Thursday 2010 To it

Thursday May 20, 2010
To Whom it May Concern,
The IC/BCC Coalition is made up of active members of groups associated with the Intercultural Center
and the Black Cultural Center. As a part of the coalition mission, we seek lo nurture personal ties and
develop cross-cultural understandings in an effort to pursue common initiatives and support the existing
initiatives of individual groups. The groups represented in the coalition have varying political
commitments and supportive and social functions, and so we use the coalition space as a resource and
forum for discussion and action on overlapping and common goals.
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In an effort to address the···above-mentioned mission we put together several larger group evening
workshops in conjunction with our weekly dinner meetings. For example, through meetings in the Big IC
Room and Sharples, we have been gathering together to update each other about activities and events. We
have also-been working on leadership development, fostering internal organizational growth, and passing
on experience and knowledge to underclassmen. In addition, we have facilitated conversations with
President Chopp, and have also activelytencouraged more IC/BCC members to run for Student Council in
order to improve representation in student government.
In our first workshop this semester, we incorporated a vision building activity, which required us to divide
into 5 smaller groups. Each group, which consisted of various IC and BCC members chose a pertinent
issue that they would like to see addressed at Swarthmore and presented a role play of the steps involved
in its successful completion. Four of the five groups independently choose to present a bridge program as
their group topic that sparked further discussion about a bridge program. We realized at that time that our
definitions of a bridge program varied. For some groups, a bridge program at Swarthmore meant
providing ESL students with the opportunity to become more proficient in writing, speaking, reading, and
comprehending English; thereby increasing their comprehension of academic texts and expanding both
the range of potential academic majors and social development. Others envisioned a bridge program as an
opportunity to gain the experience and skills necessary to broaden and expand the academic options for
domestic students coming from high schools ~at had not adequately prepared them academically, and
who would otherwise be dissuaded and uncomfortable in pursuing certain fields once here. Despite these
differences, everyone recognized the need for some form of summer bridge program.
As part of our initial research we sought out information regarding the history of Swarthmore's past
bridge program, contacted alumni who were involved, and created a survey for Swarthmore students to
determine interest for such a program and the particular areas of need for students at Swarthmore.
Members of the coalition spoke with Charles James, who used to teach in the bridge program and Eric
Ward who was a participant in the program.
Through these meetings and conversations we were able to gather information regarding the history of the
Tri-Co college summer bridge program. As Chuck James informed us, the program initially targeted the
growing number of enrolled African American students to help those who were not provided with the
tools and resources in high school to enable them to succeed academically at Swarthmore. Invitation to
the program was based on SAT score and participation was paid for and optional. The program grew to
include members of other minority groups. The goal of this program was to replicate a semester at
Swarthmore. The curriculum included lectures and other.exercises in math, english, science labs, and
history. Notable concerns surrounding the program included the stigmatization of students involved in the
program and the bitterness of students outside of the program who felt that the opportunity gave some
students an unfair advantage. These concerns, however, played a minor role in the abrupt end of the
program. Bryn Mawr's withdrawal from the program (and consequent inability to host the program) due
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to financial difficulties had a bigger impact on the decision to end the program. Swarthmore and
Haverford chose to discontinue the program due to the expense in conjunction with student complaims of
stigmatization.
Through conversations with Eric Ward '75, a participant in the past bridge program, we gained his
general feedback and thoughts pertaining to the stigma attached to the program. Eric Ward reiterated the
details of the program's length and academic rigor. He spoke of the program as a "phenomenal
experience" which gave him and his peers a "bond and sense of teamwork based on similar interest and
careers." He acknowleoged°that at times some students involved i~ the program felt uncomfortable with
the potential stereotypes associated with the program and that others who didn't participate felt unfairly
excluded from a gp9d Qpportunity. For Eric Ward, however, these sentiments, did not overcome the
ensuing academic success and feeling of ownership and membership in the Swarthmore community
gained through participation in the program. Currently, we are still in the process of contacting other
alumni who were involved in the bridge program in order to get a well-rounded idea of the bridge
programs history. We are also lookip.g into the more recently attempted chemistry bridge program at Bryn
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Mawr.
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Our overarching vision for the bridge program is to address the needs of a diverse group of students,
including both domestic 'and international students who would benefit from additional science, math,
humanities and social science preparation. Imagining a bridge program at Swarthmore will require intense
collaboration among students, faculty and administrators to actually describe the possibilities of and
limitations on such a program. We hope that this letter is a first step to open up such productive
conversations at Swarthmore. Although the IC/BCC coalition is particularly interested in issues of
diversity at Swarthmore College, we do not envision the bridge program as simply designed to support
students of color and increase racial diversity on campus, as the program in the 1970s was designed to do ;
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instead, we believe that a bridge program at Swarthmore will help support multiple communities of
students, in particular those who might be intellectually ready, but academically underprepared for the
rigor of Swarthmore. As a coalition, we believe that the bridge program at Swarthmore will fulfill a
unique need, supporting both underprepared and underepresented students at Swarthmore. With the
support from other Swarthmore student communities, as a coalition we are prepared to commit our time
and energy to making a bridge program happen at Swarthmore.
In this letter, we will fust present the data and findings we collected through the student survey; then, we
will discuss the significance of our findings and the difficulties in distribution that we encountered. In the
second section we will outline case studies from five competitive peer institutions. In the third section we
will use the testimonial comments collected through the survey to describe the difficulties that many
students at Swarthmore have faced as incoming freshmen. In the fourth section, we will describe a
preliminary list of conversations to be had between the IC/BCC coalition and the administration about
access to student data and about moving forward with the bridge program project. In the fifth section we
will describe some suggestions for improvements for the class of 2014. Finally, we have included a short
bibliography of scholarly literature about bridge programs; this literature needs to be rigorously reviewed
to assess the effectiveness and outcomes of bridge programs at comparable peer institutions.
Quantitative Findings from Student Survey
Our second step after preliminary research of the history of Swarthmore's Bridge program in the 1970s
was to design a survey titled "Swarthmore Summer Bridge Interest Survey." We anticipated multiple
functions for the survey. First was to gauge whether there was a need for such a program; we hoped to
assess whether there was a significant student population currently at Swarthmore who might have
benefited from such a program. We also hoped to map who these students are.' racially,
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socioeconomically, and along other demographic axes and in terms of academic interests and majors. We
collected demographic information, student self-evaluations of preparedness and testimonial responses to
questions about academic success and support (see our survey here:
http://gtrial.gualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV ePsRiizOHHl GEZK&SVID=). The second function of the survey
was to introduce the idea of a Bridge Program into the student body. From the large group meetings we
knew that there was significant interest in IC/BCC communities, but we wanted to involve a wider
proportion of the Swarthmore population in the project and gage student interest.
Distribution constraints ~ere a major limitation of the survey. We sent the survey out to IC/BCC
listserves, and to all of the RAs requesting that they send it out to their halls; we also sent the email to as
many student grottp listserves as we could. In total we got 158 respondents, however, we were
disappointed that could not distribute the survey to the whole student body through the administration or
through Student Council so that we could get a set of results that are representative of the entire student
body. We hope to continue to collect data through this survey and find ways to get this survey out to a
larger po~l of students.
In spite of the limitations of the survey due to distribution, we feel that the results have at least
preliminary significance, showing the need for more academic support, in particular among students of
color and students on financial aid. Among the students surveyed we found that across ethnic and racial
divisions students are generally less prepared for the academic rigor of the natural sciences in comparison
to the humanities and social sciences. Students struggled noticeably with natural science related lab
reports. When the level of preparedness in the natural sciences was broken down by race and ethnicity we
found that students that identified as Black and Latino were mostly unprepared while students that
identified as White, Multi, Asian, and other, contained higher percentages of prepared students. Other
major findings of the survey included a need for department specific support systems for students in the
humanities and social sciences and a reconstruction of the SAM program. When asked if attending a
summer program assisting your academic transition from high school to Swarthmore would have been
helpful upon entering college 62% of the international students and 77% of first generation college
students said yes compared with the 50% of total respondents that said yes.
Why a Bridge Program? Qualitative Findings and Discussion
In addition to collecting quantitative data as described above, the survey also gathered responses in the
form of comments. Below, we will describe some of the most relevant replies that we received.
