Texas A&M University-Commerce joins the University Crossroads Partnership
By Sydni Walker
COMMERCE, TX—Texas A&M University-Commerce recently joined the University Crossroads partnership, a collection of universities working on the Closing the Gaps initiatives outlined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
On Thursday, October 13, 2011, the University Crossroads Education Center was dedicated on the first floor of the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Building at 4622 Maple Ave. The center offers college-bound students with college awareness, readiness and access programming all free of charge, something UC hopes will spark renewed interest in higher education within the Dallas community.
“As a member of this far-sighted project, we are excited to be a part of that change in Dallas,” said Dr. Dan Jones, A&M-Commerce president. “Education has the power to change the fortunes of a region forever,” Jones said.
According to Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt, partnerships like University Crossroads that emphasize education as a means to a better life are key to establishing economic stability for Dallas’ students and their families.
Formed in 1988, the University Crossroads partnership exists to provide students with the tools they need to achieve college success. Services provided to the students are free of charge and include: college admission test preparation, counseling to determine career goals and educational opportunities, help with college applications, and assistance finding scholarships and financial aid. First and second-generation students wanting a college education have the chance to take SAT math prep classes for no charge.
University Crossroads also provides middle school students with resources through the Kids 2 College program. The six-session program teaches sixth grade students about different careers and the importance of going to college. The program concludes with a college visit for both the students and their parents.
The University of Texas at Arlington, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Texas at Austin, Midwestern State University, and Dallas ISD are also among the 27 members.
For more information, contact Michele Bobadilla, M.Ed., senior associate vice president for outreach services and community engagement and assistant provost for Hispanic student success at the University of Texas at Arlington, at: Bobadilla@uta.edu.
