2012-2013 INDEPENDENT COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK (ICAN) PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
Institution & Program Type
Barton College
Blended College Access & Success Program
Bennett College
Blended College Access & Success Program
Brevard
College Success Program
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
College Success Program
Campbell University
College Success Program
Chowan University
College Success Program
2012-2013 ICAN Program Descriptions, Page 1 of 4
Program Description
Barton College’s program, Believe, Inspire and Achieve, is an integrated approach to provide both access and success
programming targeted to underrepresented populations and is aligned with the campuses’ marketing strategy of Believe, Inspire
and Achieve. The Inspires component includes a campus tour that encourages students to consider postsecondary education by
providing a hands-on experience based learning opportunity in academic and athletic settings. The Believe component targets
currently enrolled students by incorporating meta-cognitive learning workshops in the First Year Seminar to improve persistence,
retention and graduation. Finally, the Achieve component assists students to earn higher grades by providing Supplemental
Instruction in three identified high risk courses, Principles of Biology, Finite Math and Fundamentals of Organic and
Biochemistry.
Strengthening Student Services to Improve Retention is an enhancement to the summer program, which is designed to launch the
academic year for incoming freshmen. Its goal is to ensure that admitted first year students experience a smooth transition to
college. The project provides activities and services that assist newly admitted students as they transition from high school to
college. More specifically, the program has a two-fold objective: 1) to understand the hard work that is required to succeed and 2)
to improve the awareness of academic resources available to students.
The Sophomore Re-commitment program will encourage sophomores to commit to returning to college their second year and
provide workshops on vocation/career exploration, peer mentoring training and service. Students will be assigned a campus life
staff member as their college coaches who will meet with individual students to assist them develop a success plan.
The Student Success Program II builds upon an existing program to assist students move from acceptance into a professional
program to graduation and transition into a career. Faculty, staff and alumni work together to provide a series of collaborative
workshops that includes mentor activities, goal setting, communication, teamwork, critical thinking and time management.
The aim of SLIF 101 is to provide an early intervention for students who are facing academic difficulty. The course will be
offered for students who have earned less that a 2.0 GPA in the first semester of college. The course will assist first-year students
in identifying positive learning strategies, developing academic confidence, and practicing necessary skills to be successful
throughout their college career. The goal for the academic recovery course is to assist students in developing appropriate learning
strategies that can be applied to different types of courses and different teaching styles.
The Bounce Back program targets first-year students on academic warning meaning they have less than a 2.0 GPA. Students
enroll in a 15-week curriculum formatted into weekly sessions of 50 minutes in duration. The program is designed to equip
students with the tools they need to achieve academic success and develop resiliency traits. Up to sixty students (10 students per
section) will participate in the program. Sections will be kept small in order to encourage discussion, facilitate engagement and
develop a personalized supportive learning community. Interaction with campus resources through a series of Food for Thought
luncheon programs will increase student awareness and interaction with campus resources. Higher involvement in campus life is
expected to create a greater sense of connection to the university and an increase in overall GPA and persistence to the next
semester of enrollment.
Institution & Program Type
Davidson College
College Success Program
Duke University
College Success Program
Elon University
College Success Program
Greensboro College
College Success Program
Guilford College
College Success Program
Johnson C. Smith University
College Success Program
2012-2013 ICAN Program Descriptions, Page 2 of 4
Program Description
The Science Pipeline ConNEXTion is a next step beyond two existing student programs designed to engage students in science
early in their undergraduate careers with a long-term goal of increasing the number and diversity of research and medical
scientists. Underrepresented minority first generation students who have participated in the year-long academic peer support
group and the hands-on summer research experience will be given the chance to participate in the Science Pipeline ConNEXTion.
Student participants will connect with minority scientists and physicians in a variety of programmatic services designed to build
relationships, increase the student’s awareness of challenges and successes they may encounter, and develop effective networking
and planning skills. The professionals who participate in the program will become career mentors to the students and will share
their perspectives on various science career paths with student participants.
The 1G Network is a group of undergraduate first-generation college students who meet regularly for mutual support and
knowledge development. The goal of the program is to help students acclimate to the university quickly, gain a social network,
learn positive ways to interact and work with faculty members, and build “social capital” before the rest of the freshman class
arrives to campus. Program enhancements for this year include the development of a parent guide and a one-day pre-orientation
parallel workshop for parents of incoming low-income, first-generation students and integration of career and psychological
programming in the afternoon sessions.
