Bloomfield offers free three-week summer courses

^{By: Andrew Mees, Director of College and Athletics Communications             communications@bloomfield.edu}

Under the direction of institutional faculty, the College offered for the first time free summer programs in July for incoming freshman students who will enroll in classes for the fall 2014 semester.

Designed to give students a head start on their college careers and acclimate them to their new academic lives, the inventive curriculum was implemented over a three-week period from July 15-31.

“Our innovative summer offerings are yet another example of faculty that are truly dedicated to facilitating students’ learning and success,” Vice President for Academic Affairs Marion Terenzio said of the initiative. “Our faculty approach their work through an evidence-based method. I am very proud of the Bloomfield College faculty who put student learning and success first, and find teaching strategies that align with student learning needs.”

The school’s newest undergrads were given the opportunity to take a pair of courses during the program. Offerings included classes in Project-Based Math, and a course titled “Selected Topics in Fitness and Health: Healthy Lifestyles”. Students participated in two three-hour sessions each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with groups switching between classes to tackle the opposite course following an afternoon lunch break.

Providing participants with experience in using the Texas Instruments TI 83+ graphing calculator, the math offering allowed students to work toward the objectives of Math 103, Bloomfield’s introductory math course. Projects within the class focused on descriptive statistics, sets and commercial applications. Upon completing the experience, students received a free TI-83+ calculator. Those meeting the objectives of Math 103 receive the opportunity to have the Math 103 requirement waived before the start of the fall semester.

“The summer program is only one example of such work through which students engaged in project-based learning experiences using mathematics principles they learned in high school,” said Terenzio. “Students gained - or in some cases regained -confidence in their math aptitude, feeling better prepared for college math. They also had the opportunity to waive out of the first year math course; and 25% of the summer students did, making the program extremely successful.”

Complementing the academic portion of the curriculum, Selected Topics in Fitness and Health educated students on the habits necessary to create a healthy lifestyle, from planning an exercise routine and eating habits to daily planning and successful studying habits. Participants received 0.5 academic credits for their work in the class, helping them to jumpstart their college careers while learning how lead healthier lives.

“We wanted to provide a snapshot for our students of what college is going to be like, and help them understand and be successful in the transition by teaching them positive habits,” former Head Athletic Trainer Jeremy Fouts said. “Offering these courses in the summer for academic credit is great way to get our students off on the right foot, both in their personal and academic lives.”

Click here to view our Flickr photo gallery of our innovative summer programs.