Student Outreach and Retention Center

SOAR Retention SIP Excellence Grant Additional Information

Assistant Director
Hannah Jones

Retention Coordinators﻿
Brenda G. Cabrera

Fatuma Ramudzi

Silvia Navarro Hernandez

What is an underserved/underrepresented (U/U) student?

Underserved: students who are typically, low-income, first generation, and underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities that do not receive equitable resources as other students in the academic pipeline.

Underrepresented: students who are disproportionately lower in number of attending or graduating from college.

Examples of U/U students include: First generation, low income, English learners, members of the LGBTQ+ community, undocumented students, DREAMERS, students of color, post-traditional learners, etc.

What are the 5 areas of Retention as defined by the SOAR Center?

  1. Academic success: addresses the needs students may have to progress through their bachelor’s degree, and potentially prepare for graduate school.
  2. Financial wellness: any effort that addresses the need students may have in financial matters such as FAFSA applications, financial literacy, or how to pay back loans.
  3. Mental health: anything that may be impacting student mental wellness. In many cases students may feel anxiety or distress which can be addressed through counseling or community building activities.
  4. Belonging and Engagement: this addresses the need for community as people deal with imposter syndrome and finding a sense of stability in an institution that may not recognize one’s identity(s).
  5. Skill and Leadership Development: works towards the skills students may need to promote their growth as leaders and/or career development past their time at UCI.