In response to the question 1: "Do you feel your previous academic experiences have sufficiently
prepared you for the coursework in your classes at Swarthmore?" We received comments such as:
"I have not taken many classes like this, but I know that I have absolutely no background in them. My
writing skills were great in high school and bad here. I still can not write a critical analytical
academic essay. "
"I was significantly behind my peers in all natural science courses I took. Both the structure ofclasses
and the material itselfwas more rigorous than I was ready for. "
"My math and science classes at my private high school were definitely *not* rigorous enough for me
to have any clue what was going on as I attempted to fulfill my NS distribution requirements. "
"... not at all prepared in chemistry "
"I took everything that was offered but I found that I was still behind. Most ofmy knowledge ofecology
and Bio 2 came from just being a farm kid. "
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"went to a public school... even though I took AP classes in high school, the teachers weren't motivated
and didn't prepare us adequately for the exam, much less the content of their subject"
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"!received a very bad evaluation after my first lab here because I was totally unprepared for what we
were doing. "
These comments indicate that some students' high school education did not adequately prepare them for
Swarthmore's academic rigor. Although some students were able to make up for their lack of preparation
through dedicated work, other students continue to need academic support that they have not yet received.
Based on these comments, it can be said that students tend to face difficulties in classes that they take for
distribution requirements,,.in particular for the Natural Sciences. Since the course ·distribution
requirements are, in part, designed to help expose students to a variety of different major options, the lack
of preparation of students in particular fields, might make them less likely to commit to majors in those
subject areas.
. :One student also described an experience with a professor:
"!have had professors tell me that my previous work has not prepared for Swarthmore and that I
would need to work extra h,ard I also have had a professor who I met with weekly because my
work was poor - this was not ~elpful at all. "
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Although this is not representative of the experiences of all students, it points to the fact that in some
cases, the support of the professor alone is not enough to support students who attended high schools that
did not prepare them for certain classes at Swarthmore.
Students also provided more specific suggestions with regards to resources they wished that they had
access to at Swarthmore:
"More writing resources without having to take intro to academic writing/or a full credit... "
"More of a crash-course in computer programming/MATLAB/etc. in Engineering, for people who
aren't going into a programming-heavy engineering.field There's some in E5, but not in areas
that are very relevant later on. I feel like I'm continually at a disadvantage for labs because I don't
have much ofa programming background, even when the lab doesn't directly relate to
programming. Maybe something emphasized beyondfreshman year? "
One student specifically mentioned a lack of support for students who are not receiving dramatically bad
grades yet not achieving their potential:
"I just felt all of my freshman and sophomore years that I was floundering, no idea what I was doing.
But because I wasn't doing badly and because I didn't have a learning disability, there were no
resources for me to go to to find out how to just feel more on top ofmy academics and get better at
the math I needed for econ. "
Several other students referred to the fact that a lack of early academic support can prevent them from
taking certain courses throughout their Swarthmore career:
"... sort of basic math course - though my private high school was ofa fine callibre and prepared me
well for Swarthmore, I struggled in math and choose not to take Precalculus and upper level math
courses. This lack of background has prevennted me from taking many courses needed as·
prerequistes for courses I am interested in taking in the future "
This quote also demonstrates that the need for academic support is not limited to only students from
certain demographic categories, and that even some students from private schools could benefit from
more academic help, particularly in the math and sciences. Furthermore, one student commented on the
importance of transition support in determining a component of academics at Swarthmore as important as
the major:
"!wish I had more preparation in science, I had, I would have been a physics major. "
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"For students without strong preparation in math prior to Swarthmore, majoring in Math is difficult. "
Many students also responded to question 6a, "Did you ever approach a faculty member with the concern
that you felt academically unprepared for a course?" There were positive as well as negative comments;
however, for the purpose of this survey, the comments that were most relevant to academic support are
included below:
"Mathematics. I was told to consider taking a different level of the same course, keeping in mind that
doing so would make me less eligible for a major/minor. "
"Spanish 003, Chem 10, them 22 - Advice was generally not helpful. Work hard<;r, get a tutor, have
more meetings - nothing a strugling student needs to hear "
"Chemistry, Phys,ir;s ~Jo seek out private tutors, attend the study sessions, do more problems"
"Math 15. I only received advice on things that I already knew (ie: help sessions, tutoring, etc.) and felt
that the professor could have been more truthful about my lack of improvement in the subject
earlier in the semester. "
It appeared that some professors, when 'l-pproached by students, suggested private tutors and problem
sessions. However, the experiences of thes© students indicate that these help sessions and tutors alone
may not be adequate resources to support students who do not have a basic foundation which sets them
behind others who underwent a more comprehensive high school curriculum.
The final question of our survey asked: "In light of your experience at Swarthmore, do you feel that
attending a summer program assisting your academic transition from high school to Swarthmore would
have been helpful upon entering college?" We received both positive and negative feedback, indicating
that there is not necessarily a universal need for a summer program across the student body at
Swarthmore. Some of the students who responded that they did not feel that they needed such a program,
commenting that they felt adequately well prepared or that they found ways to adjust to Swarthmore even
if they were not initially well prepared by their high school. However, more than ten of the written
responses acknowledged that while they themselves would not have required such a program, they know
other students who would find it beneficial:
"!think that my particular experience with JB. at my public high school was sufficient but, I would
urge for a program to still be implementedfor I have witnessed the struggles of many students in
handling the academic load. These students are clearly qualified in terms of intelligence but are
not as grounded in the other skills required to succeed at the collegiate level without incurring
massive amounts ofstress. "
"The program should exist but I personally don't feel that I would have needed it. "
"No, I do not feel that I would have needed this - but that is especially because I was at a small private
school for the last two years ofhigh school"
"I'm an exception and not the rule when it comes to international education. lfelt very prepared for
Swarthmore, but I know not all students have the same experience"
"!was lucky enough to have an educational experience in high school that did a great job preparing
me for Swarthmore academics, extracurricular, and social life"
"!felt like I got enough support once I was here. Pass/fail is super awesome for freshmen. But I can
definitely see how a summer program would be beneficial to others! "
"!felt adequately prepared for Swarthmore's academics. However, I know that there are many other
students who do not, and it is my impression that a Summer Bridge program would be extremely
appreciated by many of those students. "
Students who articulated a need for a summer program provided a number of reasons:
"!think that the option to attend a summer program to prepare me for college writing skills and the
level of work necessary would have been invaluable. "
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"I really do feel as though my high school education (even having taken 11 AP courses) failed to
prepare me for even the introductory classes at Swarthmore. The AP classes at my high school
were focused on how to get a good grade on the test and not so much on actually teaching the
material. For this and many other reasons, I felt unprepared during my first few semesters here. "
"A program that would allow us to take college-style courses/seminars would definitely help to prepare
a first generation college student/student of color for the expectations of college. "
"I needed (and perhaps still need) a better math education. My school/school system did not have the
math classes other students had access to, and that put me at a huge disadvantage. "
"Mainly for an acculturation into typical college academics. Though not a fir.s.t generation college
student, my parents attended very different institutions. The d?fference between expectations and
available. r.eso).lrces coming from my high school were immense. "
"A math/science summer program, or a general program prior to my freshman fall at Swarthmore
· would have been amazing. Not only would it have strengthened my skills in areas that I already
felt comfortable in, it would have helped me assess where my academic weaknesses laid. "
"especially for international stu_dents whose first language is not english. and who didn't go to an
international school before.Svyarthmore. "
"Reading materials, and understnading what is expected.from the student in terms of discussions and
elaborating ideas on papers"
"It would be extremely helpful since I had a really hard time adjusting to the overwhelming amount of
readings and papers I had to write. It's a huge leap to go from writing 200 word essays to 2000
word ones on a regular basis. "
As can be seen, the bridge program survey that the IC/BCC coalition administered points to a need among
some incoming Swarthmore students for a transitional program that can help compensate for differences
in academic preparation at their high schools and aid in adjusting to the academic culture of Swarthmore,
including expectations, peer culture and rigor.
