Reconceptualizing the Possible: 'Warming up' the Aspirations of Community College Students

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Reconceptualizing the Possible: 'Warming up' the Aspirations of Community College Students
Language: English
Authors: Christopher Bjork (ORCID 0000-0001-8230-2552)
Source: Community College Journal of Research and Practice. 2025 49(9):580-597.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Two Year Colleges
Descriptors: Community College Students, Summer Programs, Transitional Programs, Program Effectiveness, Student Attitudes, Residential Programs, Self Efficacy, College Readiness, Student Development
DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2024.2355877
ISSN: 1066-8926
1521-0413
Abstract: This article analyzes the structure and outcomes of a unique summer bridge program, Exploring Transfer (ET). Community college students who participate in ET spend six weeks living on the campus of a liberal arts college and enroll in two rigorous courses, similar to those offered during the academic year. To assess the impact of this program, the author conducted six focus group discussions with ET graduates. Data from those discussions indicate that taking part in intensive residential immersion programs may have a more profound effect on participants than is often recognized in research that focuses on academic achievement. For FGD participants, the intensity of the ET experience impelled a process of identity reconstruction that led them to expand their views of what they were capable of accomplishing. This article explores the specific features of ET that served to "warm up" students' academic aspirations and professional goals.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1490019
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:This article analyzes the structure and outcomes of a unique summer bridge program, Exploring Transfer (ET). Community college students who participate in ET spend six weeks living on the campus of a liberal arts college and enroll in two rigorous courses, similar to those offered during the academic year. To assess the impact of this program, the author conducted six focus group discussions with ET graduates. Data from those discussions indicate that taking part in intensive residential immersion programs may have a more profound effect on participants than is often recognized in research that focuses on academic achievement. For FGD participants, the intensity of the ET experience impelled a process of identity reconstruction that led them to expand their views of what they were capable of accomplishing. This article explores the specific features of ET that served to "warm up" students' academic aspirations and professional goals.
ISSN:1066-8926
1521-0413
DOI:10.1080/10668926.2024.2355877