TRANSITIONS
The newsletter for the
Center for Access and Transition
About the Center for
Access and Transition
The Center is an academic unit designed to provide
academic instruction and advising for undergraduate students who did not meet the criteria for direct
admission to a UC baccalaureate program. The Center’s
faculty provide specialized instruction in mathematics,
writing, reading, oral communication and study skills,
supplemented by academic tutoring.
Academic advisors provide intensive assistance
to focus the student on academic skills necessary to
reach his or her goal. The aim is to have students fulfill
requirements and develop their skills within one year,
and then transition to a UC baccalaureate college.
The Center of Access and Transition has established formal transition agreements with the UC
Colleges of Arts & Sciences; Allied Health Sciences;
Applied Science; Education, Criminal Justice, and
Human Services: Business; and Nursing.
For more information visit: www.uc.edu/cat
Anthony Perzigian, Provost
“Serving as members of
the brigade of academic
advisors in the Center for
Access and Transition,
you should be very
proud of your efforts
and achievements. The
University’s commitment
to access and student
success is no better seen
than in the work you are
doing. I know that the
deans of those baccalaureate programs join me in
saying THANKS.”
— Anthony Perzigian
Volume 3. Issue 2
Awards Ceremony
CAT Scholarship Recipients
From left to right: Ambia A. Crutcher, Omozuwa Ekhator, Brandon M. Kim and
Elizabeth A. Rhodenbaugh
Student of the
Year Award
Student Worker of
the Year Award
Award of
Appreciation
Omozuwa Ekhator
Angela Cook
Dr Pamela Baker
Outstanding
Part-time teaching
Award
Richard William Vilter Jr. and Barbara
Watt Vilter Scholarship Fund Award
Deborah Sanchez
Katherine A. Kummer
Ramona N. Brown
Jason M. Ernstes
Summer 2006
Awards Ceremonycontinured
Professional/
Scholarly Activity
Award
Outstanding
Full-time teaching
Award
Dr Eric Paulson
Dr Amy England
Tutor of the Year
Award
Support Staff
Award
Celebrating Student Success:
Autumn 2005 Dean’s List
Students are at the center of our program, and supporting their academic success is our primary goal. Congratulations to the 30 students in
the Center for Access and Transition who earned a GPA of 3.4 or higher in
the winter 2006 quarter.
Paul Albert; Cincinnati, OH
Olivia Biederman; Cleves, OH
Shelby Bouillion; Cincinnati, OH
Anne Cassin; Cincinnati, OH
Yevgeniy Datsenko; Cincinnati, OH
Emily Dearfiled; Loveland, OH
Kelly Deyhle; West Chester, OH
Omozuwa Ekhator; Cincinnati, OH
Lindsay Gabbard; Cincinnati, OH
Brant Garrett; Loveland, OH
Daniel Hamberg; Cincinnati, OH
Adam Hanekamp; Cincinnati, OH
Angela Huster; Cincinnati, OH
Tity Ifeakanwa; Cincinnai, OH
Bryan Liang; Toledo, OH
David Louderback; Cincinnati, OH
Nimat Martin; Cincinnati, OH
Natalie Miller; Fort Thomas, KY
Matthew Nazarovech; Loveland, OH
Andrew Nguyen; Cincinnati, OH
Cherbun Okoli; Cincinnati, OH
Sandeep Patel; Cincinnati, OH
Joseph Piatt; Maineville, OH
Gwen Pierce; Cincinnati, OH
Ashley Rogers; West Chester, OH
Torri Webb; Cincinnati, OH
Shelby White; Cincinnati, OH
Brittany Whitehead; Cincinnati, OH
Shannon Wilson; Cincinnati, OH
Benjamin White; Cincinnati, OH
Yeugeniy Datsenko
Emily Dearfiled
Angela Huster
Bryan Liang
Professional Staff
Award
Cherbon Okoli
Sandeep Patel
Lori Wright
Joseph Piatt
Brittany Whitehead
Annmarie Banner
Becky Powell
Outstanding
Service Award
Richard S. Newrock
Founder Award
Dr Gregory Stewart
Dr Michaeline Laine
TRANSITIONS Center for Access and Transition University of Cincinnati
Amazing journey begins in Africa,
takes off at CAT
Abdul Hassan is a Cincinnati Pride Grant recipient who is
transitioning to the UC School of Planning in September
2006. He has been traveling, and on his own, since he was
7-years-old.