Bridge Program Case Studies
In this section we will describe a few of the Bridge programs at comparable peer institutions including
Cornell, Williams, Bates, Princeton and UCLA. These case studies were complied through a combination
of scholarly research and interviews with program administrators (when specified). Looking at peer
institutions' programs helps us understand the rationale for having a bridge program, evaluate its
effectiveness and compare program structures. Bridge programs have numerous goals, including helping
to diversify the student body, racially and socioeconomically, by supporting underrepresented student
populations. Bridge programs are envisioned to help introduce students to the academic rigors of the
college, to connect students who might face initial academic difficulties with teachers and with peers to
create support networks for those students, and to help first generation college students and
underrepresented students to the culture and campus before the rest of the student body arrives. Bridge
programs have recently been introduced as a way to diversify students going into the Sciences.
There are many bridge program models at small liberal arts schools; however, we have focused on
presenting the programs at colleges and universities that are as academically rigorous as Swarthmore;
many of the programs described below are in large research universities, and we cannot economically or
administratively replicate such Bridge programs at Swarthmore. However, there are models for small
liberal arts schools that we can model, including Williams' Summer Science Program and Summer
Humanities and Social Sciences Program and Bates College's Summer Scholars Program.
Here, we do not intend to present in-depth comparative analyses between the case study schools and
Swarthmore to assess the viability of a Bridge Program at Swarthmore. Instead we are laying out
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descriptions of different programs at peer institutions to demonstrate that it is a widespread program that
continues to be sustained in many institutions throughout the economic recession as an central part of
their mission to diversify the student body and to maintain support for underprepared and
underrepresented students.
Cornell University
Cornell University provides approximately 175 students an opportunity to attend its Prefreshman Summer
Program (PSI), a 7-week,.program designed to help invited students prepare for.the challenges of freshmen
year at Cornell. Over the summer students enroll in the regular summer sessions courses with a course
schedule determj~ed.bythe student's college. In addition to taking classes, students go on field trips,
listen.to guest lectures, and participate in numerous social and cultural activities.
PSI is mandatory for students admitted through the school's affiliated EOP (Educational Opportunity
Program) or HEOP (Higher Educ~tion Opportunity Program). Enrollment in the program is also based on
a student's high school experiences a,nd intended course of study. The program is managed by the
college's Leaming Strategies Center, which also provides tutoring, study skills workshops and
supplemental courses.
(More information: The Center for Learning and Teaching's Learning Strategies
Center:607.255.6310,http://www.sce.cornell.edu/ss/programs.php?v=PREFRESH&s=Overview).
Princeton University
Each summer Princeton University gives approximately 80 students an opportunity to attend its Freshman
Scholars Institute (FSI). As described by the Assistant Dean of the College, Diane McKay, FSI is a 7week long program designed "for students whose transition is a bigger step from high school than it is
comparatively for other students." Enrollment in this invitation-only program is based on multiple factors
including a student's academic background and socioeconomic status. The curriculum for the program
consists of two seminar style courses; students take a quantitative reasoning-based class in statistics or
calculus and a humanities class entitled, "Ways of Knowing" that deals with epistemology and cognition.
The students receive full credit for taking these courses. In addition to the seminars, the students attend
weekly lab tours, writing center sessions, and activities hosted by student RA' s.
The program was originally designed for incoming engineering students in 1995, but because of its
measurable success it was expanded to include work in the humanities in 1998. The program's success
can be summed up by student participants' feedback.
"It gets you into the groove of Princeton by taking away the first shock," he explained. "It' s better
dealing with the shock when you're taking two classes as opposed to a full load. It was an easy
transition for me because I was in direct contact with professors and got to know them really
well."'
"It prepared me for my writing seminar," she explained, " because we were writing papers in FSI every
week."
(Contacts: Associate Dean of the College: Frank Ordiway, Office: 409 West College Phone: 609-2581998 Fax: 609-258-6371 , E-mail: [email protected]; Assistant Dean of the College: Diane McKay,
E-mail: [email protected])
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University ofCal(fornia, Los Angeles
As part of UCLA's Academic Advancement Program, the University offers two New Student Programs,
the Freshman Summer Program and the Transfer Summer Program, over the summer for incoming
freshman and transfer students to prepare them for the academic rigor of UCLA. The University has a
director and a 'supervisor' who work full time on the program and are supported by student employees.
The program lasts for s\x weeks over the summer, and recently has enrolled about 160 transfer students
and 270 incoming freshman, less than usual due to budget cuts. Curriculum includes writing intensive,
social science, and natural science courses. Students take two to three courses that meet UCLA
requirements for graduatioq, and receive personal attention, in either small groups or individual sessions,
from teaching assistants ancf tutors. The program has been successful since the late seventies with recent
studies showing that those who attended New Student Programs have higher achievement upon regular
enrollment.
Eligibility for the program is determined through admissions; admissions compiles a list of those 'eligible'
for the New Student Program and sends it~o the Academic Advancement Program who then contacts
those students and invites them to apply for the summer program. Students not on the list can still apply
by petitioning with a personal statement.
(Contacts: Director of New Student Programs: John Hamilton, 310 206 1571 ,
[email protected]; Assistant Director of New Student Programs: Mananita Paez, 310 206 1571;
more information: http://www.aap.ucla.edu/summer/index.html).
Bates College
Founded in 2009, Bates' Summer Scholars Program provides ten students of color and first generation
students with an accelerated introduction to the math and science programs at Bates College. The program
compresses two full semester courses, one in mathematics and the other in lab-science, into an intense sixweek program aimed to build the skills and relationships Bates students will need to enforce their
commitment to math and science. Students receive full credit for these two courses and are also
introduced to time-management, research, and study skills. Classes are lively and discussion-based and
labs are hands-on investigations of complex questions, focusing on designing experiments, analyzing
data, and presenting conclusions. Students live together in a house, which invites collaborative learning.
Students are placed with upper-class mentors during the summer who further facilitate their transition in
the fall. All funds for tuition, room, and board are provided and students receive a $2,400 summer
stipend.
Lauren Okano, a Bates junior from Wyoming who took part in the inaugural summer program, can vouch
for the value of the bonds she formed. "I came into the school year with faculty connections and friend s,
and I was already adapted to living at Bates," she says. "I knew exactly who to go to if I needed
something in particular." Bringing her involvement full circle, Okano has served as one of two residence
fellows for this summer's program, living with the new students in a house at Bates. "Lauren taught us
work together," explains Akinyele Akinruntan, a Summer Scholar from Memphis, Tenn. "She told us to
make sure we take advantage of the resources that are here for us." (Source: Houbley, Doug. "Summer
Scholars Program Gives First-years Solid Start in Math, Science" . Bates College. 20 May 2010.
<http://home-dev.bates.edu/views/2009/08/05/summer-scholars/>.)
(Contacts: Thomas Wenzel: 207-786-6296, [email protected]; Carmita McCoy: 207-786-6014,
[email protected])
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Williams College
Williams College has two pre-enrollment programs for students of color and first generation college
students, the Summer Sciences Program (SSP), started.in 1987, and the Summer Humanities and Social
Sciences Program (SHSS), modeled off of SSP. in 2000. These courses are designed to aid the transition
of students who have designated an interested in these subject areas to the academic rigor of Williams
College. Each program is five weeks long and serves about 35 students total. The programs offer courses
to students that are comparable to the academic work they will do in their first year. The programs are
particularly aimed for students to get to know the campus and form close relationships with key faculty
and administrators, resources that they are often more reluctant to take advantage of then their white
and/or class-privileged coµnterparts. Additionally, the programs aim to tap into the intellectual curiosity
of i~coming students and encourage them to pursue research opportunities and graduate school.
Furthermore, each program has three to four TA's (usually juniors at Williams) who serve as mentors to
the students. All costs of the program (room, board, food, and travel expenses) are paid and students
receive $900 tuition abatement. Students of color and first generation students are identified by the
admissions office and invited to part;ieipate in the programs. Students who express an interest and apply
are then selected into the program through a lottery process.
