In the summer of 2001, Tulane College, Tulane University's liberal arts college for men, launched an academic “bridge” program, the Summer Transition Program (STP). The program was designed to enroll male New Orleans Public School juniors, who could obtain automatic admission, into the college by successfully completing the program requirements. The goal of the program was to assist New Orleans public high schools in preparing students for study at the college-level and to enhance the students' prospects for academic success. The program began in the summer after the student's junior year and continued through the fall of the senior year of high school including an optional session during the summer preceding the students' enrollment in college.
Post-Katrina, Tulane's men's division “Tulane College” and women's division “Newcomb
College” merged to form “The Newcomb-Tulane College.” Students entering Tulane now enroll in this single undergraduate college and afterwards matriculate into one of its schools of Liberal Arts, Science & Engineering, Architecture or Business. The goal of post-Katrina the Summer Transition Program continues to be assisting students of New Orleans' Public & Charter high schools in preparing to study at the college level and to enhance their prospects for academic success. Our parameters have adjusted to encompass both female and male candidates from selected schools in the New Orleans public school systems.
The Newcomb-Tulane College invites applications from male and female candidates, in their junior year, from local New Orleans area public high schools. High school juniors selected for this program will spend the first week of the program in residence at Tulane University, where they will engage in an orientation to university culture and workshops [study skills & strategies, academic resources, applying to and financing college]. The following week participants begin a five-week course in English composition (ENGL 101) offered through Tulane University Summer School. Participants commute from home to attend daily summer class meetings. In addition to morning English classes, students participate in a daily English tutorial, career focus and ACT preparation sessions. Students successfully completing the English 101 course, with a grade of C- or better, will earn college credit and be allowed to participate in the concurrent enrollment portion of the program during the fall semester. Participants, in this phase, are required to enroll in one course at Tulane while completing their fall semester of the senior year in high school. Support services such as tutoring and skills development will continue to be available to students during the concurrent enrollment period. STP participants successfully completing this second phase of the program with a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 and with no grade of less than C-, will be guaranteed admission into Tulane's Newcomb-Tulane College, pending the successful completion of their high school programs in good standing. In the summer, preceding their first year of enrollment in college, STP participants are allowed to enroll in a math course and serve as peer-mentors to the new STP group.
The Newcomb-Tulane College, Summer Transition Program is funded by Tulane University and generous grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Coca-Cola Corporation. With the exception of books for the fall semester class and transportation expenses the program operates at no cost to participants.
