The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) motto is, "Building Leaders Who make a Better World." The program’s purpose is to build leaders, support people in achieving their goals, and improve the world in the process. NSLS is a national honor society that give students the tools they need to drive their future forward, establish themselves as leaders among their peers, and build real-world skills that will help them excel in the workplace. Students are selected to participate in the Western Texas College (WTC) chapter of this program based on exemplary academic achievement and are inducted after completing a 12 hour process over the course of a semester. Participants have access to offerings such as scholarships, an exclusive job board, skill-building, networking opportunities, and coaching.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format.

PROGRAM SCALE: Small-scale (reaches fewer than 10 percent of its target population)

APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 33

HOW TO ENROLL: Participants must apply to enroll in this program

WEBSITE TO APPLY: https://www.wtc.edu/students/nsls.html

EVALUATION STATUS: Data related to program outcomes are currently being externally collected

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Dean of Student Services

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Ralph Ramon at rramon@wtc.edu or 325-574-7625

The Opportunity Tuition Waiver covers the cost of tuition and general fees at Western Texas College for high school graduates from Scurry County schools. High School graduates must be registered in at least twelve (12) credit hours for the fall semester immediately following his/her graduation and have a cumulative GPA of 2.75. To qualify for the waiver, graduates must complete the OTW application, contract, and 40 hours of volunteer service at approved volunteer sites in Scurry County communities. To continue receiving the waiver, students must maintain a GPA of 2.75 or higher and complete another 40 hours of service to the community. The waiver only covers the cost of credits earning students a certificate or degree. The Opportunity Tuition Waiver covers tuition and certain fees (building and general use fees only) for a maximum of fifteen (15) credit hours per semester for Scurry County high school graduates and twelve (12) credit hours per semester for Scurry County Dual Credit students.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is in-person only.

PROGRAM SCALE: Medium-scale (reaches between 10 and 25 percent of its target population)

APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 291

HOW TO ENROLL: Participants must apply to enroll in this program

WEBSITE TO APPLY: https://www.wtc.edu/otw.html

EVALUATION STATUS: Data related to program outcomes are currently being internally collected

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Dean of Student of Student Services

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Ralph N. Ramon at rramon@wtc.edu or 325-574-7625

Phi Theta Kappa is an international honor society with chapters in all 50 states and nine nations. The purpose of Psi Zeta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Western Texas College (WTC) is to promote scholarship, the development of leadership and service and the cultivation of fellowship among qualified students of WTC. Each candidate for membership must have completed 12 hours of associate degree work, with a Grade Point Average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, and adhere to the school conduct code and possess recognized qualities of citizenship. Grades for courses completed at other postsecondary institutions will not be considered when determining membership eligibility. A cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.5 must be maintained to remain in good standing. For those who meet this criteria, Phi Theta Kappa recognizes and encourages their academic achievement by providing opportunities to participate in honors, leadership, service, and fellowship programming.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format.

APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 76

HOW TO ENROLL: Invitations are generated at the beginning of each semester after GPAs have been calculated from the previous semester.

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Jimmy Fancher at jimmy.fancher@wtc.edu or 325-574-7676

Western Texas College's Student Support Services seeks to provide 165 participants with an environment that fosters educational and personal growth for low-income and first-generation students and students with disabilities. Following comprehensive, individualized assessment, participants will take part in a Summer Bridge program prior to their first year. After this, participating students receive an array of services including individualized academic and career counseling, one-on-one academic advising, peer tutoring, supplemental instruction, academic support workshops, financial aid assistance, financial literacy/planning instruction, transfer guidance, and cultural enrichment throughout their time at the institution. Student Support Services, augmented by a wealth of supportive initiatives provided by Western Texas College staff and community representatives, ensure the continued success of participants.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is in-person only.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 88

HOW TO ENROLL: Participants must apply to enroll in this program

EVALUATION STATUS: Data related to program outcomes are currently being internally and externally collected

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Western Texas College

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Emily Powell at epowell@wtc.edu or 325-573-8511

Title V grants are awarded to Hispanic Serving Institutions. This project was designed to help Hispanic students in STEM majors. Some of the key components of the project include incorporating principles of Project Based Learning into Western Texas College’s curriculum; expanding research opportunities and articulation agreements for students; and utilizing peer tutoring to help STEM students better understand the content of their courses and the problem-solving process.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is in-person only.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 200

HOW TO ENROLL: All stakeholders have access to this program. As such, there is no enrollment process

EVALUATION STATUS: Data related to program outcomes are currently being internally and externally collected

PRELIMINARY OUTCOMES DATA: Initial data shows very promising results of the impact of the Title V project. In Gibson Research Group surveys of Project-Based Learning (PBL), the average response to the survey questions was 2.80 in Fall 2018 but had increased to 3.05 in Fall 2021 (responses are recorded on a 1 to 4 scale with 4 being the highest response), indicating that PBL is being implemented in the college curriculum. Other strategies such as tutoring also seem to be increasing academic achievement for STEM students. In Fall 2018, the average grade point average (GPA) for science students was 2.49, compared to 2.83 in Fall 2021, an increase of almost 14%. In math, the average GPA increased from 1.99 to 2.55 (or 28%) over the same time period.

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Institutional Research

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Britt Canada at bcanada@wtc.edu or 3325747671