Program Eases the Transition to University Life

This fall, each of the 3,500+ incoming freshmen has a PAL, or Personal Access Liaison. The brainchild of Simon Bott, University of Houston instructional professor of chemistry, the PALS program is an email campaign designed to help freshmen adjust to life at a major university.

“For a freshman, coming to campus can be intimidating. Being in a large lecture auditorium filled with 500+ students, none of whom you know, can be a daunting experience,” Bott said. “One of the hardest things for students is to realize that people do care.”

While smaller universities have programs that assign one person to each student, Bott found a way to approximate that type of support by getting UH faculty, staff and older students connected to freshmen through the PALS program. Each volunteer has a minimum of six freshmen to contact by email throughout the fall semester.

Now in its third year, Bott organizes the program and provides volunteers with sample emails and guidelines. PALS send emails out to students five times during the semester – before classes start, at the end of the first week, four-to-five weeks into the semester, two weeks before spring registration begins, and right before finals. “The emails are designed to reach the students at times that could be likely crisis points,” he said.

Bott feels the connection and encouragement provided by PALS helps students realize they are not alone. “I don’t think we can only teach our students and leave it at that,” Bott said. “We are responsible for their success outside the classroom as much as we can be, and student engagement through encouragement is a huge part of a successful university experience.”

To become a PALS volunteer, email Bott at sbott@uh.edu.