Starting college during COVID: examining whether summer bridge programs’ initiatives, goals, and outcomes translate to a remote environment

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the experiences and outcomes of students who participated in remote summer bridge programs during the COVID-19 pandemic which was the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years. The study aims to evaluate the impact of these programs on overall student persistence. Student persistence is the participants’ attributions, retention, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging. The remote summer bridge program cohorts will be compared by in-person cohorts in years previously and following. Utilizing a sequential mixed-methods approach, the research examines quantitative data on retention rates and GPAs, alongside qualitative insights into students’ personal growth, confidence, and sense of belonging. The findings reveal that remote summer bridge programs enhanced students’ preparedness for college-level work and fostered strong social connections and community despite negative attributions about the remote facilitation. Lastly, recommendations are provided for incorporating remote learning into future summer bridge programs and suggests longitudinal assessments to evaluate the long-term impact on student success.