COSAM News Articles 2015 June Utilizing Summer Bridge Programs session presented at NCORE

Utilizing Summer Bridge Programs session presented at NCORE

Published: 06/01/2015

The session Utilizing Summer Bridge Programs: Enhancing College Readiness in Science and Engineering and Improving Student Retention was selected for presentation at the 28th Annual National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE 2015), held May 26 through May 30, 2015 in Washington, DC. The presenters were Dr. Bianca Evans (Auburn University) and Dr. Andre Brown (Arizona State University). The National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE) is a dynamic annual conference within the space of five days a community, “a place of inclusion, and a place for building skills, alliances, and knowledge about issues of race and ethnicity in higher education.”

This session examined two innovative summer initiatives aimed to equip entering underrepresented students with the academic, social and financial awareness required to advance and excel in the rigorous fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and/or pre-professional courses of study. Information was presented on two recruitment and retention programs in the College of Sciences and Mathematics and the Samuel L. Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University. Topics covered in this presentation included the implementation, evaluation, and challenges faced in administering these programs. The session was particularly beneficial to participants who are interested in improving college readiness for underrepresented students in STEM, practitioners who provide direct services in summer programs, and those who are concerned with retention issues related to underrepresented students in STEM fields at a Predominately White Institution (PWI).

For additional information on the COSAM Summer Bridge Program, contact Dr. Bianca Evans at bianca.evans@auburn.edu or visit www.auburn.edu/cosam/diversity/summerbridge.