Thursday, April 27, 2023
  Around Campus, Announcements

By Victoria Brito Morales

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – APRIL 27, 2023 – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and Harmony Public Schools (HPS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to commemorate a new partnership between the two institutions on Thursday, April 27. 

The collaboration will develop and expand a joint endeavor between UTRGV and Harmony Public Schools to create programs, projects and activities that support college acceptance, matriculation, and completion of degrees for HPS students.

Dr. Maggie Hinojosa, senior vice president for Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs, served as the master of ceremony for the event, held on the Brownsville Campus, which brought UTRGV and HPS administration, students, parents and local representatives, to witness this alliance of the educational establishments.

UTRGV President Guy Bailey, said an important aspect of the partnership is that it centers on student success.

“This is not just about getting students in, it's about getting students in and making them successful,” Bailey said. “We want you to come to school here, but more than anything we want you to be successful. Harmony Public Schools have the same objective.

We take great pride in the success of our students. When you come to UTRGV, you will know when you walk on this campus that we really have one goal for you, success, and we're going to be there for you all the way through.”

Umit Alpaslan, HPS deputy superintendent, said the transition from high school to college is critical and can be both exciting and challenging.

UTRGV Harmony Public Schools sign MOU
On April 27, 2023, UTRGV and Harmony Schools signed a Memorandum of Understanding allowing Harmony graduates to easily transfer to UTRGV. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

“This is why today’s event, this partnership, becomes essential,” Alpaslan said. “Such partnerships can provide high school students with the resources and support they need to make a smooth transition to college.”

The main objectives of the MOU are:

  • Target HPS students and alums during fall application outreach efforts.
  • Educate the HPS team about UTRGV.
  • Promote pre-college opportunities to HPS students, alumni and team members.
  • Achieve a 90% first-year retention rate for HPS graduates who attend UTRGV.
  • Achieve a 65% six-year graduation rate for HPS alumni attending UTRGV.
  • Provide opportunities for HPS and the university to collaborate and develop strategies to address the challenges of college attendance for HPS students, many of whom are first- generation college students from low-income families.

HPS will support UTRGV by providing the university with recruitment information and communicating with their students about the benefits of attaining a higher education at UTRGV. Additionally, HPS will designate a college success coach that will monitor the recruits throughout their first two years at UTRGV by providing college success coaching, support and guidance.

UTRGV plans to appoint a campus liaison to assist with the engagement and communication with HPS to ensure smooth transition for HPS students to UTRGV.

HARMONY TO UTRGV: STUDENTS EAGER FOR THE FUTURE

Claudio Reyes Jr., a junior at Harmony School of Innovation in Brownsville, attended the signing ceremony with his mother, Lisa Reyes. Claudio is highly considering UTRGV as his choice of college for Fall 2024.

Harmony Public Schools and UTRGV
UTRGV and Harmony Schools signed a Memorandum of Understanding allowing Harmony graduates to easily transfer to UTRGV. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

“UTRGV has a lot of scholarly opportunities and their summer programs have already helped me prepare mentally and academically for college, and the student-teacher interactions have encouraged me to come to this school.”

Claudio, who is currently ranked second in his class, said similarly, Harmony’s student-teacher ratio and interaction is akin to that of UTRGV where he hopes to study engineering and psychology.

“It feels good to know that my school and UTRGV are partnering up for the betterment of student education and to work more closely together,” he said.

His mother Lisa said Claudio will be a first-generation college graduate and is thrilled he is choosing to attend UTRGV, where he will have access to UTRGV’s Tuition Advantage.

“I am glad he is trying to continue his education and keep on that path,” she said. “Harmony has prepared him to go to college.”

Edith Lopez, a biomedical science major at UTRGV, is an alum from Harmony Public Schools. She said the education she attained at Harmony prepared her for success at UTRGV.

UTRGV President Guy Bailey speaking with students
UTRGV President Dr. Guy Bailey and Associate VP Dara Newton talks to some students from Harmony. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

“My education was wonderful, and it prepared me to be fully aware of my new college life by offering dual credit classes and it made me give it my all to be a successful student,” she said. “I was a person who did not know English in 9th grade, and I ended up graduating in the top 10 of my class.”

Michel Harrison of Brownsville is a junior integrated health science major at UTRGV and a Harmony alum, attended Harmony from 8th grade to his senior year of high school.

“Not only did that help me love the school more, but it made me realize that high school wasn't as hard as everyone was saying. Everyone makes you feel like a family since it's a small school – everyone is there for everyone,” Harrison said.

Harmony maintains a network with alumni and stays connected with them via email to continue to assist and inform alumni of opportunities beyond their attendance at HPS. Harrison said she maintains correspondence with Harmony to this day.

“To the Harmony students that will attend UTRGV one day: never give up, even when you think there's nothing left to do, because there is a light at the end of the tunnel. That light is going to get you to meet new people, and be a better person not only professionally, but also personally because that light is a dream that will come true.”

ABOUT HPS

Harmony Public Schools is a system of 61 Texas public charter schools that provides rigorous, high-quality education focused on science, technology, engineering, and math. Through a caring and collaborative environment, Harmony provides students from traditionally underserved communities the opportunity to excel through project-based learning where they learn the skills necessary to become a contributing global citizen. In the year 2000, Harmony Public Schools opened its first school in Houston, Texas and still houses central administration in the Houston area. Since expanding, Harmony has grown into all major areas of Texas, forming seven distinct regions (or districts).



ABOUT UTRGV

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.

UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.