Instructors

UCI has been ranked as the number one school in the nation for outreach to low-income students, and over half of new freshmen are Pell grant recipients. Yet, for low-income students, getting into college is only half the story. Once at UCI, instructors play an important role in supporting low-income students on their journey to graduation. The following are some steps to help create classrooms that empower and engage low-income students:

• Put Copies of Textbooks on Reserve – put copies of your textbook and other materials on reserve through the library.  Also consider using Open Educational Resources (OER) which are freely accessible. This helps students who cannot afford their textbooks by giving them access to the course material and allowing them the opportunity to succeed in your class.
• Make Equipment and Technology Available – make students aware of alternatives to purchasing equipment/technology for your class. The library has laptops, mobile devices, cameras, webcams, and more available for check-out to all UCI students. This allows for all students, regardless of economic challenges, to work with technology and successfully meet course requirements.
• Acknowledge Class Differences – make course fees transparent by listing them on the syllabus, and provide information on assistance with food and housing. This creates an atmosphere that supports students and encourages them to ask for help when they need it.
• Promote Self-Regulated Learning – help students see learning as a process by giving them opportunities to reflect on what they learned and how they learned it. This promotes resiliency and the ability to see learning as a process.

The following links provide more information on increasing success for low-income students:

• What Colleges Can Do Right Now to Help Low-Income Students Succeed
• What it Means to be a Self-Regulated Learner
• Raising the Graduation Rates of Low-Income College Students (PDF)