[Orgvpdue] DUE August/September 2026 Spotlights

[Mona Nelson sent on behalf of]

*Division of Undergraduate Education August/September Spotlights*
The* DUE Monthly Spotlight Series* aims to highlight important advances
across the Division of Undergraduate Education. The goal is to ensure that
our fellow DUE members stay in the know as we collectively work toward
DUE’s strategic goals, including boosting graduation rates and reducing
equity gaps, among others.

*DUE Keeps Breaking Records*

On September 22nd, the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) hosted its
annual Resource Fair in the Pentland Bearcave.

A total of 435 students attended the event to meet with DUE representatives
and explore available DUE programs. This level of student participation
marks the highest attendance for a DUE Resource Fair to date, surpassing
our previous record of 305 student participants.

Students engaged in lively conversations and interacted with DUE
staff. Adding to the already enthusiastic atmosphere, Scotty and Norm made
a special appearance, taking photos with students and bringing the UCR
school spirit to the room.
*DUE Org Retreat*

The Division of Undergraduate Education hosted its annual retreat on
September 15, 2026. The event began with staff introductions and a
lighthearted "Shark Tank" icebreaker where teams pitched playful product
ideas, including a house key lock decoder, a community-building dried-out
whiteboard marker, and a single-legged table designed to end table wobbles
forever. The winning pitch went to the "Emotional Support Laptop," where if
it doesn't work, you don't either.

Presentations throughout the day highlighted the DUE’s ongoing strategic
goals alongside major wins from across the Division. Discussions
transitioned to Divisional priorities for the upcoming year, focusing on
practical ways to close equity gaps, leverage student success data, expand
high-impact student experiences, and keep UCR on track toward its 80%
six-year graduation goal. Presenters from various departments also shared
insights on adapting instruction for large-enrollment courses, using data
to identify student needs earlier, and better aligning coursework with
career readiness.
*R'Success Academic Launch Pad*

Transitioning into university life is a major milestone, but making
the transition can become overwhelming. To help incoming Highlanders, the
Academic Resource Center partnered with the Division of Undergraduate
Education this summer to provide students with the R’Success Academic
Launch Pad

This weeklong hybrid program helped ease the transition into UCR. Incoming
students had the opportunity to build connections with their peers, learn
how to navigate UCR resources, and review their math and writing skills
before fall classes officially began.
*HESA*

Another year of the Highlander Early Start Academy (HESA) is officially in
the books! This past summer, 249 students began their UCR journey through
mentorship, academic prep, and community building.

A majority of students identified as first-generation college students.
HESA continues to focus on simplifying the transition to campus life and
helping new students connect with their peers and staff. The transition to
university life can become overwhelming when brought all at once so having
a solid support team can make a huge difference.

This summer also marked HESA’s second year in offering online math
coursework. This virtual component allowed students who couldn't be on
campus to complete their required coursework and stay on track for the fall.

*R'Success Scholar Mini-Certificate Program*
The ARC is excited to announce the R’Success Scholar Mini-Certificate
Program! This program allows students to build critical academic,
professional, and personal growth skills through study and life skills
workshops, earning stackable Mini-Track Badges along the way to earning a
full certificate.

For mentors, advisors, and professors on campus, please feel free to share
this information
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with anyone who could benefit from this sort of support.
*25 Years of Impact*

This fall marks an exciting milestone for the UC Washington Center as it
celebrates 25 years in the heart of Washington, D.C. Since opening its
doors in 2001, the center has served as the UC system-wide home away from
home, bringing students, faculty, alumni, policymakers, and partners from
across the UC system to advance experiential learning, research,
leadership, and public service.

On September 30th, the UC Washington Center commemorated this milestone
with a reception celebrating students' and alumni achievements, career
readiness, and the relationships that have connected the UC to D.C. The
celebration will include a presentation of the inaugural Senator Dianne
Feinstein Impact Award.

UCR students began participating in the program as early as 2004. UCR
alumna Thy Bui (2004) interned with the D.C. Office of the Attorney
General. She described the experience as “transformational” to her personal
and professional development. Since then, hundreds of students have gone
through the program.

This fall, 21 UCR students are in D.C. on their transformative journeys.
Students have secured internships in the federal government, public policy,
research, advocacy, legal services, and in professional associations.


