Salt Lake Community College’s (SLCC) Bridge to Success program received the Most Innovate Program Award at Utah’s National Association for Student Affairs Professionals (NASPA) conference last month. The program was initially funded by a an ImPACT subgrant in 2014 (now known as the StepUp READY grant), which is funded by the Utah System of Higher Education. The program has since grown and is part of the First-Year Experience program SLCC offers to new students–with preference given to first-generation college students and underrepresented students.
The program is a six-week non-credit hybrid course where students learn about:
- Academic and institutional tools for college success
- Finances
- How to succeed in the classroom
- Tips and tricks for math success
- Understanding placement tests
- Developing a college completion and career exploration plan
- Writing a personal statement
Incentives to participate in the program include tuition waivers, priority class registration, on-campus jobs, and ongoing support through a students’ first year at SLCC.
Last academic year, the program expanded to include a math component, namely an in-depth math review taught by faculty. Outcomes already show improved math readiness among program participants. 71% of students improved their math scores enough to skip one level of math remediation, saving them time and money. Retention rates among program participants were also higher than the college’s average, as much as 13% higher.
Student program participant comments:
“This program has helped me stay positive and on track as I’m closely approaching the first day of school and I couldn’t be more eager to start.”
“The fact that I feel confident in going to college is enough to say that the Bridge to Success program has helped make me successful in college.”
