Albion College Science Explorations

Step Ahead students practice chromosome pairing, as part of a study session for their BIO195 midterm.

Step Ahead Steps Forward

Four-week program gets students ready for fall
July 22, 2004

Story and photos by Jake Weber

17 members of the class of 2008 began their Albion College careers this month, thanks to the College's new Step Ahead Program.

Step Ahead was specifically designed to address challenges often met by students who may not have had the advantage of a sound college-pre experience in high school. "These are students who have great potential, but may have high anxiety about college both socially and academically," says Julien Marques, associate director for the First-Year Experience and director of the Step Ahead program. "By bringing students to campus in July, they have the opportunity to connect with faculty, staff and each other in a more relaxed setting. Students are exposed to campus offices and services, like Intercultural Affairs, the Health Center and Counseling Services. By making these connections students can make better use of campus resources."

The 17 participants in Step Ahead are currently halfway through a rigorous four-week Biology 195 (Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity) course, spending five hours a day with biology professor Dan Skean. In addition, the students have sessions covering issues such as time management, campus services, and responsible decision-making. Last, but certainly not least, the students have plenty of time to begin forging relationships with their future colleagues.

Step Ahead students have two hours of lecture and three hours in the lab each day, in order to finish a semester's worth of work in just four weeks.

Marques notes that Albion's First-Year Experience provides this type of guidance to all first-year students during their first semester on campus. "This is taking FYE one step further with students who would potentially be at risk because of variety of factors that are more difficult to address once the school year gets under way."

Biology professor Dan Skean (in glasses) evaluates the students' demonstration of mitosis. "It's fast-paced and hectic," says Skean of the class, "but this extraordinary group is up to the task."

Step Ahead is a year long student support program funded by the State of Michigan Select Students Support Services (4-S) grant as part of the King/Chavez/Parks Initiative. The STEP AHEAD program will provide an opportunity for 20 pre-selected Albion College underrepresented first year/first generation students who are economically or academically at-risk make a smoother transition into college life.

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