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What is Beyond Access?

Beyond Access offers individualized supports to help students bridge the gap between access and success. We recognize that students have a variety of strengths and difficulties, and we believe in meeting students wherever they are on their journey. We value all aspects of student life, and believe that academic, social, and career skills are all ingredients for a positive university experience. Our purpose is to support students in reaching the goals they identify in these and other areas over the course of a semester. Because Beyond Access services exceed standard accommodations at the college level, there is a fee associated with participation.

How can Beyond Access Support Students?

Weekly Meetings

Students attend weekly meetings with their assigned Strategy Instructor over the course of the semester. Students select from four tracks when enrolling to customize the number of meeting hours to fit their needs:

    • Track I - 1 hour per week
    • Flex Track I - 1.5 hours per week
    • Track II - 2 hours per week
    • Track III - 3 hours per week

    We strive to provide students with options for meeting modalities that are the best fit for them, including in-person and virtual. In-person meetings are always available to students at the Storrs campus and typically available to students at the Hartford and Stamford campuses; students based at the Waterbury and Avery Point campuses meet with Strategy Instructors virtually.

    Personalized Goals

    Beyond Access participants work with their Strategy Instructor to develop up to three goals in areas of interest and need. Strategy Instructors develop individualized tools, strategies, and approaches to promote skill development, support well-being, and prepare for long-term success. Students are responsible for using the presented strategies outside of meetings.

    Students elect to pursue goals in a variety of areas. In the 2023-2024 academic year, the most common types of student goals were related to academic achievement, executive functioning skills (e.g., time management and organization), and social engagement/social skills.

    Learn more about these goals and how we support students to achieve success:

    Executive functions are abilities and behaviors that allow students to self-regulate and engage in goal-directed behavior. In the university setting, this most often translates to support with:

    • Creating structure and schedules. We support students in planning out their time, including identifying time for social activities, self-care, and sleep. We help students find the right organizational tools to improve awareness of obligations and deadlines. We help with breaking down assignments and exam preparation into objective, manageable tasks.
    • Decoding the syllabus and assignments. Course syllabi, schedules, and assignment directions can be overwhelming. We can help students break down this information to find the essential components and avoid missing important information. What are the course expectations? What is due, and when? What are all the questions being asked in an assignment?
    • Increasing task engagement. We help students identify and reduce distractions and utilize strategies and tools to maintain focus.
    • Grade and GPA goals. We support students in achieving their goal grades through using strategies in other areas (e.g., study skills and time management). Should students disclose grades, we can promote success by closely monitoring scores and their final grade trajectory. We can utilize this information to identify specific classes and types of tasks to prioritize and improve.
    • Skill development. We can support students in developing strategies to improve skills including reading comprehension, writing, class presentation and participation, studying, and test-taking. Additionally, we identify and facilitate use of campus tutoring resources to enhance student success.
    • Identifying social opportunities. As we get to know students, we learn about their interests and ideal environments for social interaction. We can help students identify clubs, organizations, and other social opportunities that would be a great fit for them. We also offer our supplemental weekly Husky Hangouts group, and several social events each semester. Strategy Instructors can help students create a plan for attending clubs and events.
    • Improving specific skills. Students may identify areas in which they feel less confident navigating the social world. We support students in learning about and practicing skills such as engaging in small talk, asking follow-up questions, and entering a conversation. These areas are identified based on student choice.
    • Debriefing about social interactions. Students often want to discuss conversations and social experiences they have had to better understand meaning and next steps.

    Although students most commonly select goals in these areas, this is not an exhaustive list. We support students with goals related to health and wellness, career readiness, self-determination, and more.

    Goal progress is monitored continuously, with formal assessments of progress and reflections with the student at the midpoint and the end of the semester.

    Building Connections and Holistic Support

    Students develop strong bonds with their Strategy Instructors. While some students gain the skills they need after one semester participating in Beyond Access, others elect to stay through their whole UConn career. Goals shift over time as students build skills and priorities change, and Strategy Instructors will be there to help students prepare for internship searches, job interviews, and develop self-advocacy and communication skills needed after college.

    Beyond Access participants receive a breadth of support: In just one Beyond Access meeting, a student might learn a new study strategy to use for their upcoming exam, break down and schedule their upcoming schoolwork, review current grades, talk through course selections for the upcoming semester, discuss plans to attend a club, and check in about sticking to a workout schedule.

    Students describe Beyond Access meetings as judgment free zones where they can talk about any issues that arise. 100% of participants who responded to a satisfaction survey agreed that they had a positive relationship with their Strategy Instructor and their Strategy Instructor cares about their well-being and success.

    Learn More!