Carleton’s Student Experience Office (SEO) has launched a new program to assist first-year students who require additional academic support.
The Bounce Back program is designed to provide support and encouragement to first-year students who received an average of less than 60 per cent in their first semester at Carleton, according to Bounce Back supervisor Yvonne Langen.
“We have drawn on the basic principles of the program at Guelph and adapted them appropriately to best suit the needs of the Carleton community,” Langen said.
First-year students will work one-on-one on a weekly basis to assess what went wrong over the fall term. They will work with their own trained, upper-year student facilitator to develop new strategies to improve academically and set new goals for the winter term, Langen said.
“Lots of students have the difficulty in their first year at Carleton, we want them to know that Carleton, as an institution, will help them succeed,” she said.
She said the program also offers a reward to students who have the greatest improvement.
“The most attractive aspect of [the] Bounce Back program is not only the inherent value in improving grade in school, but also we are offering a $750 tuition credit to the three students who achieve the greatest improvement in their CGPA,” she said.
“We want all students at Carleton to have the best chance for success.”
Program facilitator Victoria Miceli said there are 15 facilitators in the Bounce Back program, who go through a group interview in order to be selected.
The facilitators should be well-rounded individuals, actively participating in various communities, and understanding the challenge, she added.
“We are willing to dedicate ourselves to this program,” Miceli said.
“I think Bounce Back program will be helpful for those low-mark students, [but] I wish it will open to more students who would like to improve their CGPA instead of only opening to low-mark students,” said Keegan Yang, a first-year industrial design student.
The Bounce Back program will begin in January 2012.
