Chris Lakes, the director of the Office of Student Success and Transition at Berea College attributes his school’s summer program to giving students confidence on campus by giving them a “micro environment” college experience. “I have students who come to my office, I think solely because they met me in Bridge. When something goes wrong, they know ‘I have people I can ask,’” he said. Berea has found that the program works best in smaller groups of about 60 students, as they complete a quantitative-oriented course and a humanities-oriented course. Read “How Summer Programs Aid Persistence and Retention”to learn more about how better preparing students during the slower summer months on campus may help them excel throughout their college and university experience.
