One-on-One Advising
The backbone of OAE’s support of the Programs of Academic Excellence is the one-on-one advising relationship. We EXPOSE, ENGAGE, ENCOURAGE, EMPOWER.
OAE serves as our students’ academic “home base.” We aim to cultivate relationships that allow us to understand our students’ unique experiences and interests in an effort to help them establish, develop and work toward their goals. We focus on facilitating a smooth transition to college, encouraging student involvement, promoting community service and making deliberate connections to resources, particularly faculty. We strive to help students enhance their academic experiences.
All freshmen meet with an OAE advisor every two weeks, and upperclassmen meet at least monthly.
Programs
OAE provides programming that aspires to be relevant, practical, and thought-provoking. These programs identify ways to connect students to resources and provide platforms for discussion at a deeper level. Programs include:
Orientation Supplements
Each fall, we welcome the Programs of Academic Excellence to campus with programs to supplement the broader University Orientation. We introduce them to the staff and services of OAE, focus on establishing connections and fostering relationships, and present the information that is most relevant to them as scholarship recipients. In the spring, we traditionally host a “Reorientation” to emphasize specific themes, with a social component incorporated to help kick off the start of a new semester.
Casual & Candid Conversations
This intimate speaker series connects students with interesting and dynamic speakers in a format that is less of a lecture and more of a discussion. The goal is to offer a unique story and a new perspective, typically focusing on a professional theme.
Lunch w/ TED Series
Who is TED? TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and with its wide range of topics and speakers, TED.com is an excellent resource to spark learning. Playfully dubbed an “elite” speaker series, Lunch w/TED brings students together to watch and discuss TED Talks over lunch, providing a forum for open, enriching conversations.
Cultural Outings
It is a long standing OAE tradition to offer students the opportunity to dine together and enjoy a theatre arts event. Recent examples include Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and MoTown the Musical. Other personally enriching outings are offered periodically.
Community Service
With service being a key component of an “enhanced” college experience, OAE supports the annual service days offered by the Butler Center for Service and Leadership. OAE has highlighted Hurricanes Help the Hometown as a key initiative that the Programs of Academic Excellence are invested in. In addition, our students make up the majority of the mentors in the School of Education’s “Inspire U Academy,” a developmental peer mentoring program for local high school students.
In addition to the Butler Center, OAE supports the many areas across campus that provide programming and/or support services to students, including:
