Gateway Offers Help to Students

Staff Writer

Photo by Eric Bell

Support Staff - Gateway Student Support Services secretary Sandra Smith, Education Specialist and Counselor Phyllis Waldron and Director Tawana Greene offer help to students through Gateway Student Support Services.

   Every student studies differently. Not every student manages his or her time efficiently. Some students experience more stress during exams. One campus program can help with these problems.

   Since 2001, Gateway Student Support Services offered workshops and activities to students enrolled at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Phyllis Waldron, educational specialist and counselor with Gateway, organizes and schedules approximately 10 workshops or trainings each semester to help students. While topics may vary, sessions offered each semester include a seminar on note taking, another on test taking and one on stress, typically scheduled around midterms.

   “We always have very good attendance at our depression and grief workshops each fall,” Waldron said. “Both of these average around 25 to 26 people.”

   Gateway schedules some sessions, like the depression workshop, around national health observances. Timing is also considered important during fall semesters due to the number of new students on campus.

   Workshops usually last 30 to 45 minutes and take place in Harris Hall, typically during the day.

   “You don’t have to be a Gateway Student Support Services participant to attend the workshops,” Waldron said. “They are open to all students.” Waldron added that students are not required to register for sessions.

   While workshop attendance may vary, overall participation in Gateway decreased over time.

   In addition to providing open workshops for students, the Gateway program helps targeted students have a successful college experience and assist eligible students with the support needed to stay in college and earn their degree.

   Funded through the Federal TRIO program, UAM’s Gateway program is currently in its second cycle of grant funding. According to Tawana Greene, director of student services, funding applications to continue services are anticipated in the fall of 2008.

   “We are constantly accepting student applications and taking students in throughout each semester,” Greene said. She added that if a student applied in July he/she may be held over until the next academic year begins.

   According to Gateway materials, UAM students must complete an application and meet at least one of the following federal criteria to receive services:

• Students must be a first generation college student. This means that neither of the student’s parents have earned a baccalaureate degree; OR
  

• Students must have a taxable income or family income that meets federal guidelines, and the student is currently receiving federal financial aid assistance; OR

• Students must have a documented physical or learning disability.

   Once accepted in the program, each student is required to complete several activities to remain in good standing. The three requirements include:

• Students will meet with the program counselor to develop or clarify their academic plan. This is considered the student’s intake interview and program assessment.

• Students must schedule at least two appointments with the program counselor each semester to discuss ongoing academic progress.

• Students must participate in at least two Gateway-sponsored or supported activities each semester. These may include workshops, seminars, career fairs, cultural tours, theater performances and more.

   According to Greene, the cultural and educational activities include anything students would not normally have the opportunity to attend. She checks the surrounding areas including Little Rock, Memphis and Monroe to find plays, operas or ballets the students can attend.

   One memorable activity for Greene was a trip Gateway students and staff took to Memphis to tour the Underground Railroad Museum. During the trip the group had the opportunity to see a house used for the railroad and actual hiding areas slaves used. The tour also featured replicated shacks from slave times and a section on African music.

   “They told us about the different beats in the music and what each one symbolized. They even broke down old Negro spirituals for us,” Greene said. “The whole place was really eye-opening.”

   Brittany Washington, a senior from Monticello majoring in business, finance and marketing, found out about the program as a first-year student and enjoys being a Gateway participant.

   “The sessions have helped a lot and everyone in the program has been really helpful,” Washington said. “Each program may not be long, but they are really informative.”

   Washington added that she could still remember almost everything from the first seminar she took, time management.

   “It (time management) has helped as far as work skills and social skills. It really helped me balance my life as a student,” Washington said.

   In addition to the workshops and help with her life on campus, Washington says the staff with Gateway is assisting with her life after graduation as well. As a Gateway participant Washington received notification of an internship available with Deep South Delta Consortium and begins work with that group in October.

   “They’ve really made a difference for me,” Washington said. “They made my college experience memorable.”

   For more information about Gateway and to complete an application, contact the staff at 460-1054 or stop by office 219 in Harris Hall. 

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