Strategy/Project Name:
Summer Success Academy
Momentum Area:
Pathways
Strategy/Project Description:
The Summer Success Academy (SSA) is a structured summer bridge program designed to support incoming first-year students who are required to enroll in co-requisite English or Mathematics courses due to not fully meeting college admissions benchmarks. The program provides an early, supportive transition into the academic, social, and personal expectations of university life while equipping students with the skills and confidence necessary for long-term success.
Program Design and Structure:
The SSA is offered as an intensive 6- to 8-week residential experience prior to the fall semester. Participating students enroll in a linked co-requisite course pair—a college-level English or Mathematics lecture paired with a support course. Instruction is enhanced through embedded peer tutoring and academic success workshops that reinforce course content, study strategies, and self-regulated learning behaviors.
Summary of Activities:
Project Description:
The Summer Success Academy (SSA) is a structured summer bridge program designed to support incoming first-year students who are required to enroll in co-requisite English or Mathematics courses due to not fully meeting college admissions benchmarks. The program provides an early, supportive transition into the academic, social, and personal expectations of university life while equipping students with the skills and confidence necessary for long-term success.
Program Design and Structure:
The SSA is offered as an intensive 6- to 8-week residential experience prior to the fall semester. Participating students enroll in a linked co-requisite course pair—a college-level English or Mathematics lecture paired with a support course. Instruction is enhanced through embedded peer tutoring and academic success workshops that reinforce course content, study strategies, and self-regulated learning behaviors.
Key Program Elements:
• Co-Requisite Course Enrollment: Students take both the college-level and support course in English or Mathematics, with instructional coordination between faculty to ensure integrated learning.
• Peer Mentoring and Tutoring: Trained peer mentors serve as academic role models and support staff, offering one-on-one and group tutoring sessions within the courses and residence hall.
• Residential Learning Community: Students live together in designated housing to foster a supportive learning environment. Peer mentors and tutors reside on-site to provide ongoing academic and social support.
• Academic and Skill-Building Workshops: Weekly workshops focus on topics such as time management, goal setting, study skills, growth mindset, financial literacy, and campus resource awareness.
• Faculty and Staff Engagement: Instructors, advisors, and program staff collaborate to provide wraparound support, progress monitoring, and early intervention when challenges arise.
• Community-Building and Engagement: The program includes structured social, cultural, and service-learning activities that help students build a sense of belonging and connection to the university community.
Outcomes and Goals:
The primary goal of the Summer Success Academy is to increase first-year retention and academic success among underprepared students by:
• Strengthening foundational academic skills in English and Math.
• Promoting persistence through enhanced engagement and belonging.
• Building confidence and self-efficacy through mentoring and peer support.
• Establishing early academic habits and connections with campus resources
Activity Status:
Evaluation/Assessment plan:
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Progress and Adjustments:
Over the past two summers, the Summer Success Academy has served two cohorts (Summer 2024 and Summer 2025). While both cohorts experienced lower than anticipated enrollment, the students who did participate demonstrated strong academic outcomes. All participants successfully completed their summer courses, earned high GPAs, and were retained into the following academic year. Despite efforts to make the program accessible—including offering it at little to no cost—engaging recently graduated high school seniors during the summer months has remained a significant challenge.
To strengthen the program’s impact and sustainability, we recommend restructuring the Summer Success Academy into two cohorts:
1. Conditional Admission Cohort: Students who are required to enroll in co-requisite English and/or Math courses would be admitted conditionally and required to participate in and successfully complete the Summer Success Academy as a condition of full admission for the fall semester.
2. Enrichment Cohort: Students seeking to get ahead—such as those entering the Honors Program or high-achieving first-year students—would be invited to participate voluntarily to earn early credits and engage in academic enrichment.