Participants in the Summer Humanities and Social Science program take classes in Social Psychology,
Philosophy, Political Science, and Comparative Literature. Participants complete community service
projects throughout their time in the program and present on their community work during the last two
days. Participants in the Summer Sciences Program take courses in Chemistry, English, Mathematics,
and Biology as well as complete a chemistry lab component. Students also engage in workshops on time
management and an overview of college administrative offices. To break up their rigorous academic
summer work, participants in the programs have pizza parties, trips to Six Flags, and an overnight stay at
the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
Research is currently underway to determine the success of the programs, but alumni evaluations
demonstrate their clear success. Alumni report that the programs "greatly aided their in their transition to
Williams and that they have tended to stay connected to the professors they worked with in the summer.
Overall, approximately 90% of participants in the Summer Science Program have graduated from
Williams College and 50% have continued on to graduate programs in science, medical schools, or
science related positions." (Source: "Science Programs at Williams." Williams College. 20 May 2010.
<http://www.williams.edu/go/sciencecenter/center/RS94html/SciProg2.html#Pre-FirstYear.>)
Despite the common concern that participating in this program would cause students to feel stigmatized or
that students not included in the program would be upset at their exclusion, the founder of the program,
Chip Lovett, explained in a phone interview that there has been absolutely no backlash or stigma felt by
participants throughout his 23 years running the program. Though their budget has been partially cut
during this economic recession, Lovett says that this program would be the last to ever be cut by the
administration.
(Contacts: Summer Science Program- Chip Lovett: 413- 597-2124, [email protected]; Summer
Humanities and Social Sciences- Molly Magavern: 413-597-3747, [email protected])
There are still a number of competitive peer institutions with similar programs that need to be
investigated, including Harvard's program, William and Mary's program through the Center for Student
Diversity, Mount Holyoke, and University of California, Berkeley. In particular the outcomes and costs of
programs at small liberal arts schools need to be assessed. Furthermore there is particular research, both
qualitative and quantitative that we must work to identify, including program costs, structures,
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curriculum, academic success of those who participate in bridge programs, and the impact on
underprepared students who don 't attend the bridge programs at their school. Additionally, it would be
optimal to assess long-term impacts of bridge program participation through alumni follow-ups.
For the Class of 2014
We anticipate that the timeline for the bridge program is between 2 and 3 years, so below are some
support systems and improvements that are already institutionally viable and may be plausible for
implementation for the class 2014 to address some of same issues we have identified in our survey as
barriers to academic success.
Orientation
· • During freshman orientation, SAMs could be assigned to CA groups in order to connect SAMs
with students outside their halls.
• SAMs could also be introduced to international students at this time so as to establish more lasting
relationships.
• A peer mentor program could M set up to connect older first generation college students with
incoming first generation freshmen.
· Writing Associates Program (WA)
• Explicitly state that students must choose between taking Intro to Academic Writing or being
assigned a W AM
• There have been complaints from students who have been rejected from having a W AM. Some
students' argue that the only reason a student would ask for a WAM is if they really needed one.
We suggest that more W AMs are accepted to accomodate the requests for W AMs.
• In the past few years the writing center has worked hard to diversify the WA program both racially
and socioeconomically; the writing center should continue to make improvements in this area,
including emailing professors of color to ask them for WA nominations.
• The Writing center should host WA writing sessions that specifically reach out to particular
student populations. Such sessions need to be planned in conjunction with particular studen groups
on campus, to reach out to the BCC, IC groups, first generation college students, students with
learning disabilities, international students etc. and that are tailored to particular student needs.
Other
• It would be helpful if there was a policy that encouraged professors to list all academic support
•
•
•
systems that are available in their course syllabi.
Yearly advisor evaluations and suggestions
Make it possible for students to have tutors for more than 10 hours a semester per course
Make textbooks for classes more available for students in the natural and social sciences .
Moving Forward
Below we have outlined possible conversations between the IC/BCC coalition and the administration and
other interested faculty members, students etc., that need to take place in order to move forward on
investigating the possibilities of the bridge program.
• Discuss racial and socioeconomic breakdown of students on academic probation, and investigate
reasons for students' being on academic probation. Investigating the relationship between
academic probation and student preparedness might help us to understand how a bridge program
10
•
•
•
•
•
•
might be useful.
Discuss racial and socioeconomic breakdown of students participating in the Honors program. We
would like to assess how students decide to participate in the honors program, and what supports
students need in order to diversify participation.
Discuss GPA distribution against demographic variables. It might be important to assess, not only
who is in Honors and who is on academic probation, but to understand what the trends are of
success among students in different majors and how it is related to their gender and class, racial
and educational backgrounds.
r
.
Brainstorm ways to reach out to faculty. Find faculty members who might be supportive, to
understand why faculty members might oppose such a program. In particular, we should work to
involve faculty-from the education department, both for design and implementation and for future
program evaluation·.
Discuss school climate and culture; we must attempt to project student and faculty perceptions of
bridge program students in order anticipate problems.
Discuss funding possibilities, including possible funding streams, fundraising, grant proposals and
cost-benefits analysis. We also.must set this conversation in the context of the current recession,
including projections about the future financial stability of the college and doing comparative
analyses, examining the financial security and costs of programs at competitive peer institutions.
Discuss possible impact on future admissions; if the program is successful, what are the
possibilities for diversifying our outreach efforts, and recruiting more students from poorperforming schools.
The IC/BCC Coalition would like to formally meet with interested administrators and faculty members to
begin to imagine the structure and implementation of a bridge program at Swarthmore.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
IC/BCC Coalition
11
Figures from Survey Data
For the survey question, "Do you feel your previous academic experiences have sufficiently
prepared you for the coursework in your classes at Swarthmore?" data was differentiated based on
the arts & humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. Separate graphs were created
based on students' race/ethnicity and financial aid status.
In Figure 1, a significant percentage of Latino and Asian students did not feel that their previous
educational experiences have sufficiently prepared them for coursework in the arts & humanities at
Swarthmore College. 17% of Latino and 18% of Asian students answered that they felt "not
prepared," compared to only 5% of White students.
f
.
· Figure 1. Students' feelings of preparation upon taking courses in the arts & humanities (by
,,_____________r_aceL ethnJ~!YJ ______ - - - - - - - - - - - .
100
90
80
70
60
so
40
30
20
Iii Not
10
0
Applicable (%)
• Not prepared(%)
Slightly Prepared(%)
• Prepared (%)
12
In Figure 2, a significant percentage of Latino and Black students did not feel that their previous
educational experiences have sufficiently prepared them for coursework in the natural sciences at
Swarthmore College. Specifically, 44% of Latino and 4 7% of Black students answered that they felt
"not prepared," compared to only 20% of White students.
Figure 2. Students' feelings of preparation upon taking courses in the natural sciences (by
_ _ _ --~@ce/ethni£.&'"-----------100
90
80
70
·60
so
40
30
20
1~ ~!!Y!!:;:::a!!!!!!Y~!!!!!!!:.!!;:::3!!!!!~:l!!!!!!~3!!!!!!!Y!!;::'!'!!!l!!!!?'"
llil
Not Applicable (%)
• Not Prepared(%)
Slightly Prepared (%)
• Prepared (%)
....
<I>
£
0
13
In Figure 3, a significant percentage of Latino, Asian, and Multi students did not feel that their
previous educational experiences have sufficiently prepared them for coursework in the social
sciences at Swarthmore College. Specifically, 33% of Latino and 25% of Asian, and 35% of Multi
students answered that they felt "not prepared," compared to only 15% of White students.
Figure 3. Students' feelings of preparation upon taking courses in the social sciences (by
____
raceLeth11ic;_ity)
100
90
80
'ZQ
60
r•
·_,,
so
40
30
20
10
0
Not Applicable (%)
(lJ
0
c:
·c
j
E
-.
<(
(lJ
<II
t.t.J
t\
c:
(lJ
(.J
·c
<II
>
'C
I'll
z
:E
::s
~
c
cU
·v;
<
..,
VI
c
1!l
• Not Prepared (%)
~
·;:;
~
c.
VI
..__,
VI
Ill
t.t.J
..c
.., <II
::s0 "C
Vl :::?
"Z
(lJ
?~
<'ti
·v;
<
14
<II
·; :
c
<II
..
