New program fast track to UA

The new University of Alabama/Shelton State Bridge program allows first year Shelton State Community College students to transfer to the University after one year at the two-year community college.

After completing 24 hours of Shelton State core classes, two UA classes and maintaining a 2.5 G.P.A., the 21 students involved in the pilot program this year will transfer to the University as sophomores in the fall of 2008.

"It was a mutual thing between the University wanting the program and Shelton wanting it," said Camille Cochrane, dean of instructional services at Shelton State.

She said Shelton State students do well when they transfer to the University.

"This was a way to get the students somewhat enrolled in the University and give them a solid 24 hours of academic course work that would transfer into the University and prepare them to be successful at the University," she said.

The students will have access to several UA resources including an ACTion card, the libraries, a meal plan, a parking permit, health services, the center for teaching and learning and the Crimson Ride. The students can also join the Student Recreation Center for a small additional fee.

"When you transfer from a community college to a four-year institution there's always a semester of transition," Cochrane said. "Because these students will be immersed in so many University activities and will have a University adviser, we are counting on that semester of transition not to be an issue at all."

Cali Davis, coordinator of the Bridge program , said she is working with UA Human Resources to hire a UA professor to teach the two UA courses at Shelton and advise the Shelton Bridge students.

During the fall semester the students will take the UA course, NEW 222, a freshman seminar study skills course, Davis said, but the second course has not yet been decided.

Students in the program pay Shelton State tuition plus the cost of the two University courses, she said.

There are no special requirements for students to join the program, she said.

"This is just a group of students that were right on the edge of meeting the University admissions requirements," Davis said. "Once we have a group of applications, we identify a group to be invited to apply to the Shelton Bridge program."

The invited students are then asked to submit a resume to be considered for the program.

This year, 400 students were invited to the program, she said, and 27 students sent in a rŽsumŽ. All of the 27 students were accepted into the program, but only 21 students showed up for orientation, she said.

Davis said next year up to 100 students will be accepted into the program.

All of the participants this year are traditional college-aged freshmen, she said.

"If they don't meet the requirements [to transfer], then the program is not conducive to being repeated," she said. "If it goes another year, they will transfer as a traditional transfer student and not as a Shelton Bridge student."

She said the program was a natural partnership between Shelton State and the University.

"Shelton State is our No. 1 supplier of transfer students," she said.

She said the program's benefits to the University are not as great as the benefits to the students.

"It will really benefit students who were right on the edge of meeting the UA admission requirements by allowing them to come on campus and use the resources we have available here," Davis said.

Rachel Hill, a participant in the Shelton Bridge program who is majoring in interior design, said the title of the program is exactly what it is: a bridge to the University.

"I think this program will benefit me because it will allow me to get the basics out of the way at Shelton and then be able to go to Alabama and pursue my passion," she said.

She met the other students in the program at orientation, she said.

"We all seem to get along because we're not only the first inaugural class of the Bridge program, but we all have that drive to get into Alabama," she said.

The University and Shelton are both pleased with the program turnout, Davis said, and the indications are that the program will continue next year.

"We've had a lot of questions about students wanting to be a part of the Bridge program, so that is certainly encouraging," she said. "We're anxious to see how many of those [UA] resources they use, and eventually, do they end up enrolling in the University a year from now?"