you are expected to enroll in and remain enrolled in these courses. Academic cohorts are unique to each RLC and include courses in the Fall and Spring semesters. 

RLC Activity Programming Participation: RLC Coordinators organize and lead co-curricular and social activities to strengthen the bond within our communities. Engagement is an indispensable part of this process and our student success model. With that in mind, you are expected to participate in these activities. Your RLC plans at least six activities every academic year (three per semester), and you are expected to participate in at least four of these (two per semester). 

Residence Hall Engagement: Our partnership with Housing and Residence Life enables us to provide additional engagement and support opportunities in our residence hall (and adjacent congregational spaces at Stacy Town Center). These opportunities are also designed to develop skills, strengthen community building, and provide additional support services. Take full advantage of these resources to help you along your path to success. 

Service Activities: Our model also uses service activities to give back to the community and to develop a sense of agency in our participants. You will be expected to participate in at least four service activities yearly (two per semester). These may be formal service events organized by A&SRC, its constituent RLCs, or UTC; additionally, you may opt to perform individual service hours organized independently with one of our Chattanooga community partnering organizations. In such cases, three (3) hours of individual service performed will equal one A&SRC/RLC/UTC-sponsored service event. 

Communication via Navigate: A&SRC and its RLCs use Navigate to communicate with our members. When you receive emails and text messages from Navigate, you are expected to read and respond to them. 

Good Academic Standing: A&SRC’s mission is to support your academic progression toward graduation. UTC defines Good Academic Standing as earning a GPA of 2.0 or higher. If your GPA falls below 2.0, you will be offered an Academic Success Plan, which includes student success measures such as academic coaching and tutoring. Following and completing your academic success plan will ensure you remain eligible to participate in your RLC. 

Faculty in Residence: Our faculty are your primary resource in the classroom, and with the Faculty in Residence program, they are also a great resource in the residence hall. We have embedded in our residence hall a faculty member committed to your success who wants to engage with you regularly and provide extra support as needed. Take advantage of this unique resource!  

The residential college is a substantial resource to bolster your success at UTC; however, no institutional support can do all the work for you. As an A&SRC participant, your job is to lean into these fantastic resources and take full advantage of what the residential college offers: a path to academic success through community and engagement.

 

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