UNC Charlotte’s University Transition Opportunities Program (UTOP) provides incoming first year students with an opportunity to begin their college experience early, earning seven credit hours over the summer while building a support system of peers and staff across campus. While typically an on-campus program supported by digital technology, the Summer 2020 program was moved to an all-virtual experience for the first time in UTOP history as a result of the global pandemic of 2020.
As the program’s director shifted to this new format, the university used Raftr as a primary delivery mechanism for the program, sharing valuable information, event schedules, and student checklists, while forging social connections through live chat, shared video sessions links, and more.
