Special Programs: TRANSITION PROGRAM

NOTE: This document was generated from the 1995-1997 UIUC Programs of Study. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but be advised that requirements may have changed since this book was published. Errors may have also been introduced in the conversion to a WWW document. Thus for items of importance, it might be wise to seek confirmation from either the paper version or a live human being.

Established in 1986, the Transition Program is a campus-sponsored academic support program designed to provide assistance to a group of 100 students admitted each year who have academic weaknesses that could place them "at risk" if they were permitted to enter the University without such assistance. The goal of the program is to provide students with a "home base" where they feel comfortable about asking questions, expressing their concerns, and receiving the support, advice, and encouragement they need to be academically successful at, and to graduate from, the University of Illinois. Students are consistently encouraged to succeed; more important, they are shown how to succeed in the college classroom.

These bright and talented students are admitted to the University through the Educational Opportunities Program and placed in the Transition Program, housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, where they will receive developmental academic support for two years. After a student has successfully completed four semesters in the Transition Program, an admission space is reserved in the college and/or curriculum of his or her choice, if the student is in good academic standing (C average or better) and has completed the required core courses for admission to that college and/or curriculum.

The Transition Program is divided into two major components--the Summer Bridge component and an academic year component. Both components provide the student with

1. Intensive academic and career counseling.

2. Extensive academic and personal support services plus opportunities to enroll in support-based sections of existing courses.

3. Comprehensive developmental skills as well as enhancement and enrichment activities.

Only those students who officially apply to the University in the standard manner prescribed by the Office of Admissions and Records and who meet established campus and program deadlines for application will be considered for admission and placement in the Transition Program. The final decision on which students will be admitted and placed in the Transition Program is the joint responsibility of the director of the Office of Admissions and Records and the director of the Transition Program, acting on behalf of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

General Criteria for Placement in the Transition Program

An applicant with a score of 17 or lower on the ACT English subtest area (320 on the SAT Verbal subtest area) or a score of 17 or lower on the ACT mathematics subtest area (350 on the SAT Math subtest area) is eligible for admission consideration through participation in the Educational Opportunities Program and placement in the Transition Program. In some cases, an interview with a Transition Program staff member may be required before an admission decision can be reached.

Bridge Admission

An applicant with a score of 15 or lower on the ACT English subtest area or a score of 16 or lower on the ACT mathematics subtest area is eligible for admission consideration only through participation in the Educational Opportunities Program and placement in the Summer Bridge component of the Transition Program, unless there is strong evidence that participation in Summer Bridge is not necesssary for the applicant's success. (Other applicants may be invited or required to participate in the Transition Program or the Summer Bridge component if, in the judgment of the director of the Office of Admissions and Records and the director of the Transition Program, such participation is necessary for the applicants' success at the University.)

A student who meets Summer Bridge criteria will be required to complete diagnostic tests designed for the Transition Program, followed by a personal interview with a program staff member before an admission decision can be reached.

Eligibility of Summer Bridge participants to continue enrollment in the fall semester is contingent upon acceptable academic performance in the summer program and recommendation by the director of the Transition Program.

The Summer Bridge Component

Each summer, 50 of the 100 students selected for placement in the Transition Program are required to participate in a six-week residential summer sessionon the UIUC campus sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The session engages these students in intensive course work in mathematics, composition, and basic skills development. In addition, Summer Bridge participants are provided with a variety of cultural enrichment activities and orientation to University resources, support services, and campus living.

The Summer Bridge experience is provided at no cost to the students. Each participant receives institutional financial assistance to cover the cost of tuition, room, board, and books. In addition, with the exception of students who will participate in intercollegiage athletics and who are not eligible for such added financial assistance under current National Collegiate Athletic Association regulations, each participant receives a stipend of a modest weekly allowance and a lump-sum payment at the end of the summer session.

Each Summer Bridge participant must successfully complete all course work with a grade of C or better before gaining admission for the fall semester. The Bridge experience offers students an invaluable opportunity to get a head start on their undergraduate education and to make important adjustments to the multiple demands of college life, including learning the difference between getting by and getting ahead. At the end of Summer Bridge, each student fully understands the relationship between hard work and success in the college classroom: the summer experience makes a significant difference!

The Academic Year Component

Each fall, the successful Summer Bridge participants join the 50 other newly admitted Transition Program students. Each of the 200 Transition Program students (including 100 returning sophomores) is assigned to an adviser who is a graduate or professional student at the University. Each graduate adviser is responsible for providing academic, career, and personal counseling to a group of twenty students; each student is required to meet with his or her graduate adviser at least once a week. The graduate advisers, along with the director and associate director of the program, carefully monitor the academic progress of the students daily to ensure their success.

In cooperation with various departments and colleges on campus, the Transition Program sponsors special sections of existing courses that are tailored to meet the students' individual needs. These courses are small and allow for extensive teacher-student interaction; in addition, the instructors for these courses meet regularly with the program staff and submit weekly reports on the progress of the students. At no cost to the students, additional academic support is provided by the Office Minority Student Affairs).

Additional Information

Additional information about the Transition Program may be obtained by contacting the office of the director of the Transition Program, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 270 Lincoln Hall, 702 South Wright Street, Urbana, IL 61801, (217) 244-1588.

Next in section: EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM

Go to Special Programs
Go to Programs of Study Table of Contents
Go to University of Illinois Home Page