"C
<II
..c
..,
0
Slightly Prepared (%)
• Prepared (%)
Students on financial aid were less likely to feel that their previous educational experiences have
sufficiently prepared them for coursework at Swarthmore College.
In Figure 4, a minority of students on financial aid felt that their previous educational experiences
have sufficiently prepared them for coursework in the arts & humanities. Specifically, only 27% of
students on financial aid answered that they felt "prepared," compared to 61 % of students not on
financial aid, at Swarthmore College. ·
'
f
Figure 4. Students' feelings of preparation upon taking courses in the arts & humanities (by
financial aid status
• Financial Aid? Yes ,
• Financial Aid? No
I
Not
Applicable
(%)
Slightly
Not
prepared
Prepared
(%)
(%)
15
Prepared
(%)
J
I
In Figure 5, a minority of students on financial aid felt that their previous educational experiences
have sufficiently prepared them for coursework in the natural sciences. Specifically, only 24% of
students on financial aid answered that they felt "prepared," compared to 45% of students not on
financial aid, at Swarthmore College.
Figure 5. Students' feelings of preparation upon taking courses in the natural sciences (by financial
·---- __ --~ aid~t~tusl __ _-----------..
45
40 .
35
30
25
20
• Financial Aid? Yes
15
• Financial Aid? No
10
5
0
Not
Not
Slightly
Applicable
prepared
Prepared
[%)
(%)
(%)
16
Prepared
(%)
In Figure 6, a minority of students on financial aid felt that their previous educational experiences
have sufficiently prepared them for coursework in the social sciences. Specifically, only 29% of
students on financial aid answered that they felt "prepared," compared to 62% of students not on
financial aid, at Swarthmore College.
Figure 6. Students' feelings of preparation upon taking courses in the social sciences (by financial
...-------- - _ _ _
aid statu~)_
Financial Aid? Yes
• Financial Aid? No
Not
Applicable
Not
prepared
(%)
(%)
Slightly
Prepared
(%)
17
Prepared
(%)
For the survey question, "Are you or have you been an academic assistant (SAM, WA, Ninja, etc.), or
a one-on-one subject tutor?" data was differentiated based on students' race/ethnicity, financial aid
status, and high school type.
In Figure 7, a significant percentage of Black and Latino students have not had experiences serving
as an academic assistant or subject tutor. More specifically, only 20% of Black and 17% of Latino
students answered, "yes." to having served as an academic assistant or subject tutor, compared to
34% of White studel}tS cit Swarthmore College.
Figure 7. Student ex erience servin as an academic assistant or sub ·ect tutor b race ethnicity)
...,
QJ
:.2
~
c
Ill
cI u
~ ;f
·- <
-
J::
< -Illc
~
<.I
(ti
...
'i'.:
QJ
s s
<
Ill
0
c
'.ti
Ill
-l
c
~
·;:
·; ;;
'"3
~
QJ
s
<
.:::..,
z"'
c;
Ill
·v;
c
<
.., ..,...QJ
"' "'
t:J
t:J
Ill
Q,)
...
.c
(ti
QJ
::i~
0
Vl
"C
:2
?~
tG
·v;
<
18
• Yes(%)
·."'o
QJ
-~~
QJ
"C
...
·u
QJ
Q..
<II~
.c
....
0
• No(%)
In Figure 8, a significant percentage of students on financial aid have not had experiences serving as
an academic assistant or subject tutor. More specifically, only 24% of students on financial aid
answered "yes" to having served as an academic assistant or subject tutor, compared tQ 35% of
those not on financial aid, at Swarthmore College.
Figure 8. Student experience serving as an academic assistant or subject tutor (by financial aid
status
80
··70
60
so
111
40
Financial Aid? yes
Iii Financial
30
20
10
0
Yes(%)
No(%)
19
Aid? no
In Figure 9, a significant percentage of students who attended public, magnet, and urban high
school types have not had experiences serving as an academic assistant or subject tutor. More
specifically~ only 24% of students who attended public high school, 21 % of students who attended
magnet schools, and 13% of students who attended school in urban areas have served as academic
assistants or subject tutors, compared to 34% of students who attended private school, 33% of
students who attended charter school, 32% of students who attended a school in a suburban area,
and 43% of students who attended school in a rural area, at Swarthmore College.
Figure 9. Student experience serving as an academic assistant or subject tutor (by high school type)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
~
..c
=
Q..
....ra
C1)
-~
...
Q..
.......~
ra
..c:
u
....
C1)
~
ra
:::E:
Yes(%)
ra
~
;:I
ex:
"C
i::::
i::::
<:I
..c
...
..c
...
0
0
..c:
u
"'
b
E
ra
::;,
..c
;:I
Vl
=
Cl.I
N
Vl
-~
Vl
0
"'"'ro
"'ro
u"'
"'"'ra
u
(ii
E
Vi
Vl
20
C1)
ac
:a= ra
C1)
:::E:
High School Type?
C1)
.!::l
E
0
;I:
Cl.I
..J
• No(%)
For the survey question, "In light of your experience at Swarthmore, do you feel that attending a
summer program assisting your academic transition from high school to Swarthmore would have
been helpful upon entering college?" data was differentiated based on whether students identified
themselves as international students, first-generation college students, and/or students receiving
financial aid.
In Figure 10, a significant percentage of international students, first-generation college students,
and students receiving financial aid were in support of a summer bridge program being instituted
'
'More specifically, 62% of international students, 77% of first-generation
at Swarthmore College.
college students, and 64% of students receiving financial aid said "yes" to agreeing that a summer
academic program w-01.ild ·have been helpful before entering college, compared to 48% of noninternational students, 42% of non-first generation college students, and 31 % of students not
receiving financial aid.
Figure 10. Students' support for. the implementation of a summer bridge program (by various
.---------·-------~-----9_t_~g~rie~)_________.
90
I
80
-+------------~·----------
70 , - - - - - -
60
so
40
• Yes(%)
30
• No(%)
20
10
0
yes
no
yes
Yes
First generation
college student?
Financial Aid?
1
:international student?
I
21
Suggested Reading
Aukermann, S. P. (1990, April). The benefits of summer bridge programs for underrepresented and lowincome students. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of American Educational Research
Association (Boston, MA, April 16-20, 1990).
Buck, C. B. (1985, February) Summer bridge: A residential learning expereincefor high riskfreshmen at
the University ofCalifornia, San Diego. Paper presented at the annual Meeting of the National
Conference 6n tJ:ie Freshman Year Experience (4th, SC, February 18, 1~85).
Busser, J. A., & Others_,, (1992). Balancing the rigors of academic study . A summer enrichment program
for minority students. Journal ofPhysical Education, Recreation and Dance, 63, 8, 32-5.
Chism, L. P., Baker S.S., Hansen M. J., & Williams G. (2008). Implementation of First-Year Seminars,
the Summer Academy Bridge Program, and Themed Leaming Communities. Metropolitan
Universities, 19, 2, 8-17. . ,
Cowan, C . P., & Pitre P. (2009). Increasing Underrepresented High School Students' College Transitions
and Achievements: TRIO Educational Opportunity Programs. NASSP Bulletin, 93, 2, 96-110.
Dalke, G. , & Schmitt, S. (1987 March). Meeting the transition needs of college-bound students with
learning disabilities. Journal ofLearning Disabilities, 20, 3, 176-80.
Evans, R. (1999). A Comparison of Success Indicators for Program and Non Program Participants in a
Community College Summer Bridge Program for Minority Students. Visions: The Journal of
Applied Research for the Florida Association of Community Colleges, 2, 2, 6-14.
Fitts, J. (1989). A Comparison ofLocus of Control and Achievement among Remedial Summer Bridge and
Nonbridge Students in Community Colleges in New Jersey. Paper presented at the Annual
Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (San Francisco, CA, March 27-31,
1989).
Garcia, L. D. , & Paz. C. C. (2009). Evaluation of Summer Bridge Programs. About Campus, 14, 4, 30-32.
Garcia, P. (1991). Summer bridge: Improving retention rates for underprepared students. Journal of the
Freshman Year Experience, 3, 2, 91-105.
Gold, M. (1992). The bridge: A summer enrichment program to retain African-American collegians.
Journal of the Freshman Experience, 4, 2, 101-17.
