July Newsletter

News from the UC Parents Association

Quiet classrooms and empty dining halls signify the time period after the spring quarter, but before the start of orientation.  All of this will change on Monday when Bearcat Bound Orientations begins.  Faculty and staff members are excited for the campus to begin buzzing again!  New students and families will get better acquainted with campus, order books, schedule classes and meet other new students and UC families.  At the Parents Association we are preparing our summer orientation program and organizing some wonderful events and programming for next year!  Parents Weekend is scheduled for November 6 – 8, 2009.  Dates for Mom’s Weekend and Dad’s Weekend will be announced as they are planned.  We hope that you continue to have a safe and enjoyable summer!  

Spotlight on: The Ronald E. McNair Post baccalaureate Achievement Program

If your student has an interest in going to graduate school with the aim of entering into the professoriate and/or a career in research, the Ronald E. McNair Post baccalaureate Achievement Program may be for them. The program is for juniors and seniors to help them maintain and go beyond a high level of excellence in research, coursework, graduate school examinations and applications to graduate school.

The Ronald E. McNair Post baccalaureate Achievement Program is named after Dr. Ronald E. McNair (1950-1986) who was America's second African-American astronaut in space and was killed in the Challenger explosion on January 28, 1986. Dr. McNair, despite having come from a low-income household, graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina A & T University in 1971. Just five short years later, he completed his Doctor of Philosophy degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. McNair was the first in his family to graduate from college and obtain a doctorate.

To carry on the legacy of Dr. McNair and help students like him, the Ronald E. McNair Post baccalaureate Achievement Program is one of the Federal TRIO Programs designed to assist undergraduate students that come from low-income households, are first-generation college students, and/or are members of an under-represented ethnic group in graduate school. The program helps high- achieving undergraduate students prepare for doctoral studies and careers in research and/or the professoriate by providing a wide variety of services and opportunities for the students: finding faculty mentors; developing research opportunities; providing seminars on the graduate school application process and requirements, research methods, and writing personal statements; GRE test preparation; and, financial support for graduate school applications, test prep and test fees.

The Ronald E. McNair Post baccalaureate Achievement Program at the University of Cincinnati was established in 2003 and has served 60 high- achieving undergraduate students. From this group there are 26 currently enrolled in the program and another 26 that have continued into post baccalaureate studies. Many of our alumni have completed master's or professional degrees, while two are currently in PhD programs. Two more students will begin PhD programs in the fall, while two others will begin masters programs and two more will begin medical school.

We are very proud of the successes our scholars, past and present, and look forward to working with future scholars as they strive to develop, attain and go beyond their goals.

To learn more about our program please visit our website: http://www.uc.edu/sas/mcnair/ or contact the Director, Dr. Cheri Westmoreland, at (513) 556- 2995.

Important Dates

July 3	Holiday - Independence Day
July 9	Last day to withdraw (1st term/summer quarter)
July 13	Last day of class (1st term/summer quarter)
July 14-15	Exams (1st term/summer quarter)
July 16	Classes begin (2nd term/summer quarter)
July 18	Last day to drop with 100% refund (2nd term/summer quarter)
July 19	Last day to drop (2nd term/summer quarter)