Engineering's Summer Scholars Creates Small-Campus Feel for Freshmen

Summer Scholars Program Impact

Jeffrey Bigg (left) and Sonja Brankovic (right) during Power House's final presentation.

How will the Summer Scholars program impact participants? Litchfield's short-term hopes were that the students would "have a fantastic summer experience, make some good friendships, find their way around campus, be successful in their classes, and do really well. And ultimately, when the fall semester starts and the 1600 other engineering students arrive, they'll feel completely comfortable and at ease and ready to make a good transition into their regular college."

According to incoming Computer Science freshman Jeff Bigg, the program met many of those goals. "Without a doubt, this program has been extremely beneficial. Not only do we get to acclimate to the University of Illinois environment early, but we also get to make some great friends and earn some course credit along the way! Furthermore, we also got to meet with a lot of great companies and start making connections and networks early. I think that's a win-win-win-win-win situation."

Bigg also shared that unlike many other summer programs, where students "have a bit of fun, and then leave," in this program, "You really get an intensive and comprehensive college experience…Just like during the regular academic year. You have to make decisions. Should I sleep in, or should I go to class? Do I want to study for this test, or play volleyball? You're given responsibility. Also, you're in it for the long haul…Two months is a long time to be away from home, and so you have to be in this for the long run." His advice for prospective participants: "Go hard or go home."

Power House team member Alexis Clinebell discusses their project during the final presentation.

What long-term impact might this program have? Litchfield hoped this summer's positive start would give students increased confidence throughout their time at Illinois: "If they have a successful summer, I think that will build their confidence level for the fall, so they can continue on."

In addition, he believed it would increase both student satisfaction and retention: "You can imagine being one of these students who has now found their way around campus, and the fall semester starts. You should be more satisfied. I hope it increases retention. It's a very small group of students…they should feel pretty loved. I know some of our smaller competitors would say, 'Come here. We have really small classes, and you get to know faculty one-on-one and the student-faculty ratio is really low.' But imagine coming in as a part of a group of twenty-two, and you have six RPAs and essentially have the resources of this university for 40,000 people, and you're here in the summer when it's nice and quiet and small. So I think that the retention and the satisfaction will go up."

Incoming freshman Lexie Clinebell agreed that she will feel more confident this fall: "Definitely. It gave us a head start before freshman year; we got around campus and classes to get a feel for what to expect in the fall. Before, we'd take college courses in high school, but it's totally different. So it was really nice."

Narae Yoon during the Power House team's final presentation.

Powerhouse team member Narae Yoon agreed: "Yes, definitely. I got to know the campus, and I think I'm ahead of everyone." Will she will remain friends with the people in the program? She shared, "Yes, especially with my teammates." In addition, Yoon found the program helped her with her presentation skills. "Yes, it was a really good experience for me, because at the first presentation, I was really afraid to talk in front of many people, but then at the end, I kind of felt comfortable. So it was really helpful." Does she have any advice for students thinking about participating next summer? "It's a good program. All incoming freshmen should take this program."

To sum up his hopes for this program, Litchfield relayed an anecdote that his boss, Chuck Tucker, Associate Dean for Engineering Undergraduate Programs, shared with him about chatting with some prospective students and their parents. "Our daughter is just so thrilled about coming here—really excited," one parent admitted, "but we're not really sure. We're from a really small town, a small high school; we're just not sure if she can fit in or how it will work out." Tucker responded to them: "Oh, I've got just the program for you. Next spring, apply for the summer program. That will satisfy both of you. She can get started, but you can know that she's being taken care of well."

Litchfield went on to clarify that in the fall, there are lots of resources and people taking care of new students. However, able to put himself into the shoes of a new freshman coming to campus ("It's a littleoverwhelming!"), he indicates that Summer Scholars was created to alleviate these overwhelmed feelings and to foster "small-campus-feel experiences for a big campus."

His goal for the program in a nutshell: "Everybody knows your name."

Author/Photographer: Elizabeth Innes, Communications Specialist, I-STEM Education Initiative
More: iEFX, Undergrad, 2012