Investigating the Potential of Community College Developmental Summer Bridge Programs in Facilitating Student Adjustment to Four-Year Institutions

Abstract

This study examines whether community college developmental summer bridge programs (DSBPs) can help students acquire the academic and college knowledge needed to attend and succeed at a four-year higher education institution. In-depth interviews with 14 participants at nine four-year institutions in Texas were conducted two years after their random assignment into one of four four-week long community college DSBPs. The interviews reinforced the value of such programs in affording key validating and socializing experiences as well as illuminate program limitations in managing student expectations and providing institution-specific college knowledge for students who will matriculate at a four-year institution subsequent to program participation.