Guthrie, L. F., & Guthrie G. P. (1998, August). Minority retention and achievement: Evaluation of the
California State University Summer Bridge and Intensive Learning Experience Programs. Final
Report. Long Beach, CA: California State University.
Hume, R., Gordon M. S., Murphy E.T., & Gaughan M. (2010). College Graduation Rates for Minority
Students in a Selective Technical University: Will Participation in a Summer Bridge Program
Contribute to Success? Education Evaluation and Policy Research 23, 1, 70-83.
Kluepfel, G. A., & Hovland, M. (1994, Spring). Developing successful retention programs: An interview
with Michael Hovland. Journal ofDevelopmental Education, 17, 28-30, 32-33.
22
Lipka, S. (2010, February). Summer Program Builds Students' Skills and Self-Confidence. The Chronicle
ofHigher Education. Retrieved May 20, 2010, from Research Library.
McCurrie, M. K. (2009). Measuring Success in Summer Bridge Programs: Retention Efforts and Basic
Writing. Journal ofBasic Writing (CUNY) 28, 2, 28-49.
Miller, M. F. (1990, August) 1990 Pre-Freshman summer program: Post-program selfstudy report.
Myers, C., & Drevlow,, S. (1982). Summer Bridge Program: A Dropout Intervention Program for
Minority and Ldw-Income Students at the University ofCalifornia, San Diego. Paper presented
at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (New York, NY,
March 21, 1982).
Robert, E. R., & Thompson, G. (1994, Spring). Learning assistance and the success of underrepresented
students at Berkeley. Journal t>f Developmental Educaiotn, I 7, 3, 4-6.
Roksa, J., Jenkins, D., Jaggars, S.S., Zeidenberg, M., & Cho, S. (2009). Strategies/or promoting
gatekeeper course success among students needing remediation: Research report for the
Virginia community college system. New York, NY: Columbia University Teachers College
CCRC Publications.
Rosenberg, L. C., & LaRosa, B. V. (1990, November). College learning strategies: A retention model for
at-risk students. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the College Reading Association
(34th, Nashville, TN, November 2-4, 1990).
Santa Rita, E., & Bacote, J. B. (1996, Februrary) The benefits of college discovery: Pre-college freshman
summer program for minority and low income students.
Suhr, J. (1980, October). Study ofthe 1978 Summer STEP. The Summer "Bridge" Program at the
Learning Skills Center, University of California, Davis.
Summer Bridge Program Helps Freshman Transition to University Life (2009, June). US Fed News
Service, Including US State News. Retrieved May 20~ 2010, from Research Library.
Terenzini, P., Rendon, L., Upcraft, L., Millar, S., Allison, K., Gregg, P., & Jalomo, R. (1996). The
transition to college: Diverse students, diverse stories. In F. Stage, G. Anya, J. Bean, D. Hossler,
& G. Kuh, ASHE Reader on college students: The evolving nature ofresearch, pp54-79,
Needham Heights: Ginn Press.
Walpole, M. (2008). Bridge to Success: Insight into Summer Bridge Program Students' College
Transition. Journal ofThe First-Year Experience & Students in Transition 20, 1, 11-30.
Werner-Smith, A. & Smolin, L. (1995, Summer/Fall). An ESL/Bilingual Pre collegiate Program for
Southeast Asian refugee high school students. Bilingual research Journal, 19(3), 3-4.
York, C. M., & Tross, S. A. (1994, March). Evaluation ofstudent retention programs: An essential
component. Paper presented at the Annual SUCCEED Conference on Improvement of
Engineering Education (1st, Raleigh, NC, March 314, 1994)
23
111n1C:11 cnuye rru9rC:1111 i:>urvey "-e:sun:s
Last Modified: 05/20/2010
1.
How prepared:
• Not applicable
• Not
prepared
II Slightly prepared
• Prepared
80
t.
70
..
60
50
40
30
20
w.--_,..'----
10
0 ,,.·
T
I
Arts & Hu man ilies
1
I Arts &
Humanities
I
Natu ml Sciences
2
2 1
Na_tural
Sciences
1
3
Social Sciences
4
Overall
I
I
13
SOcial Sciences
i
42
I
Overall
66
I
123
I 3.40
32
38
52
123
3.15
1
23
36
63
123
3.31 '
0
15
39
64
118
3.42
I
2.
Comments
Came from an arts school, academics off ballance
I went to boarding school
I have not taken many classes like this, but I know that I have absolutely no
background in ,them . My writing skills were great in high school and bad here. I still
can not write critical analytical academic essay.
a
I was significantly behind my peers in all natural science courses I took. Both the
structure of classes and the material itself was more rigorous than I was ready
for.
at least for Astra 1
which is a chance that not many get
My math and science classes at my private high school were definitely *not*
rigorous enough for me to have any clue what was going on as I attempted to
fulfill my NS distribution requirements.
although not at all prepared in chemistry
I took everything that was offered but I found that I was still behind. Most of my
·knowledge of ecology and Bio 2 came from just being a farm kid.
I would have felt unprepared
went to a public school. .. even though I took AP classes in high school, the
teachers weren't motivated and didn't prepare us adequately for the exam, much
less the content of their subject
Responses
_J_ _
80
• Not applicable
• Not comfortable/prepared
• Comfortable/prepared
D Slightly comfortable/prepared
Slightly
com f o rta bl eI prepare d
i
Comfortable/prepared I Resp
.
1tory
ment
20
31
35
37
1:
uter
rces
0
9
44
70
1:
o.
27
43
53
1:
2
45
35
41
1:
0
33
42
48
1:
4
22
35
62
1:
17
38
40
25
1:
0
27
46
50
1:
ipating
;s
;sions
ng
;sions
19 to
;sors
J their
hours
jing
group
ngs
ng
19
19
, or
rch
rces
·'""'+i ..........
....-------
4.
Comments
~.
,-~~irigl~~!:J.<?JY1!_q!!jpme~t ~~·-·~ ·~
Answer 1
I received a very bad evaluation after my first lab here because I was totally
unprepareqfor what we were doing.
It took me a long time to realize the importance of this, as opposed to viewing it
as a last resort for failing students.
rny highschool was very into teacher student relationships
I don't think my previous education had anything to do with the fact that I found
approaching professors in their office hours *incredibly* intimidating - I never
knew exactly what one was supposed to talk about with them if there wasn't a
specific reason.
- - ------
ion
Not
applicable
3ports
rch
; (in any
ine)
1oard
nses
Not
'
Slightly
comfortable/prepared comfortable/prepared
Comfortable/prepared
22
39
33
29
0
22
55
45
Res
i•
33
21
31
37
27
5
37
54
6
25
45
46
3
6
46
67
Exam
ons
8
15
38
60
(please
1)
16
0
1
4
1
14
37
39
~s)
'Veekly
11
1ments
ical
; in the
ii ties
Im,
ire,
!\nswer
ons
I
ase specify)
~ssays
in the social sciences
Lab
Reports
Research
papers (in
any
Blackboard
Responses
Daily/Weekly
Journal
Analytical
Essays in
the
Humanities
Short
Answer
Exam
Essay
Exam
i
0
(p
6.
Comments
I did not have a significant amount of writing my first year at Swarthmore.
I' what
T~~~sv(~l~;;~·~pecify I
subject)
72
---~---
1
3
I
4__
L_
---~----'-
Departmental Help Programs (Ninjas, Pi-rates, Science
Associates/SA's, Wizards, etc.) (please specify which program)
I
9
___ ____
_......_
...__
SA's and Pi-rates
Ninjas
Pi-rat~s
1
.._
and Science Associates
Biology
SA, Chem Clinicians
Science Associates/SA's
I
I Bio tutors
Ninjas, Pirates
I
1
Ninjas
Econ
Pi-rates & SA's
Biology, Chemistry
SAs in physics, bio, and chem
Stat Clinic
Pl-RATES, SA
SA's
Pi-rates, SA's
Chemistry
SA's
SA's
Pirates, SAs
Pi-rates
Ninjas
Student Group Mentors (Bio 2)
Pi-rates, SA's
Economics TAs
Ninja
Ninjas, SAs, Jedis, Chem TAs
Ninjas
SA's
.......__
Subject-Specific Tutors
(please specify what subje
Bio SAs, Wizards, Pi-rates, Jedis, Chem elfs
Wizards
1.E
92
Chemistry
1
reappointed ...
