Student Success District
The University of Arizona transformed the Main Library, the Albert B. Weaver Science-Engineering Library, Bear Down Gym, and a new four-story student success building into an interconnected district that will empower generations of students.
Media Gallery
The Thrive Center
The Think Tank
The SALT Center
The A-Center
⭐ The Thrive Center
The Thrive Center’s work is focused on three distinct areas related to student persistence and degree attainment: Building community for students who have been historically underrepresented on college campuses, are low-income, and/or are first generation college students, collaborating across campus to serve students, and centering students' wellness in and outside of the classroom.
Financial Wellness
At Thrive Center, we employ a holistic approach to students’ needs. We recognize that each student brings with them a variety of identities and lived experiences, and wellness is a dynamic process of change and growth. Understanding that finances have a considerable impact on students' physical and emotional well being, Thrive Center has built a robust initiative that will equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to confidently manage their finances during college and beyond. Learn more here.
Fostering Success
Fostering Success is a community on campus to support Arizona students that have experienced the foster care system or are unaccompanied homeless and housing insecure youth. Our support structure of peer-to-peer mentorship with professional support staff available for consultation and referrals, and our commitment to evolving based on the needs of our participants provides a unique space for Arizona students to overcome their individual barriers and gain the confidence to know they will be successful adults. Learn more here.
New Start
For 50 years, the New Start Summer Program has been offering new Wildcats the opportunity to get a head start on their college degree while getting to know the UA campus and meeting new people. That's over 14,000 students! By participating in New Start, you will:
Earn 6-7 units of academic credit
Get connected with returning Wildcats who not long ago were in your shoes
Meet hundreds of other new Arizona students
You'll get connected with faculty, learn about what Arizona has to offer, get crucial advice from peer advisors and resident assistants, and academic support from tutors. By the time you complete New Start, you'll be a half a semester closer to your degree! You will feel like a Arizona expert ready for your freshman year, and will meet some of the best friends you'll ever have!
While that all sounds great, here are some numbers to convince you even more. New Start students continue into their sophomore year at a rate 6-10% higher than their peers who did not participate in New Start. Plus, New Start is very affordable, providing reduced tuition and fees for Arizona residents and covering all costs for Pell recipients through our Pell Promise.
And it doesn't stop after summer! With the addition of New Start+, New Start students now have the opportunity to get support and community throughout their entire fall semester with drop-in hours and planned social and educational events! Come, join the New Start family! Learn more here.
Earn 6-7 units of academic credit
Get connected with returning Wildcats who not long ago were in your shoes
Meet hundreds of other new Arizona students
You'll get connected with faculty, learn about what Arizona has to offer, get crucial advice from peer advisors and resident assistants, and academic support from tutors. By the time you complete New Start, you'll be a half a semester closer to your degree! You will feel like a Arizona expert ready for your freshman year, and will meet some of the best friends you'll ever have!
While that all sounds great, here are some numbers to convince you even more. New Start students continue into their sophomore year at a rate 6-10% higher than their peers who did not participate in New Start. Plus, New Start is very affordable, providing reduced tuition and fees for Arizona residents and covering all costs for Pell recipients through our Pell Promise.
And it doesn't stop after summer! With the addition of New Start+, New Start students now have the opportunity to get support and community throughout their entire fall semester with drop-in hours and planned social and educational events! Come, join the New Start family! Learn more here.
First Cats
First Cats , Arizona's first-gen community is represented in every facet of campus life – from classrooms to cultural centers, playing fields to research labs, behind a desk or up on stage – there are over 10,000 Arizona students, faculty, and staff who are proud to be the first in their family to attend college. Learn more here.
⭐ The Think Tank
Each year, approximately 30% of Arizona undergrads use THINK TANK services – this equals over 10,000 students. We work to empower these students with the skills needed to become successful lifelong learners. With the help of programmatic assessment, we strive to continually improve the programs and services that we offer.
Think Tank Mission
To empower University of Arizona students by providing a positive environment where they can master the skills needed to become successful lifelong learners.
Think Tank Vision
Every University of Arizona student provides us with the opportunity to discover new ways of learning. By offering a wide range of programs and services, we encourage students to apply and refine transferable skills that will sustain them throughout their academic and professional lives. Strengthened by our partnerships, application of research, and use of technology, we create diverse learning environments that promote academic and personal exploration, collaboration, and critical thinking.
Think Tank Diversity Statement
THINK TANK recognizes the centrality of a diverse learning environment (DLE) to the development of the habits of mind necessary to enhance life-long learning. As such, we are committed to an innovative approach to pedagogy and programming in order to focus on and promote the following essential elements of a DLE:
Intentionality in our organizational and compositional decision-making.
Recognition and understanding of intersectionality and its impact on academic and career success.
A welcoming and inclusive atmosphere that promotes development of agency and self-efficacy.
Validation of individuals by building on their social, academic, and professional strengths, experiences, and goals.
Intentionality in our organizational and compositional decision-making.
Recognition and understanding of intersectionality and its impact on academic and career success.
A welcoming and inclusive atmosphere that promotes development of agency and self-efficacy.
Validation of individuals by building on their social, academic, and professional strengths, experiences, and goals.
List of Think Tank Services
You can see a full list of all of the Think Tank's services here
⭐ The SALT Center
The Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques (SALT) Center is an academic support program that provides services to University of Arizona students with learning and attention challenges. Our innovative approach is recognized as one of the most successful at promoting student achievement in the university setting.
SALT Center Services
The SALT Center offers comprehensive academic support services to students who learn differently, including weekly meetings with a Student Support Specialist, content-specific tutoring, and educational technology. Learn more about the SALT Center here.
⭐ The A-Center
The A Center advises students as they explore the institution, affirm their educational goals, and attain a University of Arizona degree.
The A Center is an Academic Advising department within the Student Success & Retention Innovation office (SSRI) for Undeclared and transitional majors, along with Pre-Health Professions and Pre-Law advising.
The A Center promotes skills across multiple disciplines, preparing students for fulfilling careers and advanced degrees.
The academic advising team provides guidance, clarity, and expertise about multiple disciplines to help students navigate complex academic pathways and achieve their goals.
Advise. Affirm. Attain
Provide Major Exploration, Pre-Health Professions Advising, and Pre-Law Advising
Support students through academic major transition
Assist students in designing parallel pathways to degree completion
Offer student engagement and leadership opportunities
The A Center is an Academic Advising department within the Student Success & Retention Innovation office (SSRI) for Undeclared and transitional majors, along with Pre-Health Professions and Pre-Law advising.
The A Center promotes skills across multiple disciplines, preparing students for fulfilling careers and advanced degrees.
The academic advising team provides guidance, clarity, and expertise about multiple disciplines to help students navigate complex academic pathways and achieve their goals.
Advise. Affirm. Attain
Provide Major Exploration, Pre-Health Professions Advising, and Pre-Law Advising
Support students through academic major transition
Assist students in designing parallel pathways to degree completion
Offer student engagement and leadership opportunities