Trustees/Porter Pilot Program

Speed School of Engineering (SSoE) is offering a pilot program this year for students receiving Trustees’ Awards and Porter Scholarships to help student retain their Scholarship funding. Though a GPA of 3.00 at the end of the Spring semester is generally required to maintain your award for the following year, students who participate in the pilot program (described below) can earn themselves a “GPA Buffer” to keep their award for an additional year.

Incoming 2023 students who received a Trustee Award or Porter Scholarship, and whose Fall 2023 unit of enrollment is in the JB Speed School of Engineering, can retain their Trustee Award for the 2024-25 year with a cumulative GPA of 2.70-2.99 at the end of the Spring 2024 semester, IF AND ONLY IF all of the following conditions have been met. Students who do not meet all the following conditions will be subject to the standard cumulative GPA requirement of 3.00 or higher (at end of Spring 2024 semester) to retain their Trustees Award.

Conditions to qualify for SSoE Trustees’ and Porter Award Pilot Program

Cohort 2023 students who received a Trustees’ Award or Porter Scholarship and whose Fall 2023 unit of enrollment is the JB Speed School of Engineering (SSoE).
Students must be enrolled as a full-time student in SSoE for 2023-24 and 2024-25 to continue participation in this pilot program.
Students must be enrolled full time in courses commensurate with a SSoE degree program curriculum.
Students must attend at least 1 academic coaching session conducted by the REACH center each semester.
Students must attend a minimum of 20 hours per semester of permitted tutoring in each semester (Fall 2023 and Spring 2024). Permitted tutoring includes:
- Drop-in tutoring at the Math Resource Center (BAB 241) or
- Drop-in tutoring at the SSoE Academic and Leadership Center (JB Speed 107),
- Tutoring held at the Engineering Living Learning Community (ELLC),
- Peer Assisted Learning (PAL),
- Structured Learning Assistance,
- and/or scheduled tutoring through the Learning Resource Center (BAB 250).
Students who receive one or more “At risk, academic alert” on their mid-semester progress reports will also be required to meet with their SSoE Academic Counselor before the end of the semester in which they receive the alert. This may amount to “one additional meeting” beyond any SSoE Academic Counselor meetings already required by the unit.
All other conditions of the Trustee Award program must be met.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The only funds this program applies to are the Trustees’ and Porter scholarship funds ONLY. If you have funding from another source (mentored scholarship, departmental funding, etc), it is subject to the normal restrictions of that award and is not granted any special conditions from this Pilot program.

Recommendations for students

Set up your academic coaching session early – use this time to help you develop a plan for success in your first semester. Coaches can help with time management, test-taking, study skills, or life skills. Sessions are 30 minutes, by appointment through REACH.
- Click here to view available REACH sessions.
Plan for 1-2 hours per week of tutoring or peer-assisted learning (PAL). Build this into your weekly schedule. Many Speed students benefit from these services – they are not just for when you are struggling. Options are available for 1-on-1 support or group learning. See the REACH website for options for your courses.
- Click here to view the courses in the REACH tutoring program.
Keep track of your tutoring hours. You must sign in/out at tutoring centers, coaching sessions, and PAL sessions for REACH to track your hours. We will use this data to ensure you have met the requirements of the pilot program.