Working with Dean Smaw, my advisor, and Dean Anderson figuring out an unconventional study abroad pl<
has been a wonderful experience.
~.,
: . ., ·
. ·r
~·-"·~··._
••
•
.
~
~
-
. -·~ofesso
•
.P"·::-~i-:···~
,.,..'
· ..
;'~·'···:~
·..
~· :.:i
-
Please Elaborate
I have had professors tell me that my previous work has not prepared for Swarthmore and that I would nee
to work extra hard . I also have had a professor who I met with weekly because my work was poor - this wa
not helpful at all.
~~~~''
·· ·
'
••
~·"··;:···iii>••
;: .::'·'·" :· · ::
::
··
•
"'~
,..
,
...,.
·) \ssigne ~avisers -~'.~-,.~,.
'
~ ...s,t_'._, ."" .:....~J:;
.~
~"'-'"
· ··~r,:0~~~
._~ .: , _ ·"'·~~;s: · ·.·
Please Elaborate
After having a high school advisor who had weekly check ins and advisor outings, I have been very
dissatisfied with the Swat advisor program , and my advisor has been useless in terms of academic advice.
The
Enginee~ing
Faculty knows nothing about the rest of the departments.
credit. ..
One-on-one mentoring with an upperclassman during my first months at
Swarthmore.
more tutors
PREPERATION FOR WRITING DIFFERENT ASSIGNEMENTS
English tutor
none
I
-
study groups, departmental help programs for every class
More organized study groups or help for higher level math and stat courses
I wish I had more preparation in science, I had, I would have been a physics
major.
Personally I've been pretty happy. Trying to utilize all the resources we are given
access too has been a more relevant (though much lesser) problem ...
Sort sort of basic math course - though my private high school was of a fine
callibre and prepared me well for Swarthmore, I struggled in math and choose not
to take Precalculus and upper level math courses. This lack of background has
prevennted me from taking many courses needed as prerequistes for courses I
am interested in taking in the future
More one -on-one tutoring on how to research and approach school in general
peer mentors for first generation college students -- this support group is highly
necessary and would have made helped me transition to Swat a lot better.
Individual tutors in math/science disciplines
I wish I had a study group at all times, not just when there's a midterm or exam to
worry about.
more knowledgeable advising
I just felt all of my freshman and sophomore years that I was floundering, no idea
what I was doing. But because I wasn't doing badly and because I didn't have a
learning disability, there were no resources for me to go to to find out how to just
feel more on top of my academics and get better at the math I needed for econ.
I think they do a pretty good job.
more access to the art department outside of the major. .. there should be a
minor, and the photography program and darkroom should have more support.
it's way too expensive to study film photography here .. .
Bridge Program!
information about funding individual projects
I honestly think that i dont have time to utilize most of the ones now. I attend
chem clinic at least once a week though.
Someone who can help with test-taking
10.
6a. Did you ever approach a faculty member with the concern that you felt
academically unprepared for a course?
1 I Yes ·
39
32%
2 I No
83
68%
Total
;,.
.,
~
122
lU \_;UI 1 lfJlt::U::: fJi::lfJt::I . \JI lt::l I ll:>ll y . I lt::lfJ W lll I ll It:: wyd LU dfJ fJI Ud\jl I :>Luyu 111y
IUI t::Jl.dl 11:>
and writing papers.
Mathematics. I was told to consider taking a different level of the same course,
keeping in mind that doing so would make me less eligible for a major/minor.
Usually this was in cases where I wanted to take a course but was unsure
whether or not I met the prerequisites.
Math
Math 15. I, only received advice on things that I already knew (ie: help sessions,
tutoring, etc.) and felt that the professor could have been more .truthful about my
lack of . improvement
in the subject earlier in the semester.
_:;
.
Math 026. The faculty member assured me that I was prepared , but I decided that
a different course was better for my major.
History, that it would t?e ok.
physics and economics be~ause I was. missing pre-reqs---both said it would be
fine.
Spanish and Arabic
psychology
NEurobio, and that i was fine
Russian literature. My professor advised me to be more focused and less formal.
Read more, be confident
Chemistry
Stat 61 , The professor offered many personal office hours that helped me through
the class.
I had never written a lab report before, approached the lab assistant, and met
with her multiple times to receive advice and guidance on how to write a lab in
general and to describe the specific experiments we had been working on.
Philosophy. None
Contemporary Women 's Poetry. It wasn't an issue.
Chemistry, Physics - To seek out private tutors, attend the study sessions, do
more problems
Chemistry; did not really receive helpful advice, just had a very hand-wavy
conversations/pep talk ...
Spanish, general help with the subject
political theory, he was very helpful
Calculus, economics
Biology, Literatue
Math, advice was useless.
4
Deans/Administrators
63
36
19
1
1
120
5
Facuity/Professors
3
15
52
36
16
122
6
Assigned Advisers
18
67
26
7
2
120
7
Departmental Help
Programs (Ninjas, Pirates, Science
Associates/SA's,
Wizards, etc.) (please ·
specify which
program)
51
10
14
24
14
113
80
4
5
8
1
98
r
Subj~ct-Specific
8
Tutors (please specify
what subject)
Departmental Help Programs (Ninjas, Pi-rates, Science
ssociates/SA's, Wizards, etc.) (please specify which program)
3A's, Pirates, and Wizards
I
I
Subject-Specific Tutors (p
specify what subject)
Math, Orgo I and II
:;hem elfs, Jedis, Pi-rates, W izards, bio SAs
3A's and Pi-rates
Nizards
=>i-rates and Science Associates
Biology (my tutor hasn't been
to meet with me ... ..
3As, Chem Clinicians
3io tutors
\linjas, Pirates
\linjas
3As in chem, bio, and physics
3A, Pl-RATES
3A's
3A's
3A's
3A's
3As, Pirates
3tudent Group Mentors (Bio 2)
::conomics TAs
\linja
Economics, Math
·, once a montn last semester
~ans
as a student group leader
count?
·
for class selection
~e~·, Help ~~gr~ms (NmJa.s:Pi~~ates, s·c.~ence ~ssociates/SAi,s, Wiz~~~s, etc:) (ple~se~~~ify wliic
~
":.t!
~·~
•-....:'
i.c.L.1
,\;o,;..,.,
wrncn
kind)
2
88
No
Total
72%
123
Yes (please specify which kind)
I
WA
TA
SAM, Wf\.,
J~dis,
Wizards, chem elfs, bio SAs, pi-rates
Ninja
WA
Bio 2 TA
,,
Chem Clinician
Tutor
subject tutor, Mathematics
Tutor
SA in bio, TA in econ, tutor in bio and econ
WA
orgo clinician/tutor
economics
SAM, Chinese tutor
Physics
WA
WA&WAM
French tutor
SAM, Pi-rate, math tutor
WA
SAM
Ninja
SAM , Chem TA
SAM
WA
WA
15.
9. We would appreciate if you could provide the following information
regarding your background and identity so that we can better understand student
needs. Are you a first generation college student?
26
2 I No
99
Total
Mean
125
1.79
...
Variance
0.17
I Standard Deviation
t
Total Responses
;...
L.
•)
0.41
I
125
79%
16.
10. Are you an international student?
Answer
#
Bar
· Response
%
Yes
(pleas~
1
2
specify
which
co uh try)
13
10%
No
112
90%
Total
125
'
Yes (please specify which country)
1
I
Peru
Palestine
China
Thailand
China
Korea
EU
Turkey
Germany
Many
China
Hong Kong SAR
Malaysia
Statistic
Value
I
!
I
Mean
1.90
Variance
0.09
Standard Deviation
0.31
Total Responses
125
17.
11. Are you a U.S. citizen living abroad?
5
2 I No
120
Total
125
I Mean
Variance
1.96
I
0.04
Standard Deviation
0.20
Total Responses
125
-:.
~
I
.,
I 4%
96%
english
English
Chinese
Spanish and English
Thai
,..
Chinese
Korean
..
