Reconceptualizing the Possible: “Warming Up” the Aspirations of Community College Students

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes the structure and outcomes of a unique summer bridge program, Exploring Transfer (ET). Community college students who participate in ET spend six weeks living on the campus of a liberal arts college and enroll in two rigorous courses, similar to those offered during the academic year. To assess the impact of this program, the author conducted six focus group discussions with ET graduates. Data from those discussions indicate that taking part in intensive residential immersion programs may have a more profound effect on participants than is often recognized in research that focuses on academic achievement. For FGD participants, the intensity of the ET experience impelled a process of identity reconstruction that led them to expand their views of what they were capable of accomplishing. This article explores the specific features of ET that served to “warm up” students’ academic aspirations and professional goals.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. It is important to note that some community colleges do offer baccalaureate programs in addition to associate’s degrees and/or certificates. Transferring to a four-year institution is not the only pathway to a BA.

2. The data analyzed by Croft indicate that 14% of students who enter community colleges eventually earn BA degrees. This contrasts sharply with the figure of 70% for ET graduates.

3. The percentage of international students who took part was slightly higher than is true of the entire population of program graduates.

4. For example, the sub-codes that emerged under the “social strengths” primary included the following: sense of community, dorm life, individual connections, diversity of participants, exposure to new things/ideas.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the ECMC Foundation [G-2205-15013].