This dual-cohort structure would provide a more balanced and inclusive learning community. By bringing together both conditionally admitted and high-achieving students, the program can foster peer-to-peer motivation, collaboration, and positive academic modeling. It also helps ensure that students who need additional support are not stigmatized or made to feel that participation is punitive, but rather that they are part of a broader initiative designed to promote early success and connection to the university
Plan for the Year Ahead:
To implement these proposed adjustments and improve program outcomes, the following next steps are recommended:
1. Refine Admissions and Placement Process:
Collaborate with the Admissions and Academic Affairs offices to establish clear criteria for conditional admission and automatic placement into the Summer Success Academy for students requiring co-requisite coursework.
2. Recruitment and Communication Plan:
Develop early outreach and targeted communication strategies for both cohorts—highlighting the benefits of the program for conditional students and emphasizing the enrichment and acceleration opportunities for high-achieving students.
3. Program Design and Scheduling:
Finalize the 6–8 week schedule, ensuring alignment between academic courses, workshops, and peer mentoring. Identify faculty and peer mentors early to allow for training and course coordination.
4. Assessment and Continuous Improvement:
Implement consistent data collection on enrollment, completion, GPA, and retention. Use pre- and post-program surveys to measure growth in academic confidence, belonging, and satisfaction to inform future improvements.
5. Resource and Funding Alignment:
Review staffing, housing, and budgetary needs to support the expanded cohort model, including potential stipends for peer mentors and scholarships for enrichment participants
Challenges and Support:
While the proposed adjustments strengthen the structure and intent of the Summer Success Academy, several potential challenges may impact implementation and outcomes:
1. Financial Barriers for Students:
Even with reduced or subsidized costs, some students may face financial challenges related to housing, meals, or required course materials during the summer term. These barriers could limit participation among students who would benefit most from the program. Exploring financial aid options, scholarships, or institutional funding support will be critical to ensure equitable access.
2. Student Engagement and Motivation:
Maintaining consistent engagement among recently graduated high school students during the summer months can be difficult, particularly for those not yet fully connected to campus life. Early relationship-building, peer mentor outreach, and integrating engaging social and academic activities may help sustain motivation and commitment.
3. Transcript and Placement Timing:
Delays in receiving final high school transcripts can complicate accurate placement into English and Math courses. Additionally, test-optional admissions policies may result in students being placed into or exempted from co-requisite courses later than expected. Close coordination with Admissions and the Registrar’s Office will be necessary to ensure timely transcript review and placement decisions.
4. Late Cohort Formation and EnrollmentFinalizing the student cohorts too late in the admissions cycle may hinder recruitment, housing assignments, and course scheduling. To avoid this, the program should establish clear internal deadlines for identifying eligible students, confirming participation, and finalizing rosters well in advance of the summer start date.
To ensure the continued success and sustainability of the Summer Success Academy, collaboration and support beyond the university will be essential. Several areas of external partnership and assistance would significantly strengthen the program’s reach, quality, and financial stability.
1. System-Level Support and Alignment:
Guidance and coordination from the University System Office would be beneficial in sharing best practices, data benchmarks, and models from other USG institutions that have implemented successful co-requisite summer bridge programs. System-level collaboration could also help establish consistent standards for conditional admission pathways, assessment measures, and reporting expectations.
2. Funding and Resource Support:
Continued or renewed funding support from the System Office or external grants will be critical to offset student costs for tuition, housing, meals, and instructional materials. In previous iterations of the program, partnerships with two external organizations helped make participation low to no cost for students. Reestablishing or expanding these partnerships—or securing new ones through state or system-level initiatives—would greatly enhance access and affordability.
3. Institutional Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing:
Engaging with peer institutions across the USG that have successfully scaled or sustained co-requisite summer bridge models would provide valuable insights into effective recruitment, curriculum design, and support structures. Formal or informal communities of practice among institutions could promote ongoing collaboration, allowing campuses to share tools, training materials, and data-driven strategies.
4. Research and Evaluation Support:
Access to system-level data and evaluation expertise could strengthen the program’s ability to measure outcomes related to retention, GPA, and long-term persistence. Collaborative assessment frameworks would also allow the university to demonstrate alignment with broader USG student success goals.
Contact email:
Primary Contact:
Danita Townsend
