Virtual Summer Program Helps First-year and Transfer Students Prepare for UML
Image by Martha Moreno
Incoming freshman Martha Moreno, who is taking part in the Launch! Summer Program to prepare for her transition to college, developed a passion for graphic design work as a high school student in Washington, D.C.
06/19/2020
By Ed Brennen
Moreno will have her bearings once classes start, however, thanks to the university鈥檚听Launch! Summer Program, a newly expanded way for first-year and transfer students to gear up for college life at UML, meet students and faculty, and even get a jump on their courses.
鈥淚t鈥檚 comforting to know I鈥檓 not going to be frantic when I get to campus,鈥� says Moreno, who received a merit scholarship through the university鈥檚听DC-CAP Scholars Program听and plans to study听graphic design. 鈥淗aving this experience beforehand will help guide me.鈥�
Now in its second year, Launch! is being held virtually this summer because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program provides new UML students with three different ways 鈥� all free of charge or with discounted tuition 鈥� to prepare for their River Hawk experience. Registration is still open for the six-week program, which starts July 6.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great opportunity for students to get excited about becoming River Hawks,鈥� says Director of College-Based Professional Advising听Justin Gerstenfield, one of the program coordinators. 鈥淪tudents get a chance to build community with their incoming class and feel connected to the university, even though we鈥檙e doing it in a virtual environment.鈥澨�
The program includes a free, general introduction to university resources and study skills; a free, college-based one-credit option with study skills workshops and college-specific seminars; and a third option that combines the free, college-based seminars with up to six credits' worth of discounted courses.
鈥淪tudents get a chance to build community with their incoming class and feel connected to the university, even though we鈥檙e doing it in a virtual environment.鈥� -CBA Director Justin Gerstenfield
The program鈥檚 free听Summer Success Series听offers students a variety of 90-minute workshops held every Wednesday afternoon that they can register for 脿 la carte. Led by the Centers for Learning, Advising and Student Success (CLASS), workshop topics include tutoring, self-care and goal-setting. There are also workshops tailored specifically to transfer and commuter students. The series concludes with a popular CLASS-themed game of 鈥淔amily Feud鈥� in early September.
For first-year students looking to get a head start on their coursework, Launch! offers听First-Year College-Specific Programs听in each of UML鈥檚 six colleges. Students can register for one or two courses 鈥� at a discounted tuition rate 鈥� that are held exclusively for first-year students on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Each college has selected a variety of courses to get students started on their degree pathways, such as College Writing I, Calculus I and Business 101. One timely course that鈥檚 offered to students in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (FAHSS), the听Kennedy College of Sciences听and the听Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences听is 鈥淧andemics: How Do They Occur?鈥� with听Jennifer Nicoloro, a clinical assistant professor of biomedical and nutritional sciences.
Sue Kim, associate dean of undergraduate studies for FAHSS, worked with her fellow associate deans across campus along with Academic Services, the Office of Admissions, and Graduate, Online and Professional Studies (), to put together the course offerings.
鈥淪tudents are likely to be doing part of their coursework virtually this fall, so this will help prepare them to succeed in a virtual college-level environment,鈥� says Kim. She adds that students who lost out on summer jobs or internships because of the pandemic may have more time to take advantage of virtual learning over the summer.
Students enrolled in the college-based coursework option will also take part in seminars designed specifically for their college on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. For FAHSS students, the seminars will feature a wide array of faculty research (including a session on 鈥淏iosecurity and False Information in the Age of Coronavirus鈥�). In the听Manning School of Business, students will take part in a six-week version of the听Global Entrepreneurship Exchange听program. In the听College of Education, seminars include 鈥淲orking with Diverse Students and Communities鈥� and 鈥淲hat is the Science of Happiness?鈥�
On Thursday afternoons, students in the college-based option will participate in academic success workshops similar to those offered in the Summer Success Series.
The third Launch! option is the听No Cost First-Year College-Specific Programs听鈥� which is for students who want to take advantage of the college-specific seminars and success workshops without enrolling in the discounted for-credit courses.
By completing this free option, many students can receive a waiver on a one-credit first-year seminar course, which gives them a听free elective option that can be used toward a minor or a second major.
That鈥檚 what drew Moreno to enroll in the No Cost First-Year College-Specific Program. By opening up an elective, she can consider a double major in business.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to have that choice,鈥� says Moreno, an听Honors College听student who looks forward to moving onto campus in late August and getting acclimated to college life.
鈥淏eing first-generation, a lot of this is completely new to me,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o I really do appreciate that the university is using the summertime to help students be aware of the resources available to us.鈥�
In addition to the Launch! Summer Program, the College of Engineering is offering a virtual version of its听Research, Academics and Mentoring Pathways (RAMP) program this summer, while the College of Sciences is offering听SoarCS听to first-year computer science students.