Bridge project will expire in June without new funding

By Robert Philbrook

The future of a minority outreach program designed to help first generation college students adjust to life at Santa Clara is uncertain with the imminent expiration of its funding.

The Summer Bridge Program, a two-week program open to students of minority background or who are the first in their families to go to college, has operated for three years on a grant from the James Irvine Foundation. However, the grant expires this June, leaving university officials searching for a way to budget the program.

"Ultimately, the university is committed to supporting the needs of these students," said Timothy Haskell, director of first year programs. "The Irvine grant provided the opportunity for us to experiment with new ideas. Now, the university must decide what we're willing to invest in long term."

Bridge offers structured academic, social and community building activities to disadvantaged students. Participants arrived before the start of fall quarter and received one unit of credit and a $200 stipend for their participation. Bridge offers students academic and social activities designed to build community among the students.

The Irvine Foundation awarded the grant five years ago as a way to fund programs that help first generation college students and students of color adjust to college life.

Although no decision has been made, Haskell remains confident that the program will continue in some form next fall.

According to Haskell, the decision for the budgeting will involve several high level administrators: Jeanne Rosenberger, vice provost for student life; Nedra Shunk, dean academic support services for the Drahmann Center; and Jack Ling, director of Center for Multicultural Learning.

Laura Fujieda, a university advisor who works closely with Bridge, echoed Haskell's concerns that careful consideration is needed before a decision should be made. "Lots of time and resources must be committed to having it run well," Fujieda said.

Money isn't the only factor that the university is considering, Haskell said. Research on the effectiveness of similar programs at other universities, such as University of Southern California, University of Pacific and Villanova University, has been requested.

Ling said the Jesuit Community, rather than the university, may end up funding a new version of the program.

"The money was earmarked for Bridge, but was put in general funds. It is complicated that way," said Ling, who also works as an associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences. "But clearly, the Jesuit community wants to support it." Ling expects a decision to be made in December.

Liz Sandoval, the co-president of M.E.Ch.A. El Frente, said the program's value goes beyond statistics and lies in the stories of its participants.

"I learned and gained so much from the students by getting to know them personally," said Sandoval, a senior accounting major who helped with this year's session. "Knowing the obstacles they had to overcome and still need to overcome made me see how valuable the program is. It is remarkable how much these students have gained in only two weeks."

Sandoval said although these students were accepted to Santa Clara based on merit, the challenge of adjusting from life in high school to life at an affluent university can be daunting.

"These students almost have twice the pressure to graduate from college, and after completing the program, the pressure seems to lessen and graduating from Santa Clara becomes attainable," Sandoval said.

Daniel Silverman, director of communications for the Irvine Foundation, said that the central goal of his organization has always been to expand educational opportunities, but recently the goal has moved beyond just helping minority and first generation students get into college.

"We are now very focused on increasing the number of graduates who come from these backgrounds," Silverman said. "We are more concerned about the systemic issues affecting these students and trying to support them."

The university works in a variety of ways to support minority students through programs in the Multicultural Learning Center, which advances multicultural education through the university and promotes a supportive environment for faculty, staff and students of color.

"Bridge is a single component of a large overall commitment to diversity education," Haskell said.

Contact Robert Philbrook at (408) 554-4546 or rphilbrook@scu.edu.