River Hawk Scholars Academy 2.0

08/07/2023
By Matthew Hurwitz

We are happy to share with the campus community some important updates about River Hawk Scholars Academy (RHSA), an academic success program for first-generation college students, as it enters its seventh year and has evolved into what we are calling RHSA 2.0, set to launch this fall 2023:

• A reimagined first-year experience for students in RHSA. Starting this fall, first-year students in RHSA will be placed into their “RHSA Pod”, a zero-credit course that will meet biweekly in the fall, led by an RHSA Faculty Advocate, and that is focused on acclimating students into the exciting life of their home department and college while connecting them to campus resources and preparing them to make the most of all of the opportunities available in their major during their time at UMass Lowell. During their first year, RHSA students can also opt into “First to Launch,” our pre-matriculation summer bridge program and our Living Learning Community.
• New RHSA courses, and more are in development, including courses with RHSA Learning Assistants. These courses are for students in RHSA and are either specialized sections of already designed courses that students need to take as part of their degree pathway – like College Writing I and II and the First Year Seminar in Honors – or new courses designed to be able to offer RHSA sections in the future (such as the English course “First Generation Stories”, the World Languages & Cultures course “Understanding World Cultures,” and the 1-credit “Job Search Seminar”).
• A wide array of opportunity programs for RHSA students to apply for in their sophomore year and above, including paid research, learning, and career-connected experiences, our junior year “Pathways to Career” program, RHSA study abroad programs, and leadership roles (many of which come with a scholarship). Students in RHSA can now remain in RHSA during their entire undergraduate career and students who maintain a 3.2 GPA and above are able to join our honors society, Tri-Alpha (graduate students and faculty and staff are also able to join).
• More faculty development for the many faculty teaching or serving with RHSA to ensure each faculty member works with our diverse student population through an approach that is equity- focused, inclusive, and effective.