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College Preparation, Pre-College and Support Programs

ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER (ASC)

Academic Advisement
Manager: Cheryl Walker
Nichols Hall [NI], Room 407 | 718.289.5401

The ASC serves sophomores and senior students who are not participating in ASAP or College Discovery. ASC advisors collaborate closely with academic program faculty, ASAP, the First Year Program, College Discovery and other academic and student support areas. The mission of ASC is to help students to the finish line and beyond by creating strong connections with academic departments, transfer services and student supports.

ACCELERATED STUDY IN ASSOCIATE PROGRAMS (ASAP)

Nichols Hall [NI], Room 411 | 718.289.5166
www.bcc.cuny.edu/ASAP

Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) is a comprehensive program designed to help associate degree-seeking students earn their degrees as quickly as possible, with a goal of graduating at least 50% of students within three years. Due to a variety of stresses and responsibilities, many students are not able to complete their associate degrees in a timely manner. ASAP helps to eliminate these stresses by providing students with the academic, social and financial support they need to graduate with an Associate in Arts, Associate in Science or Associate in Applied Science degree in no more than three years. ASAP features include individualized course scheduling consults,required full-time study, and comprehensive and personalized advisement and career readiness development services. Thanks to the program’s enhanced academic structure and financial support, ASAP students can graduate from Bronx Community College within two to three years.

ASAP students receive a variety of supports to ensure their success, including:

  • An OMNY card to assist with public transportation

  • Supplemental textbook assistance to reduce the cost of textbooks

  • A tuition waiver for any gap between full-time tuition and fees and financial aid awards (for students in receipt of financial aid)

  • One-on-one support from a dedicated ASAP adviser

  • Early registration options and course scheduling consults

  • Enhanced career readiness development and academic support services

Selection Criteria:

Students may be eligible for ASAP at BCC if they:

  • Qualify for New York City resident tuition• Agree to enter into a full-time associate degree program in an ASAP at BCC-approved major

  • Have zero to no more than 21 college credits earned and for continuing students a minimum GPA of 2.0

  • Students may not participate in both SEEK/College Discovery and ASAP.

Eligible Majors:

ASAP at BCC accepts most majors in the following degree types:

  • Associate in Arts Degree (AA)

  • Associate in Science Degree (AS)

  • Associate in Applied Sciences Degree (AAS)

ASAP at BCC does NOT accept students pursuing certificate programs or the following majors:

  • Nuclear Medicine Technology AAS

  • Radiologic Technology AAS

COLLEGE DISCOVERY

Director: Cynthia Suarez-Espinal
Loew Hall [LO], Room 406 | 718.289.5882

The College Discovery (CD) Program has been a part of the City University since 1964 when it was established by February 1964 resolution of the CUNY Board of Trustees. The program began as a five-year experiment, which sought to demonstrate that with the proper supportive services, students who were being excluded from the University because of existing admissions criteria could attain a college degree. In 1969, the Program was extended beyond its experimental phase and became a permanent University vehicle in the community colleges for developing college potential among disadvantaged students. The success of College Discovery is reflected in the performance of its students. Retention and graduation rates consistently exceed those of regularly admitted students.

To be eligible for CD, you must:

  • be a legal resident of New York City for at least one year prior to entering college;

  • be a high school graduate or recipient of a state-approved equivalency diploma;

  • have a college admissions average of less than 80;

  • be a first year student; and

  • have a gross family income that meets the New York State guidelines.

CD Students receive a wide variety of support to be successful, including:

Counseling Support

CD students are appointed a CD counselor that works with them for the duration of their time in CD to provide:

  • One-on-one academic, personal, and career counseling

  • Help with course selection and registration

  • Help with choosing a major

  • Assistance with transferring to a four-year college

  • Peer Mentorship

  • Leadership opportunities

  • Social events and activities held every semester for CD students to meet, learn, and have fun.

  • Celebrations of student accomplishments: Graduation and Honor Society Inductions “Chi Alpha Epsilon Honor Society”

Academic Support

CD students are offered a variety of academic support services aimed at strengthening their basic skills, bolstering their academic success in all upper-level college courses, and maximizing their retention and persistence through to graduation. Services included are:

  • Individual & small group tutoring available virtually or in-person

  • Academic Coaching

  • Access to online academic support resources

  • A lending library system established to assist students who have difficulty paying for textbooks

  • Dedicated tutors who work with students throughout the academic year and monitor student progression.

Financial Assistance

In addition to the grants students receive from Pell and TAP each semester, College Discovery provides:

  • Stipends to help students pay for books and school supplies.

  • Transportation Stipends for freshman students during their first year of college

  • Students receive extra semesters of TAP to complete their studies.

  • The program waives student activities fees

CUNY EDGE PROGRAM

Director: Denise Comara
Loew Hall [LO], Room 113 | 718.289.5100, Ext. 5047

The CUNY EDGE Program: Unlock Your Full Potential

Are you ready to take charge of your future and maximize your potential? Look no further than the CUNY EDGE Program – an innovative initiative designed to empower individuals like you with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities to succeed in today’s competitive world.