Abdul comes from the village of Bale Goba, near the
Ethiopia-Kenya border. He was entrusted at the age
of 3 to the care of his grandfather, a respected man in
their village. When he was 7-years old, Abdul’s grandfather told him to leave their village and seek something
better.
“If you come to a place where people are wealthy,
with much food and money, but they are not happy
– leave that place,” his grandfather said.
Abdul walked for two days to cross the border into
Kenya, and followed some older boys to a Catholic
mission, where he was taken in, fed and, most importantly, educated. When he was 15, when many
American teens are wondering whether they’ll be
asked to the freshman dance or whether they’ll find a
summer job, Abdul graduated from the mission school
and stowed away on a cattle truck bound for Nairobi,
Kenya.
Energetic and with a wide smile, Abdul found a job
on his first day with a tanner. He spent each day of the
next two years collecting animal hides from the local
slaughterhouses for his employer.
After a bit of traveling in the Kenyan countryside,
Abdul got a chance to work at another mission, this
time as a teacher.
“Wow, those children were lovely,” he says. “I miss
them so much!”
While he was working at the mission, Abdul bought
a visa application from a street vendor. He submitted it to the American Consulate, and his name was
drawn in the lottery. The mission helped Abdul to find
a sponsor, who paid his way from Africa to Cincinnati.
Abdul says he is grateful to the sponsor for teaching
him about American culture and traditions, and for
helping him find a job. After living with his sponsors,
for a month, Abdul moved into his own apartment,
and started planning for the future. In a few months,
at 19-years-old, he was enrolled in an American high
school – and on his way to UC’s Center for Access and
Transition.
“I have had so many benefits from this program,”
Abdul says. “I have no words but thanks for this
opportunity.“
The CAT program taught him how to approach college life, Abdul said.
“The CAT sees where you should start by testing
you, and it brings you where you ought to be,” he said.
“The tutors met with me, even during their off-hours,
and they helped me learn how to write and do research at the college level.”
Abdul said his professors also taught him how to
think and write.
“They sat there with me, one-on-one, and showed
me how to approach my education. The advisors and
professors in the program ended up knowing me
better than I know myself. They helped me to find my
future.”
Is there anything he would do to improve the program? He sits silently for a long while, then, shakes his
head.
“It is already perfect for me.”
Abdul is transitioning to the School of Planning, in
the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning,
where he wants to learn skills to help his country when
he returns to Ethiopia.
University of Cincinnati Center for Access and Transition TRANSITIONS Academic Advisors
Linster Bryant
Daryl Daniels
Taffy Dee
Patrick Donnelly
Hilary Ellison
Aime Rice
Michael
Rosenberg
Shea Thomas
Felicia Wallace
Kathy Weimer
Former Director of Advising Center
August 2004-May 2006
Doe Gavin
Doe left to advise undecided students in the Center for Exploratory
Studies.
“It’s been a really wonderful experience both personally and professionally.
I’ve loved working with CAT students,
that’s what I miss most. She (Lori Wright)
is going to do great. I have no doubt.”
CAT Cookout
April 4, 2006
TRANSITIONS Center for Access and Transition University of Cincinnati
Terri Hurdle
Anthony
McCloud
Rebecca
McCollum,
Assistant
Director of
Advising Center
Interim Director of Advising Center
“I’m excited about the opportunity
to continue to serve the CAT Advising
Center. I’m looking forward to working
with the entire university community.”
Lori Wright
Successful Transitions
Congratulations to the 83 Center for Access and Transition Students
who transitioned into their degree program of choice for spring quarter.
