BY TRACY GOTTLIEB, PH.D.VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT SERVICES

SETON HALL UNIVERSITYSOUTH 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 email 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 JerseyFounded in 1968Restricted to New Jersey residentsFor educationally and economically

disadvantaged studentsA six-week summer programResidentialWith educational, cultural and social

componentsLimited 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 2006Students 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 EOPInitially, attendance at Summer Bridge was a

requirement for enrollment; that ended in 2012

Not restricted to NJ residentsNot restricted to economically disadvantaged

students$5000 summer fee; not eligible for Financial

AidSeven credits

Seton Summer Scholars

From 20-70 students attend a five-week summer program

An academic boot campEarn 7 creditsSocial and community building activitiesHelp and support extends into the academic

yearRetained 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 intriguedEnter the Pathways to Nursing ProgramCreated in 2012 and offered to all students

who were accepted as “Pre-Nursing”

Pathways to Nursing

Established in 2012Built on the success of the Seton Summer

Scholars programOpen to students who were accepted as pre-

nursing students$6000 fee; not eligible for financial aidSeven credits, including Anatomy and

PhysiologyStudents 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 BiologyOne unit of ChemistryGeneral 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 2012

20 students attendedFive-week, extremely intensive programCornerstone of the program: Supplemental InstructionThree 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 universityModest revenue stream for summerTeaching opportunities for facultyOpportunity for fragile students to start their

college career earlyConfidence builderOpportunity 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: 2.99Highest GPA: 3.749 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.