Capitol College has recently announced the launch of its new program “Gateway to Success,” which is designed to help struggling freshman remain on course to finishing their degrees. The program was made possible thanks to a grant awarded by the Maryland Higher Education Commission's Maryland College Access Challenge Grant Program.
This spring semester, potential candidates for the Gateway to Success program will be identified by Capitol College staff members and faculty. These students will be enrolled in a math course and an English course during the summer session and will receive strong academic support throughout the summer term.
The academic progress of each student will be closely monitored by faculty, and a college advisor will meet with each participant weekly. Peer tutors will also be available to students, and they will lead mandatory review sessions and work individually with each student throughout the summer.
“Helping students succeed in their goal of obtaining a college education is important to families and the Capitol community,” said Melinda Bunnell-Rhyne, dean of student life and retention. “The Gateway to Success builds on the investments Capitol has already made in student success. This program will provide an academic boost to students facing some of the most significant challenges to fulfilling their education goals.”
The Gateway to Success program is the latest step in Capitol College’s initiative to ensure that all students succeed at the institution. In 2008, the college created a five-week summer “bridge” session
for incoming freshmen who require extra math and writing attention, as determined by placement testing. Freshmen are also enrolled in a one-credit freshman seminar class that focuses on study skills, time management and other strategies for college success. Students have the opportunity to receive supplemental instruction from peer tutors and the college’s Learning Center is the perfect place for students requiring academic assistance.
The Capitol College community has already seen the benefits of these initiatives. In the past four years (2008-2012), Capitol College has seen its continuation rate for first-time, full-time freshman rise 14%, from where it had been for the previous four years (2004-2008). And with the launch of the new Gateway to Success program, the number of freshman who continue to their sophomore year should only continue to rise.
“I know the faculty and staff of Capitol College would agree that having as many students as possible celebrate commencement is what we are working to achieve,” Bunnell-Rhyne said.
Learn more about Capitol College’s Learning Center and the opportunities available to students.