Through special transition agreements between the Center and six of
UC’s undergraduate colleges, students transition upon completing their
learning agreement and meeting the requirements, listed below, of the
college housing their desired program. The Center wishes all transitioned
students continued academic success in their new colleges.
McMicken College of Arts &
Sciences (A&S)
For any program, students must
complete their learning agreement and
maintain a GPA of 2.0 or highter.
Michael Adom; Cincinnati, OH
Christopher Baker; Cincinnati, OH
Elizabeth Banks; Cincinnati, OH
Amine Bellasri; West Chester, OH
Amanda Breetz; Cincinnati, OH
Rene Brunelle; Loveland, OH
Anne Cassin; Cincinnati, OH
Andrew Chupka; Cincinnai, OH
Van Dao; Cincinnati, OH
Allison Davis; Cincinnati, OH
Holly Dignan; Cincinnati, OH
Troy Early; Cincinnati, OH
Cherish Edwards; Cincinnati, OH
Christopher Fisher; Cincinnati, OH
Matthew Foltz; Loveland, OH
Josh Frisby; Milford, OH
Sonyetta Griffin; Cincinnati, OH
Lisa Hauser; Cincinnati, OH
Tity Ifeakanwa; Cincinnati, OH
Joseph Jarvis; Cincinnati, OH
Austin Jones; Cincinnati, OH
Roy Khosravani; Cincinnati, OH
Dorian Kimbley; Cincinnati, OH
Jessica Laxton; Cincinnati, OH
Brian Liang; Toledo, OH
Nimat Martin; Cincinnati, OH
Stephanie Matney; Cincinnati, OH
Adam May; Cincinnati, OH
Anjali Neuner; Reading, OH
Joshua Newbanks; Loveland, OH
Grant Nichols; Cincinnati, OH
Tameka Odom; Cincinnati, OH
Goddy Osei-Poku; Fairfield, OH
Jarrod Pape; Massillon, OH
Sandeep Patel; Cincinnati, OH
Jocelyn Phillips; Cincinnati, OH
Nicholas Pitocco; Cincinnati, OH
Ebony Pitts; Cincinnati, OH
Johnathan Riley; Cincinnati, OH
Carnisha Robinson; Hamilton, OH
Alex Rowe; Cincinnati, OH
Nicole Schindler; Cincinnati, OH
Nicholas Sharp; Cincinnati, OH
Shiquita Shaw; Cincinnati, OH
Amanda Simpson; Cincinnati, OH
Laura Stengel; West Chester, OH
Michael Stoecklin; Cleves, OH
Andrew Sturm; Cincinnati, OH
Samantha Swaine; Cincinnati, OH
Lisa Swan; Loveland, OH
Robert Taylor; Maineville, OH
Ashley Trott; Cincinnati, OH
Rebecca Von Fischer; Cincinnati, OH
Meagan Vonner; Cincinnati, OH
Andrew Vornberger; Cincinnati, OH
Anthony Wendling; Okeana, OH
David Wess; Cincinnati, OH
Elizabeth Wright; Cincinnati, OH
College of Allied Health Sciences
(CAHS)
For any program, students must
complete their learning agreement and
maintain a GPA of 2.5 or highter.
Taylar Ramsey; West Chester, OH
Julie Stevenson; Cincinnati, OH
College of Applied Science (CAS)
For any program, students must
complete their learning agreement and
maintain a GPA of 2.75 or higher.
For any two-year program, students
must complete their learning agreement and maintain a GPA of 2.5 or
higher.
Students who do not satisfy the
above criteria but are making progress
and have the recommendation of their
advisor will be reviewed for conditional
acceptance.
Taylor Crittenden; Cincinnati, OH
Jillian Guzik; Cincinnati, OH
Michael Hird; Cincinnati, OH
David Louderback; Cincinnati, OH
Henry Williams; Cincinnati, OH
Benjamin Wright; Cincinnati, OH
College of Nursing (NUR)
For the pre-nursing program,
students must complete their learning
agreement and maintain a GPA of 2.5
or higher.
