The College of Sciences and Mathematics is currently hosting its 12th annual Summer Bridge program.
The 4-week, well-structured, residential program is designed to help incoming minority freshmen “bridge the gap” between high school and college.
Velma Richardson, Associate Dean for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs for COSAM, believes it only makes sense to have a system that eases minority students into the new environment of the college experience.
“These would be students who would need transition entering a majority institution, if you think about it,” Richardson said. “You may do better if you were transitioned in and there was some extra support to help you acclimate to the environment.”
In addition to lectures, interactive labs and workshops, COSAM’s program provides the students with courses in mathematics, science and engineering that are instructed by the college’s regular faculty.
Stephen Stuckwisch, a professor of mathematics and statistics in the program, explains it is important these courses are instructed at the same pace as a regular college course, to provide the participants with an accurate preview of their future classes.
“I’m showing them what a real college course is like. I don’t make the problems any easier, I don’t try to soft-feed it to them, because I want them to understand what it means to be successful in a college course,” Stuckwisch said. “And the biggest difference, I believe, between college and high school is how fast the material is given to them.”
The Bridge program allows students the opportunity to evaluate themselves and their abilities, so they can register for appropriately challenging classes for the year to come.
“Most importantly, I make a recommendation of what course they should take in the fall,” Stuckwisch said. “This helps them also decide what course they’re ready for.”
Other features of the month-long seminar seek to enhance time-management skills, build social networks and acquaint the students with campus.
The group of students is guided by a handful of counselors that specialize in these areas of the program. Jeremy Echols, one of these counselors and a 2008 graduate in wireless engineering, thinks this aspect of the program is equally as important as the academics.
“Basically, we try to get them familiar with the campus as much as possible,” Echols said. “I think they’re really benefiting because it’s the difference between staying at your parents’ house everyday and being out here on your own, so they can get adjusted to living by themselves and taking care of things on their own.”
Ultimately, the goal is to provide minorities entering into COSAM with a well-rounded experience that will allow them to seamlessly transition into college life.
“They’re getting exposure in terms of training to study, developing study skills and time management skills,” Richardson said. “And they’re establishing academic communities and social support systems, which are so important when you enter a very large institution.”
The program began June 8 and runs through July 3.