*R’Courses Enter a New Chapter Starting this Fall*

All R’Courses will be offered under DUE with a new course code: UGRC 198.
This change will help streamline and standardize program operations and
make it easier for students to find and enroll in an R’Course. The
R’Courses program is also expanding to a three-course sequence to better
support student facilitators. Prospective R’Course student facilitators
will enroll in UGRC 1A to develop their syllabus and course proposal. Once
their proposal is approved by the R’Course Faculty Committee, students will
enroll in UGRC 1B, which will focus on pedagogy. Finally, student
facilitators will enroll in UGRC 1C during the term of their course
offering to receive 1 unit of academic credit for teaching an R’Course.
*XCITE Hosts Visiting Scholar Patricia Behar for Generative AI Exchange*

XCITE is hosting Patricia Behar, a Visiting Fulbright Scholar and
Researcher-in-Residence from Porto Alegre, Brazil, to study how generative
AI is being used in teaching and learning. The overall goal of the project
is to help guide future teacher training and instructional frameworks.

Her visit is part of a bi-lateral exchange program funded by the U.S.
Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA),
World Learning, and the Fulbright Commission in Brazil.

As part of the same exchange, XCITE Senior LX Designer Samantha Eastman
visited the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul back in August. During
her trip, she spoke about AI in education to researchers, faculty,
student-teachers, and future educators across both undergraduate and
postgraduate programs.


*Kicking it off with Kessler Konnections!*

The Kessler Scholars program officially started the 2026-2027 academic year
with its first gathering of the term, Kessler Konnections.

The evening brought together new and returning students, giving Cohort 4 a
chance to meet and connect with scholars from Cohorts 1, 2, and 3. Over
dinner, students talked through what to expect in the coming months, shared
advice on navigating campus, and discussed their personal and academic
goals for the year ahead.

By building these peer-to-peer connections early on, the program aims to
give incoming scholars a strong support system right from the start of the
quarter.


* Pre-Professional Advising Center 2026-2027 Ambassador Program*

The Pre-Professional Advising Center is excited to spotlight its 2026-2027
Ambassador Program. This year's ambassador cohort includes six pre-health
ambassadors representing the fields of medicine, dentistry, optometry, and
physician assistant, as well as four pre-law ambassadors. PPAC Ambassadors
support the advising center by holding weekly drop-in hours, assisting with
workshops/events, mentoring students in finding co-curricular activities,
and navigate campus services.PPAC staff facilitated ambassador training on
September 16 & 17. The first day focused on UCR, the Division of
Undergraduate Education, and PPAC. The second day was dedicated
to professional school and career engagement; pre-health ambassadors
visited the Western University of Health Sciences, while pre-law
ambassadors visited UC Irvine School of Law. At each institution,
ambassadors learned about the structure of professional school programs,
admissions, and career opportunities. Pre-Law ambassadors had the unique
opportunity to sit in on a class taught by UCI School of Law Dean and
Professor Austen Parrish.
*Coming Soon from ADT*

The ADT met for their annual summer retreat on Friday, September 18. The
ADT will continue offering their Teaching Foundations workshop series in
the fall and various workshops and talks over the academic year. They
discussed several new and exciting initiatives, including a podcast
(tentative title: "Notes from Class"), a formalized teaching observation
structure. The ADT website is also undergoing a revamp, so keep checking
back!
https://academyteachers.ucr.edu/
<http://The%20ADT%20met%20for%20their%20annual%20summer%20retreat%20on%20Friday,%209/18.%20They%20planned%20to%20continue%20offering%20their%20Teaching%20Foundations%20workshop%20series%20in%20the%20fall%20and%20various%20workshops%20and%20talks%20over%20the%20academic%20year.%20They%20also%20discussed%20several%20new%20exciting%20initiatives%20including%20a%20podcast%20(tentative%20title:%20%22Notes%20from%20Class%22),%20a%20formalized%20teaching%20observation%20structure,%20and%20more.%20The%20ADT%20website%20is%20also%20undergoing%20a%20revamp,%20so%20keep%20checking%20back!%20https://academyteachers.ucr.edu/>
*Copyright ©  2026 Division of Undergraduate Education, All rights
reserved.*

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