Sarah Beale; Cincinnati, OH
Cara Dickson; West Chester, OH
Katie Huber; Cincinnati, OH
Amanda Kyle; Cincinnati, OH
Cherbun Okoli; Cincinnati, OH
Angela Schubert; Cincinnati, OH
Kurtis Taylor; Cincinnati, OH
Nicholas Wiegand; Cincinnati, OH
Bryan Liang
College of Education, Criminal
Justice, and Human Services
(CECH)
For any teacher education program,
students must complete their learning
agreement and maintain a GPA of 2.75
or higher.
For any other undergraduate
program, students must complete their
learning agreement and maintain a
GPA of 2.5 or higher.
Maria Alatorre; Cincinnati, OH
Serena Andrews; Cincinnati, OH
David Church; Cincinnati, OH
Devin Gibbons; Cincinnati, OH
Brett Jones; Cincinnati, OH
DeAngelo Smith; Cincinnati, OH
Katherine Speed; Cincinnati, OH
Brian Washington; Cincinnati, OH
Torri Webb; Cincinnati, OH
College of Business (COB)
For any program, students must
complete their learning agreement,
maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher and
score at least a 23 on the ACT exam,
with a higher score in math. Students
may retake the ACT while in the Center.
Students who do not satisfy the
above criteria will be advised to pursue
a pre-business program in the College
of Business, pre-business program or
business technology program in the
CAS.
No students transitioned to the COB
this quarter.
University of Cincinnati Center for Access and Transition TRANSITIONS Cherbon Okoli
Sandeep Patel
CAMPUS RESOURCES
English as a Second Language Program
The Center for Access and Transition is pleased to
offer an undergraduate English as a Second Language
(ESL) Program. To be admitted, students must have
some basic knowledge of English. At the beginning of
each quarter, the Center gives placement tests to all
new students. These tests allow students to demonstrate their abilities and help faculty decide which level
of classes is best for each student.
Contact for questions about ESL
admission and testing:
Advising Center
Center for Access and Transition
University of Cincinnati
2441 French Hall West
(513) 556-1661
[email protected]
Michael Rosenberg
Contact for questions about ESL
courses:
Center for Access and Transition
University of Cincinnati
3508 French Hall West
(513) 556-1979
[email protected]
Disability Services
The office assists students who have learning
disabilities. Please contact their office for further
information.
Debra Merchant, J.D., Director
Disability Services Office
Dept. of Student Services
Division of Student Affairs and Services
210 University Pavillion
P.O. Box 210213
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0213
(513) 556-6823
www.uc.edu/sas/disability
Career Development Center
Using the innovative Career Navigator program,
the center assists students in determining and mapping out a career that best suits their education and
ambitions.
Please contact their office for further information.
Linda Bates Parker, M.S., Director
Career Development Center Services
140 University Pavilion
Cincinnati, OH 54221-0104
(513) 556-3471
www.uc.edu/career
Victoria Appatova
Successful Transfers
Students in the Center for Access and Transition
may apply directly to UC colleges that do not have
transition agreements with the Center, such as the
College-Conservatory of Music (CCM); the College
of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP);
and the College of Engineering. Congratulations
to the following students who transferred from
the Center into their degree program of choice.
UC Clermont College
Andrew Estell; Cincinnati, OH
DAAP
Brian Short; Cincinnati, OH
UC Raymond Walters College
Bryan Andre; Cincinnati, OH
Angela Dean; Cincinnati, OH
TRANSITIONS Center for Access and Transition University of Cincinnati
Child Care Services
The UC Child Care Center, Inc. is a non-profit organization which provides affordable child care and education for the children of UC students, faculty and staff,
as well as the Greater Cincinnati community at large.
They serve 149 children ages 3 months to 8 years. for
more information, please contact:
Sally Wehby, M.Ed, Executive Director
UC Child Care Center, Inc.