What is CUNY EDGE?
CUNY EDGE (Educate, Develop, Graduate, and Empower) is a groundbreaking program created through a partnership between HRA (Human Resources Administration) and The City University of New York (CUNY) to support students receiving public assistance that goes beyond traditional education. It aims to provide comprehensive support and resources to help students and graduates excel academically, professionally and personally.

Why Choose CUNY EDGE?

  1. Customized Support: At CUNY EDGE, we believe in tailoring our services to meet your specific needs. Whether you’re a current student seeking guidance or a recent graduate looking for career advice, our team of dedicated professionals will provide personalized support to help you reach your goals.

  2. Professional Development: Gain a competitive edge in the job market through our comprehensive professional development opportunities. We offer workshops, seminars, and networking events that cover a wide range of topics, including resume building, interview skills, networking strategies, and more.

  3. Internship and Employment Opportunities: We understand the importance of gaining practical experience. That’s why we connect our participants with a vast network of employers, offering internships and job placements to jumpstart your career. We work closely with industry leaders and organizations to ensure you have access to exciting opportunities.

  4. Financial Assistance: We believe that financial constraints should never hinder your education. CUNY EDGE offers various financial aid options, scholarships, and grants to eligible students. Our goal is to make education accessible to all, regardless of your financial circumstances.

  5. Holistic Approach: CUNY EDGE recognizes that success extends beyond the classroom. We provide holistic support, including counseling services, mentoring programs, and workshops on personal development. Our aim is to empower you to thrive in all aspects of life.

  6. Alumni Network: Join a community of successful CUNY EDGE alumni who have gone on to achieve great things. Our alumni network provides ongoing support, mentorship, and networking opportunities to help you advance your career even after you complete the program.

Don’t miss out on the incredible opportunities offered by the CUNY EDGE Program. Start your journey towards success today!

Visit our website at www.cunyedgeprogram.edu to learn more and apply. Invest in your future with CUNY EDGE – where education meets empowerment!

FIRST YEAR PROGRAM

Nichols Hall [NI], Room 105 | 718.289.5120

The First Year Program (FYP) provides innovative learning opportunities and coordinated support for first year students at BCC. FYP consists of the First Year Seminar (FYS 11), Peer Mentoring, FYP First Year Advising, The First Year Connection Club (FYC) and Faculty Development Programs.

At the center of the First Year Program is FYS 11, a one-credit, two-hour course that integrates three dimensions: development of academic skills with a focus on critical thinking, orientation to college life, and student development. The purpose of the course is not only to provide an academic experience, in which college success topics are interwoven but to support students’ success in other courses. This is achieved through both the classroom experience as well as through out‐of‐classroom support systems embedded into the First Year Program.

In the FYP, academic advisors work closely with FYS faculty and staff, embedded peer mentors, as well as student resource programs across the campus to monitor students’ academic progress and social integration. The FYP aims to foster student engagement, confidence, and academic success by:

  • creating a sense of community for students, as they transition to BCC,

  • empowering students to independently utilize services and develop a deeper understanding of their responsibilities for individual success,

  • providing opportunities for students to develop and practice the following general education skills: critical thinking, research, and information literacy,

  • promoting the use of effective and innovative teaching, and

  • serving as a model for peer-to-peer mentoring at all levels (faculty, student, and staff).

To this end, the First Year Program has designed and implemented a Pillars for Student Success model to provide students and advisors an essential toolkit for navigating college and preparing for the future. These pillars are four key areas that students need to concentrate on to excel in their studies and build a robust foundation for their career and life after graduation. They are:

  1. Academic Success: Commit to the Experience. Discovering your academic resources, developing strategies and creating habits that lead to graduation and help you achieve your academic goals.

  2. Financial Literacy: Because Money Matters! Learning and developing the set of skills needed and the resources available to help you make informed, effective financial decisions.

  3. Career & Transfer Readiness: It All Begins from Day One! Understanding the importance of being proactive in your career and transfer planning starting from your very first semester.

  4. Mindset for Success: Your Way of Thinking Matters. Identifying your purpose, developing a growth mindset and opening yourself up to new experiences

Together, these pillars provide a 360-degree support system, ensuring that students are equipped, both mentally and practically, to navigate the multifaceted journey of college and beyond.

FUTURE NOW

Director: Elizabeth Payamps
Gould Hall [GH], Room 417 | 718.289.5320
Website: https://www.bcc.cuny.edu/Future-Now

The mission of Future Now is to help empower out-of-school and formerly incarcerated youth by assisting them with earning their high school credentials, transitioning into post-secondary education and graduating in a timely manner with a college degree. The program’s purpose is to ensure that all students become self-sufficient leaders and powerful role models for the next cohort of students, their families and their communities.

