BY TRACY GOTTLIEB, PH.D. VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT SERVICES SETON HALL UNIVERSITY SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. OCTOBER 2013 Using a Summer Bridge Program as An Effective Retention Strategy

Seton Hall University Catholic Diocesan 5,000 undergrads 10,000 overall Robust grad programs Near NYC Suburban campus 70% state students National in stature 6 undergrad colleges Law school 1,300+ freshmen College of Nursing Big East 85% retention 65% six-year grad Pirates

What one summer program has meant (in the words of one of our success stories!)  An from a student:  “Hello Professor Cunningham. I am always so excited to see you in the halls! I want to just run out and hug you but I know you would want me to stay in class and learn. :) Thanks for checking on me... Professor Cunningham you really don’t know how much this experience means to me! It has truly been a goal for me for a while now and just knowing that I had a second chance this summer is a true blessing from god. No matter how hard the times may get I will remind myself that I’m living out my dream and I’m so lucky to be here. So to answer your question: I’m doing great!”

Summer Bridge Programs Educational Opportunity Program Seton Summer Scholars Pathways to Nursing Pre-Med/Pre-Dent Program

Educational Opportunity Program Funded by the State of New Jersey Founded in 1968 Restricted to New Jersey residents For educationally and economically disadvantaged students A six-week summer program Residential With educational, cultural and social components Limited to 55 incoming freshmen

Traditional EOP outcomes Retention freshman to sophomore year (for Class of 2015) was 92% (in comparison to 85% retention rate of FTFT Freshman class)

Our summer bridge program Seton Summer Scholars: For students who are weaker academically, but with strong potential and a desire to succeed Started in 2006 Students were required to attend the summer program and thrive academically in order to matriculate with the incoming freshman class in the Fall semester.

Seton Summer Scholars Built on the success of the EOP Initially, attendance at Summer Bridge was a requirement for enrollment; that ended in 2012 Not restricted to NJ residents Not restricted to economically disadvantaged students $5000 summer fee; not eligible for Financial Aid Seven credits

Seton Summer Scholars From students attend a five-week summer program An academic boot camp Earn 7 credits Social and community building activities Help and support extends into the academic year Retained at about 82% So successful that we wanted to reach out to other groups

Summer Curriculum Developmental Writing or Developmental Math (3 credits, but remedial) Intro to Sociology, Intro to Theatre, or Peoples and Cultures of America (3 credits) Study Strategies (1 credit) Students complete the program with seven earned credits under their belts.

Follow-Up in the First Year Study Halls continue in the Fall semester – two hours a week Students remain with their English teachers from the summer program Students’ Study Skill professor continues as academic adviser and University Life professor Peer Advisors continue their involvement through monitoring study halls and tutoring Director of program maintains contact with students’ professors throughout Fall semester to monitor progress.

Beyond the traditional summer program… Crafted a program to focus on pre-Business students Business said, “No, thank you” But Nursing was intrigued Enter the Pathways to Nursing Program Created in 2012 and offered to all students who were accepted as “Pre-Nursing”

Pathways to Nursing Established in 2012 Built on the success of the Seton Summer Scholars program Open to students who were accepted as pre-nursing students $6000 fee; not eligible for financial aid Seven credits, including Anatomy and Physiology Students who successfully completed program were accepted directly into the College of Nursing

College of Nursing Students who meet the college requirements are accepted directly. One unit of Biology One unit of Chemistry General university requirements for admission Students who meet the general university requirements but not the College’s requirements: Pre-Nursing (PRNU)

Pre-Nursing Students must declare nursing after the spring semester of their freshman year They must successfully take A&P in their first semester They must achieve a 3.0 gpa They must earn a minimum of a C in all Biology and Chemistry courses*. *Requirement now changed to C+ minimum grade.

Pathways to Nursing students attended Five-week, extremely intensive program Cornerstone of the program: Supplemental Instruction Three Courses:  Anatomy and Physiology I  Group Dynamics  College Study Skill 18 of 20 Students were accepted into Nursing

Structured schedule:  Anatomy and Physiology I  Group Dynamics  College Study Skills Support staff:  Director  Instructor for College Study Skills  Two Peer Advisers (including a nursing student)

Outcomes for the university: A win-win for students and university Modest revenue stream for summer Teaching opportunities for faculty Opportunity for fragile students to start their college career early Confidence builder Opportunity to provide early intervention for students who could be at risk before troubles begin

Retention outcomes Pathways: A&P II: 3 students need to repeat (grades below a C+). Persistence: all students still enrolled at the university. 100% retention to sophomore year (in comparison to an overall 87% retention in College of Nursing the previous year) Overall GPA: 2.99 Highest GPA: lowest: 2.565

Pre-Med/Pre-Dent Program  A boutique program  Typically higher than general population: 100%  Graduation rate of most recent class: 100% Educational Opportunity Program  Typically higher than the general population: 92%  Graduation Rate: Seton Summer Scholars  Typically 82% retention rate (outperforms a similar cohort of students whose retention has been 75-78%)  Graduation rate: lower than rest of undergraduate population

The Program’s Challenge Students transfer to less expensive universities. While we retain students freshman to sophomore year, we lose students as they transition to junior year because they have established a solid college transcript and are able to now transfer and receive aid from another university.

What we celebrate:  Among these students there is less of a stigma attached to asking for tutoring help  First cohort expresses concern and demonstrates leadership behavior around second cohort  All students feel connected to their classmates and the university as a whole  The confidence levels among these students are clearly higher than in July  Students do not frown upon required study hall attendance  Students who cannot attend study hall attend mandatory weekly meetings.

Going Forward/ Lessons Learned Model works: Other possibilities still include Pre- Business and Pre-Science majors. Supplemental Instruction: increased our offerings in this area and have started training SI instructors.