Mission
REACH (Resources for Academic Achievement) cultivates a learner-centered experience for undergraduate success by empowering students to take an active and collaborative role in their learning through personalized and structured tutoring, coaching, intervention courses and programs, study groups, and workshops. These experiences, as well as our commitment to professional development, foster critical skills and mindsets that enable students to achieve their goals, experience academic success, and prepare them to thrive in diverse work environments. REACH serves as a national model for college and university learning centers through the delivery of flexible and innovative academic support services and technologies that enhance student learning outcomes, retention and graduation rates, and institutional partnerships.
Values
- REACH is dedicated to promoting the intellectual and personal growth of undergraduate students.
- We are guided in this service by the principles of honesty, responsibility and reliability.
- We treat each other ethically, accepting differing opinions in an atmosphere of trust.
- We earn the trust of the campus community by keeping our commitments and using open communication.
- We welcome and respect the culturally diverse student population we serve, and promote inclusiveness because we believe diversity enriches the learning experience.
- We create a REACH community of professional, classified and student staff through teamwork and responsible partnership.
- In a cooperative spirit, we foster an organizational culture consistent with the university’s mission, vision and values.
- We believe in the need to improve our effectiveness and efficiency through continuous evaluation, assessment, and the refinement of our programs and services to meet students’ needs.
- We achieve excellence by making decisions based on information: qualitative and quantitative data analysis and the exploration of new ideas and practices.
- We strive to provide leadership that is proactive, effective, reliable and responsive.
- We celebrate the accomplishments of our staff and students, strive to recognize their achievements, and mentor co-workers and student employees.
- We support student, staff and faculty engagement.
Goals
- Goal 1. Provide high quality, comprehensive, and impactful academic services that support a diverse undergraduate population.
Objective 1. Help students develop content mastery and critical thinking skills
Objective 2. Foster independent learning by engaging students in active learning, cognitive scaffolding, and critical thinking
Objective 3. Help students develop an awareness of their own academic strengths and weaknesses to enhance academic behaviors and performance
- Goal 2. Assist students in transitioning and adapting to the college environment.
Objective 1. Facilitate academic programs to address the academic needs of underprepared, underrepresented, and under-financed students
Objective 2. Help students develop personal and academic self-efficacy and self-regulation
Objective 3. Collaborate in campus-wide initiatives and partnerships that contribute to the university’s retention efforts
- Goal 3. Continuously measure and assess the efficacy of our services in order to improve the impact on student success.
Objective 1. Collect, analyze, and report key data and use this information to improve services and increase retention
Objective 2. Cultivate collaborative partnerships across the university and collect feedback to drive program improvement and foster innovative practices
Objective 3. Integrate evidence-based assessment practices of student and paraprofessional learning
Objective 4. Utilize best practices, benchmarking, and innovative educational methodology to enhance student learning and distinguish REACH as a national model for learning centers
- Goal 4. Promote high standards for hiring and development of professional and paraprofessional employees.
Objective 1. Recruit, hire, assess, and retain diverse and highly qualified individuals to support the mission of REACH and the university
Objective 2. Facilitate training opportunities that enhance job knowledge, skill level, and performance
Objective 3. Promote ethical standards and best practices among all employees as established by REACH, UofL, state and federal guidelines, as well as accrediting bodies