Future Now offers the following services:

  • Free HSE (GED) Preparation Classes 

  • Academic Tutoring Classes 

  • College Preparation Classes 

  • College Enrollment, Advising, and Retention Services 

  • Connection to internship and job resources

  • Peer Mentoring Support Services

CUNY START

Associate Director: Pamela Eatman-Skinner
Program Coordinator: Norma Valenzuela
Brown Annex [BA], Room 101 | 718.289.5100, Ext. 3141

CUNY Start is an intensive and affordable semester-long program for Bronx Community College students who need to increase their Math and English proficiency levels before starting credited courses. The program provides 18 weeks of rigorous preparation in English, Math and College Success Skills, allowing students to reduce or eliminate their developmental skills requirements in one semester. In the CUNY Start Program, you will take Math and/or English as needed and hold your financial aid for credit courses. The program enrolls students who have been accepted to college because they have a high school or GED diploma but are not ready for college-level work based on their initial placement results. Each student will pay only $75 for the semester, which includes all curriculum, books, tutoring services, and college success advisement. The students are permitted two opportunities in the semester to demonstrate proficiency, which minimizes student time in developmental classes and saves financial aid dollars for credit courses. All students in CUNY Start work with a dedicated advisor who helps students align academic planning with their career goals; this combination inspires student success.

Math Start is a 6 to 8-week course designed for students who need to improve their math skills, based on their initial placement in the college, before they begin to earn college math credits. Students who successfully complete Math Start are eligible for entry into college-level credited math courses. In Math Start’s interactive, supportive learning environment, student understanding is maximized through in-depth study of core math concepts. Students pay only $35 for the summer. All students in Math Start work with a dedicated adviser who helps students align academic planning with their career goals. Students attend a weekly College Success Seminar led by the adviser.

English Start is a 6 to 8-week course designed for students who need to improve their reading and writing skills, based on their initial placement in the college, before beginning credit courses. Students who successfully complete the English Start course will satisfy the English prerequisite for many college-level courses. Through an interdisciplinary examination of college-level texts, students build key reading and writing skills, including argumentative and analytical writing. Students pay only $35 for the course. All students in English Start work with a dedicated adviser who helps students align academic planning with their career goals. Students attend a weekly College Success Seminar led by the adviser.

CUNY LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM (CLIP)

Associate Director: Jason Davis
Loew Hall [LO], Room 336 | 718.289.5207
www.bcc.cuny.edu/academics/student-success-programs/cuny-language-immersion-program-clip/

The CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP) provides English language learners who plan to matriculate in a CUNY college with intensive instruction in academic English. Classes meet five hours a day, five days a week, in day or evening sessions. Students who have been accepted to any CUNY college can spend up to one year in the program.

CLIP is a content-based program where students learn English through studying topics in American history, literature, environmental studies and more. This method enables students to build knowledge and academic skills as they develop their English language skills.

CLIP is a low-cost program. Most students pay a fee of $180 for a 15-week semester with 25 hours of instruction per week. Students do not use their financial aid while in CLIP. Instead, they save their financial aid for subsequent college coursework.

CLIP students enter college prepared to write compositions, analyze texts, make presentations and use computers for academic purposes.

COLLEGE NOW

Director: Susana Rivera
Assistant Director: Aurora Douglas
Butler Hall [BU], Room 307 | 718.289.5950
Website: http://www.bcc.cuny.edu/academics/studentsuccess-programs/college-now/

The College Now program is an initiative designed to prepare students for post-secondary education success while they are still enrolled in high school. It does so through an array of courses in the humanities, social sciences, the arts and STEM, all with an eye towards helping them develop the academic and technical skills necessary to survive and thrive at the college level. Through its informational, programming and support networks, College Now helps students understand what a two- or four-year college or university will expect from them as readers, writers and learners and what they can expect from any institution of higher learning. In the process, the Program helps students understand and stave off many of the remedial needs that preclude postsecondary success.

ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM

Gould Hall [GH], Room 318 | 718.289.5834

The Adult Education and Training Program provides free services to adults who are seeking to improve their English language skills — English as a Second Language (ESOL), get a High School Diploma (HSE) and anyone who is displaced because of loss of income.

Fall 2024:

Free Home Health Training and ESL A collaboration with the Bronx Educational Opportunity Center (EOC)

The HHA program is generally one month, 5 days a week from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. (Subject to change) Requirements:

  • TABE Scores required are: Reading 6.0 - Math 5.0.

  • No High School Diploma or equivalent required.

  • Only for ESL students (advanced level)

  • Eligible to work in the US

The program consists of three-parts:

  • Part A: Computing Fundamentals

  • Part B: Key Applications

  • Part C: Living Online

Requirements:

  • Only for ESL students (intermediate level)

  • No High School Diploma or equivalent required.

  • Eligible to work in the US.

  • Please call 718.289.5834/5835 for an appointment.