...;
English
Russian
English
Turkish
English
English, Spanish
English
German, Vietnamese
English
English
english
English
English
English
Spanish, Portuguese, English
English
Spanish
English
English
English
English
English
English
Vietnamese, Chinese
english
English
Chinese, English
English
Thai
Chinese, E;nglish
Korean
English
-··
English
English
Turkish
~\
English
English
English
English, German, Vietnamese
English and Spanish and Portuguese
English
english
English
English
English
Spanish, Portuguese, English
English
English/Spanish
English , can speak Spanish with a reasonable degree of fluency after spending a
year in Spain my junior year of high school
English
English
English
English
English
Vietnamese, Chinese, English
• Never
a
• Rarely
Sometimes
• Frequently
• Always
120
100
ao
m
4Q
20
0
1
I
I
Reacting in English 1
Writing in English?
I Reading in English?
Speaking in English 1
I
18
I
6
4
2
125
1.40
- 86
I
20
I
10
5
4
125
1.57
99
I
19
I
2
3
1
124
1.29
95
+
2 I Writing in English?
3 1
Speaking in
English?
I
Mean
1.40
1.57
1.29
Variance
0.73
1.04
0.48
Standard Deviation
0.85
1.02
0.70
Total Responses
125
125
124
21 .
~
Comments
-~
•.
'~ ·
JI!:
~
,..~"""
~
·~-.~~e1.um9 in English? ..__.:
; ..
~_:";~
::·...
•
~.(.
,, '
. . .;
~!''
·~·
'if~t
'
·~
.•."
•
1
I
Please elaborate
·
I am dyslexic
Reading for English
speakers.
liter~ture
classes can be difficult, even for native/proficient
i•
dyslexia
Crafting good writing is a struggle for everyone!
There is a difference i n writing English and the Academic Language Swathmore
·
requires for its students.
Writing for English literature classes can be difficult, even for native/proficient
speakers.
i hate writing
dysgraphia
it's not the english, it's the writing that is a problem
· .}...' · ·
~,. ... .
· .. ":w'
·~~
·'
;:
d ...
=r -
~~
g~~al<mg .m Enghstl
~ ~"''"i..
• ·•·.. . "',
,?T'ef.i~
"' '""'
of
· ·
.;• .,.r···~-c.~, '";'~
......
•~•·
..
~
•
'
Please elaborate
-
St f f
a is ic
Total
Responses
-
I
Reading in
English?
3
,
-
Writing in
English?
Speaking in
English?
6
0
-
1
I
22.
15. Are you on financial aid?
1
Yes
2
No
49
Total
122
.;.
I
Standard Deviation
ITotal Responses
:..
•)
0.24
0.49
122
40%
L
2
Private
43
35
3
Charter
3
2~
4
Magnet
14
11
5
Home-school
1
1~
6
Urban
30
24
7
Suburban
60
48
8
Rural
7
6~
9
Small Class Size
42
34
10
Medium Class Size
38
31
11
Large Class Size
34
27
12
Other (please specify)
14
11
Other (please specify)
Parochial
Boarding
Independent-Quaker
I Catholic
Alternative education
High rate of failing students
Performing Arts public high school for half of my high school years
I Boarding
International
IntP.rn ::itinn::i I
24.
17. Please identity your race/ethnicity (check all that apply)
70
60
50
--~-f.
40
-
10
2
Black/African-American
13
11
3
African
2
2<
4
Middle Eastern/Arab
5
4<
19
15
1
1(
5 · Latino/a
6
Native American
7
Multi
20
16
8
Asian/South East Asian
36
29
Other identities (specify)
4
3<
L9
Other identities (specify)
Haitian American
Jewish
Euro
Malaysian
25.
18. Please identify your gender (check all that apply)
2 I Female
86
69%
Other
(please
specify)
1
1%
Total Responses
124
3
·~
••
I
26.
19a. Do you identify as having a disability (emotional, cognitive, physical,
etc)?
1.92
Mean
Variance
c;.
0.07
Standard Deviation
0.27
Total Responses
124
...
.
~
••
27.
19b. If yes, do you feel that you receive appropriate support at Swarthmore?
Please elaborate.
r
Text Response
i have a cognative and emotional disability i feel as though CAPS is helpful but
that i am luck that it is helpful for me and i dont feel as though there is sufficient
support for my learning disability.
No, I've just come to terms with my mental disability so I am searching for the
resources on campus that ~can help me out.
For students without strong preparation in math prior to Swarthmore, majoring in
Math is difficult.
I haven't needed to use the resources because I've been managing my problem
Professors are very understanding.
I have not received appropriate support from the Swarthmore administration. In
fact, I've felt that a large part of the concern they have shown me is discredited by
the lack of follow-through and attention my contact efforts have received .
Yes. Extra time.
n/a
The academic deans have been very supportive of my physical and emotion
disabilities. On the otherhand only three out of my 7 teachers this year have truly
ben empathetic and understanding
I don't really need support, since I have manageable dyslexia.
I would if I had enough time to go to CAPS, Worth, and other centers needed.
yes
Yes. The support has been great both academically and socially.
Total Responses
13
--- - - - - - -J
- - --
- - - - --· - -- -·· -
· -- 1
--
· --
- -- - -
have helped me assess where my
academic weaknesses laid .
terms or mte111gence but are not as
grounded in the other skills required to
succeed at the collegiate level without
incurring massive amounts of stress.
Struggled my first semester at Swat.
Pass/fail semester and academic
resources like study groups helped so
I was prepared by second semester,
but a transition program would've
been nice.
I think I did fine without such a program.
AN INTRODUCTION TO COLLEGE
WRITING WOULD HAVE BEEN
HELPFULL
I'm an exception and not the rule when it
comes to international education. I felt
very prepared for Swarthmore, but I
know not all students have the same
experience
Intensive reading and writing program
I was lucky enough to have an
educational experience in high school
that did a great job preparing me for
Swarthmore academics , extracurricular,
and social life
especially for international students
whose first language is not english
and who didn't go to an international
school before Swarthmore.
I think all I need is better timemanagement skills, but I wouldn't need a
summer program for that.
some buffer period for getting used to
speaking, writing, and reading in
english would have been very useful.
after all, it's all matter of confidence.
really.
I felt i was adequately prepared for
college
Reading materials, and understnading
what is expected from the student in
terms of discussions and elaborating
ideas on papers
But I think it would be for others
Maybe for students without
experience with a college preparatory
program such as the IB.
I went to a private "college-prep" school
where the classes were similar to college
already
Possibly a run down with
grammar/organizational skills
I felt fairly prepared from my high school
experience
I could have taken math courses and
possibly worked out ways to better
communicate my problems with my
teachers
But I could see how it would be useful. I
felt very prepared by my high school, but
I know others had different experiences.
YES. I tutored at Upward Bound
throughout high school. These
programs are our duty as those with
academic privilege!!
I don't think I would have needed it
because I had a strong high school
experience, but I strongly support one on
campus!
I would have felt much more
I was orettv comfortable with mv
~'
40
20
10
0
Length of prog ram
Available sieN'lces (f .••
Othersummercomm...
Other (.p lease specify ...
I
Slightly
Very ;
.
:
· C
.
.
Crucial . Responses
M
1
i
Cruc1a 1 , ruc1a 1 ,
i
1
6.
Length of program
I
9
50
31
26
122
3.!
ii
I
2
Available services
(food , housing , etc.)
8
4
14
54
42
122
3.~
3
Other summer
commitments (e.g.,
family, work, research ,
internship, etc.)
6
5
22
52
37
122
3.f
4
Other (please specify)
17
1
1
3
7
29
2<
How the program was described, what it offered ...
financial cost
I
Financial Aid resources
1
1'
funding , how the program is planned
Content
Cost
Cost
• Money
Reputation of program I feedback from other students who had attended it
I travel costs
cost
Ifinancial
.
I
. t"
' Stat is ic
1
Length
f
0
'
1
'I
A .1 bl
.
va1 a e services
f ood housm
·
et c.
.
(
0 t her summer commitments
e.g.,
'' f am1·1 work researc h ·mt erns h"1 et c.
1
I
1
1
(
Other
P1eas