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The Bridge Residential Program works with CSUN's most "at risk" student population -- special-admit, underprepared, low income freshmen, most of whom are the first generation in their families to attend college. Since 1997, under the leadership of EOP Director José Luis Vargas and Bridge Coordinator Shiva Parsa, the Bridge Residential Program has undergone a paradigm shift. This paradigm shift has broad implications for work with underprepared freshmen, not only at CSUN but other universities. Among critical components of this paradigm shift are the creation of two "linked" and integrated classes for the summer program; the creation of student learning communities; the maintenance of these learning communities for students' first three semesters in college; a developmental approach to help students master basic academic skills such as reading, writing, and time management; and the training of Bridge faculty and professional staff in the concept of mentoring.

Central to the Bridge paradigm shift are the new teaching practices developed by Bridge faculty who teach students for two linked classes during the summer, followed by one class during fall and springsemesters. This website describes their teaching approaches as well as provides their syllabi, sample assignments, and samples of student work.

Final Project Report to CELT

This teaching demonstration website was funded by a grant from CELT (Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching), and this website was designed by webmaster Mesan Richardson.