Paving the Pathway: From Major Choice to Post-College Success is comprised of two programs that prepare students from
diverse backgrounds (limited income families, first-generation college students, and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups)
for life after college. The peer mentoring program spring workshop curriculum will focus on major choice and career pathways.
The Life After College program will be a 3-day retreat for first-years, sophomores, and juniors to explore college post-graduation
career plans that may also include graduate/professional school. The mentors and mentees of the peer mentoring program will be
encouraged to participate in the Life After College Retreat as a culmination of the spring workshop curriculum. Also included are
alumni of the University's College Access and Success Program which serves high school students in our county. These alumni
may be enrolled at our University or at colleges or universities elsewhere.
First Year Transitions program will help students address academic, personal and financial challenges and provide opportunities
to better understand how their degree will help them achieve their personal and professional goals. The program will link
underclassmen to successful alumni who have similar background. Student participants will have a shared experience making
them more likely to become an engaged member of a larger community. Students will participate in a weekend retreat and work
on teambuilding, development of social networks and student engagement.
The Student Success and Retention for the 21st Century program will support the implementation of a virtual success center where
students will have access to a web-based portal that will provide comprehensive, round-the-clock services. The virtual services
center will allow the university to expand its current services beyond the traditional college hours of operation, beyond the
physical limitations of its current office space and extend beyond the perimeters of the campus. Academic advising, tutoring,
workshops on study skills and time management, and mentoring will be a part of the menu of services provided.
The goal of the Success Through Academic Research (STAR) program is to introduce conditionally admitted first-year
undergraduate students to academic inquiry through a shared work experience with a faculty member. Faculty will be paired with
students in conducting research. Faculty will lead students through each step of the research process and jointly they will share
their results at a regional conference and peer reviewed journal. Expected outcomes are increased retention of students and
increases in student self-confidence.
Institution & Program Type
Lees-McRae College
College Success Program
Livingstone College
College Success Program
Louisburg College
Blended College Access & Success Program
Meredith College
Blended College Access & Success Program
Methodist University
College Success Program
Montreat College
College Success Program
2012-2013 ICAN Program Descriptions, Page 3 of 4
Program Description
The Career and Life Planning Program is designed to improve retention by targeting first generation or low income second-year
college students. The program is designed to use career and life planning activities to engage students in career education
initiatives that help them understand the value of committing to and completing their college education; to encourage and support
students as they explore disciplines, skills and life options for determining their future path; and to provide students with the
opportunity to actively participate in their career development. Activities will include a graduate fair, study abroad fair,
leadership retreat, career development workshops, a Career Saturday Symposium, a Career & Life Planning Class, a peer
mentoring program and will culminate with a formal dinner and fashion show.
The Bridge Academic Success through Extended (BASE) Day Learning program is a required six-week summer bridge program
designed to assist students in making the personal, academic and social adjustments necessary to successfully transition from high
school to college. The program will offer three new programmatic enhancements to the current transition program; a certified
tutoring program, Supplemental Instruction in College Math, Physical Science, Biology, Elementary Spanish, and English
composition, and implementation of the Learn Well Project.
The program is designed to increase awareness of access to educational opportunities and to engage students in a collaborative
motivated, college community. Awareness of the opportunities for post secondary education will be shared with students at 3
county high schools during the LEA early release days. Louisburg College will host information sessions and campus tours in an
effort to increase awareness, raise expectations and encourage student to aspire to excellence. Efforts to foster increased student
success will include a young alumni mentoring program, inclusion of students in the Academic Colloquium which brings
professional authors and speakers to Louisburg in order to enhance and improve the curriculum, and a series of special events
focused on improving the culture of success.
The Outreach through Music, Diversity and Access program has both access and success components. Research shows that
participation in music and the arts can be motivators for students to persist to college. Faculty and college students will visit high
schools to encourage and motivate students to pursue college. The Partnerships Achieving Student Success (PASS) program is a
college success initiative targeting first generation, high-financial need and underrepresented student populations. This program
will include a variety of skills building workshops and social activities to help students build connections, take advantage of
campus resources, and interact with their peers. The College Planning Family Toolkit will be utilized as a means to engage
family members in the college decision process but also to encourage students to persist to college.
