SMART University is the foundation that supports all of the women’s programs, and in academic terms, it is our core curriculum. It includes three eight-week sessions held each Fall, Winter and Spring.

Instructor and SMART Advisory Board Member Dr. Michael DeLorenzo runs a class on dental health.

Admission is free and enrollment is open to all women living with or affected by HIV/AIDS in the New York City area, the only requirement being a brief intake registration session with SMART’s program coordinator. A peer-led support group follows each class. Over the eight-week course, topics covered range from “Understanding Lab Reports” and “Oral Health and Your Overall Health” to “Spirituality: What the Hell is It?” Superficially, this is a disparate group of titles, but each offers up-to-date information women can use to improve their physical and mental health.

Each week’s instructor is chosen from a highly qualified group of professionals, including doctors, dentists, nutritionists, lawyers and nurses specializing in HIV-related fields, as well as staff members from respected social service and community-based organizations. NYU School of Medicine, Connect, Lower East Side Harm Reduction, Harlem United and the Center for HIV Law and Policy are just a few of the institutions that share faculty and staff members for SMART University classes.

SMART educates and advocates for women's health and wellness.

SMART University gives students the information and communication tools that are essential in becoming an active participant in their healthcare and life decisions so that they may obtain optimal treatment and access.

SMART University’s curriculum is developed by and reflects the community of women it serves. Women may continue (and are encouraged) to come to SMART University for as long as they wish. Ongoing SMART University participation, even if they “repeat” a particular class, actually assists in reinforcing important, often complicated, treatment education information as it promotes the building of a unique support network among the women. The SMART “A-B-C” Adjunct Programs (Art, Body and Computer) are offered to active SMART University participants. These A-B-C programs further develop the community-building and information gathering that is the essence and mission of SMART University.

Enrollment Holding Steady

While detailed information on participants from the early days of SMART University is sparse, confirmed records show that over 300 women have walked through the organization’s doors and completed the in-take process over the past several years. Recent records are much more comprehensive. SMART University enrollment has been consistent, and relatively strong, with an average of 19 women attending each class. We continually evaluate our outreach efforts and strategies to attract more women living with HIV to our programs.

SMART University's Lotus Project participants.

Forty-five women completed the intake process in 2006, compared to 46 in 2007, while approximately 70 women were served by SMART University from the Fall of 2006 through Spring of 2007. 

A Day of Celebration

SMART’s Annual Graduation Ceremony – 2007’s event was held June 28th at The New York Academy of Medicine – is an important part of our ongoing effort to create a more challenging academic curriculum and environment.

So, while modest attendance is recognized – all participants who wished to take part crossed the stage and received a rose – only those women who attended at least 50 percent of the classes offered received certificates. Students who attended 19 or more of the 24 classes offered across all three sessions received our Certificate of Excellence. 

SMART University instructor leads a class on politics.

During the ceremony, each name was read along with their accomplishments for the year regardless of whether they were in attendance or not. 

In 2007, two scheduled participants gave formal testimonials at the ceremony, while several other women gave "of-the-moment" testimonials.  In addition, information and representations of the work that the women accomplished in the different classes was showcased throughout the room. 

SMART University has changed a lot over the past decade; the primary information taught during its eight weeks of sessions has evolved and expanded through the years, as AIDS research and treatment options for women have moved forward.

However, the curriculum and supportive environment offered in 2008 is clearly the daughter of the more loosely structured program for HIV-positive women that sprang up 10 years ago in Founding Director Susan Rodriguez’s East Harlem apartment.

For additional information, visit the SMART University Web site. Throughout this Annual Report, in addition to financial information, you’ll find sections describing the material covered in SMART Art, SMART Computer, SMART Body and other areas.