3310 Ruther Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45220
Phone: 513-961-2825
Fax: 513-281-7676
www.ucchildcare.org
Become a Friend of CAT
Donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations are essential in helping the Center for Access
and Transition achieve its mission of providing excellent instruction for University of Cincinnati students.
All donors to the Center for Access and Transition
are recognized through the Friends of the Center.
Donations are fully tax deductible to the extent permitted by IRS regulations. Donors’ benefits include:
• A subscription to our two newsletters: Transitions
and UC Achieves
• Invitations to lectures and events
• The personal satisfaction of making a real difference
in some of our disadvantaged students’ lives by
supporting their studies and allowing them to get a
college education.
For more information or to make a gift, contact:
Claudine Debray
Center for Access and Transition
University of Cincinnati
PO Box 210168
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0168
Phone: (513) 556-2244
Email: [email protected]
The CAT Student Assistance Fund
The majority of students in the Center receive financial aid and yet many of our students have a tremendous struggle to pay college costs. The number one
reason students drop out is due to financial need. One
third of the students in the Center (over 250 students)
qualify for the highest level of financial need, yet there
is still a gap of funds needed for essential educational
costs. Funds are used to assist students with the costs
of books, fees for counseling services if needed, fees
for disability testing if needed or cost of used computers and internet access if needed.
Funds are dispersed by a committee composed of
faculty and staff.
The Workforce Development Scholarship Fund
The Scholarship Fund serves students achieving
academically who are in need of money for education
costs that are not covered by their financial aid and
funds they earn from working.
Funds are dispersed by a committee composed of
faculty and staff.
The Faculty Development Fund
This fund will provide the money necessary for our
faculty to excel in teaching and research.
The CAT Reading Room Fund
The Center for Access and Transition has received
a grant to open an on-site Reading Room stocked
with a wide variety of fiction books. The Reading
Room will serve as a meeting place for students, with
comfortable reading chairs. It is meant to increase
CAT students’ access to books, raise the amount of
self-selected reading they do and contribute to their
development as readers. Additional funds are needed
mainly to buy books and maintain the Reading Room.
University of Cincinnati Center for Access and Transition TRANSITIONS Connect with Campus Services in French Hall
Center for Exploratory Studies, Southwest Ohio
Educational Opportunity Center and Cincinnati Pride
Grant have partnered with the Center for Access and
Transition to offer the following campus services in
French Hall, ensuring that students can easily connect
with the resources they need to be successful. Contact
the staff member listed below or your academic advisor for more details!
Center for Exploratory Studies
2441 French Hall
Phone: 556-1661
Hours: 9:45 a.m.– 4:00 p.m., Tuesday
Service: Assists students in selecting
a major through exploratory
advising appointments; also
connects students with alumni and
upperclass students to learn more
about specific majors and career
opportunities
Kristan Metz,
Advisor
Find out more
Carol Tonge Mack,
Assistant Director
Academic
Cincinnati Pride Grant
2213 French Hall
Phone: 556-1603
Hours: 8:00 a.m.– 2:00 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday
Service: Works with Cincinnati Pride Grant recipients
enrolled in the Center for Access and Transition
to maintain scholarship eligibility and support
academic success
Shea Thomas, Transitions editor
Center for Access and Transition
2441 French Hall West
University of Cincinnati
PO Box 210168
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0168
Southwest Ohio Educational Opportunity Center
2219 French Hall
Hours: 9:00 a.m.– 3:00 p.m., Tuesday;
8:30 a.m.– 2:30 p.m. Thursday
Phone: 556-5169
Service: Assists students with
completing their FAFSA,
accepting financial aid awards
and researching scholarships
We’re here to help make the most of students’
college experiences and prepare them for a life
of success after graduation. Please contact us for
more information.
By mail
Center for Access and
Transition
2441 French Hall West
University of Cincinnati
PO Box 210268
Cincinnati, OH
45221-0168
By email
[email protected]
By phone
(513) 556-1661
By fax
(513) 556-3087
Please write “Attn: CAT”
on cover page
Visit CAT on the Web
www.uc.edu/cat
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