This Summer Academy IV program allows 20 incoming freshmen, identified as "at-risk", to receive conditional admittance to the
university and to attend a summer session that focuses on helping them build the academic and social skills needed to make a
successful transition from high school to college. A key component of the Academy is the integration of a leadership
development program designed for at-risk students.
The Peer Assistance/Mentoring Program is a component of a Student Success program that provides students enrolled in firstyear courses with supplemental instruction. Peer mentors assist instructors with the presentation of materials, class review
sessions, individual and group tutoring, as well as providing peer advising on issues pertinent to academic and student success.
Program enhancements include the creation of a centralized location for tutoring services, workshops for peer leaders and faculty
to plan and prepare in a structured environment, scheduled social interactions with peers leaders and faculty and inclusion of the
peer leaders and faculty in the summer advising day sessions.
Institution & Program Type
North Carolina Wesleyan College
College Success Program
Pfeiffer University
Blended College Access & Success Program
Queens University of Charlotte
College Success Program
St. Andrews University
College Success Program
Saint Augustine's College
College Success Program
Salem College
Blended College Access & Success Program
Shaw University
College Success Program
Wake Forest University
College Success Program
William Peace University
College Success Program
2012-2013 ICAN Program Descriptions, Page 4 of 4
Program Description
The Project Success program provides freshman students who have less than a 2.0 GPA the opportunity to participate in a 9
week group-oriented academic success program during the spring of 2013. Modeled and based on Skip Downing’s “On Course”
curriculum, participants will attend academic enrichment workshops that focus of financial literacy, avoiding the sophomore
slump, and faculty led academic advising sessions. Leadership and college readiness training is offered in the summer.
The College Readiness Academy is a partnership with the Stanly, Cabarrus and Rowan county schools to identify and provide
services to 40 rising high school seniors who have significant obstacles in pursuing post secondary education. During the week
of July 15-19, 2013, student participants will engage in a week long, residential “College Readiness Academy” conducted on the
Pfeiffer University Misenheimer campus. The participants will engage in an intensive, rigorous program in which they will
acquire and enhance the skills necessary to succeed in college. Life skills, study skills, time management, and note-taking
strategies will be presented by faculty. Students also receive information on the college application process & financial aid.
The LEAD Peer Mentor Program is an effort to increase the persistence rate of students moving from the freshman to sophomore
year. Program components include mentoring, academic success workshops, personal development workshops, trainings for
mentoring, leadership and team building, and tutoring. Both social and cultural activities are also included.
Engaged Instruction and Vocational Discernment is a program focused on targeting courses that have a high percentage rate of
student final grades of “D”, “F” or “W”. The classes will be infused with the concept and idea of vocational counseling
throughout the Engage Instruction Program to help students make meaning of their education and thereby increase their
performance in the classroom. The courses selected for spring 2013 are WRT 101 and CHE 215.
The Summer Bridge Success Program provides recent high school graduates with the opportunity to participate in a six-week
residential program to further their education and position to gain entry to a college or university of their choice. This program
includes sessions on academic preparation, time management, study and test taking skills in addition to other programs designed
to help at-risk students develop the personal and social skills to succeed in college.
Leadership Connection is a program in which college students from underrepresented backgrounds are trained to facilitate
information sessions for high school students and to mentor subsequent first-generation students. This is a single-sex institution,
thus the target audience is young women from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The program also includes a
one-day girls’ conference in which students are able to network and gain additional skills to aid in persistence.
Shaw University's Freshmen Summer Bridge Program assists first generation, minority, and/or low-income students in the
development of the skills, outlook, and acquisition of knowledge necessary for successfully transitioning from high school to
college. The program provides classroom instruction, support services, and social activities, in addition to experiential learning
opportunities.
The Summer Bridge Program is a transition program targeted to low income, minority, and/or first generation students, with a
specific focus in college level writing. During the summer, students are enrolled in specially designed courses and participate in
other activities designed to help them build relationships with their peers as well as institutional decision makers.
The Student Success Retreat for Academically At-Risk Students program is a 3-day retreat designed to provide support and
academic guidance to a diverse group of at risk students representing various minority groups on campus.