School of Interdisciplinary Studies

Support IS

AT&T Invests in College Completion, Readiness Programs at UT Dallas

Even the world's strongest bridges need support.

AT&T recently made a $220,000 contribution to the UT Dallas Academic Bridge Program (ABP) and College Readiness Initiative (CRI) at the 2010 School of Interdisciplinary Studies Partners Recognition Dinner.

Approximately half of the new contribution will be used to enlarge the class size of the Academic Bridge, while the remainder will be targeted to expand the program to reach younger high school students. Holly Reed, AT&T Regional Vice President - External Affairs, said the awarding of this contribution aligns with AT&T's top philanthropic priority.

“The future success of this region is directly tied to the education of our children,” said Reed. “If students do not finish high school, all of our community is negatively impacted.’

And if those who want to go on to college can't realize their potential, our future is even more threatened.”

The AT&T contribution increases the number of students served by the ABP by 20, bringing the program to current capacity. The 10-year-old ABP was created to serve youth from urban areas throughout Texas, with an emphasis on Dallasarea high school students. Through the ABP, high-potential high school graduates ‘bridge’ the gap between their K-12 education and college with an accelerated summer session of undergraduate courses and social acclimation.

Support continues during ABP students' college years at UT Dallas, through tutoring, cultural opportunities and professional internships. Many ABP students go on to serve as mentors to incoming students.

In the program's first decade, the ABP has helped 112 students earn a UT Dallas degree and boasts a graduation rate consistently around 70 percent, higher than state and national averages.

“It has been awesome to see the numbers of students increase with each cohort, and to watch the support and resources for each student grow,” said Netreia McNulty (BA ‘04), ABP alumna from the program's initial 2000 cohort. “I hope current and future ABP students benefit from the gift, not only through enhanced services, but by knowing that a successful and highly respected company such as AT&T believes they can succeed.”

AT&T's support of the new CRI provides 40 Dallas ISD high school students with a structured and supportive environment so that they complete their high school years with the goal of pursuing a college education. The first CRI cohort will be comprised of rising sophomores from A. Maceo Smith High School in Dallas.

This summer, participants will spend two weeks at UT Dallas in an intensive mentoring and counseling program. They will get a taste of college life by staying in the University's new residence hall and tackling college-prep coursework, while also receiving SAT preparation and college application assistance. They also will engage in leadership activities to build self-esteem, explore career options and attend cultural events. After the summer session, students will meet one Saturday at UT Dallas in November, February and May for mini-sessions which reinforce college readiness. Members of the 2010 CRI cohort will return for another two-week session in summer 2011.

The Academic Bridge also received nearly $500,000 in additional funding from the State of Texas during the 81st Legislative Session. The special item funding allows even more students to participate in the program.

“With the AT&T contribution, we are now able to ‘bridge’ a total of 80 students next summer,” said George Fair, dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies. “This means that our program grew by 100 percent in just one year, thanks to public and private support.”

“The state appropriation, which resulted through the particular help of State Representative Helen Giddings, and the support of AT&T, shows our students how building partnerships can lead to dramatic results.”