In College 101, the questions are as basic as “What’s a bachelor’s degree?” and “How come the bell doesn’t ring when class is over?”
A freshman taking the one-credit, how-to-survive-college class at the Community College of Denver wondered why there was no one around when he showed up for class on a Tuesday. He didn’t notice the “MWF” in the school catalogue, meaning the class met only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
College 101, approved as a systemwide community college course for this semester, is another attempt at improving retention and graduation rates among lower-income and first-generation students. Instructors are trying to create a smoother transition between high school graduation and college entrance – one of the most crucial times for losing students.
Many of the students taking College 101 are the first ones in their families to go beyond high school.
“They just don’t know how college works,” said Jennifer Frank, a spokeswoman for Community College of Denver. “That fear factor is too much for a lot of people.”
Students want to know how to tally credit hours, choose a major and where to apply for financial aid.
A class this semester began with a scavenger hunt that sent students all over campus.
Instructor Tisha Corbett, who is director of enrollment, also sent students online to the Bureau of Labor Statistics to investigate their career outlook. And a guest speaker helped them create life mission statements. One student said she wanted to own a car within a year. Another said he planned to make it through dental school and earn $90,000 a year.
Keturah Lockett, a first-generation freshman, had a string of retail and restaurant jobs for two years after high school before she enrolled in college. Her counselor signed her up for College 101.
She said the class has made her feel more comfortable on campus, like she belongs there.
“Everybody I hung out with said I didn’t need college – they just told me to work a job until I advanced,” she said. “I definitely want to finish school. That’s necessary to survive.”
Patrice Bridges, a 20-year-old freshman and single mother of two, said the class helped her stay in school. She learned study tips and took a personality test that identified career avenues. She hopes to go to law school.
“I wanted to know more about being in college,” she said.
The Community College of Denver first offered the class in the spring of 2004, modeling it after a course at Moraine Valley Community College near Chicago. This fall, two other schools – Community College of Aurora and Arapahoe Community College – are offering College 101.
The University of Colorado is considering adding a freshman- orientation class for credit, and at the University of Northern Colorado, freshmen can take “New Student Seminar” as part of a package of courses, called “learning communities,” for students with similar majors, said UNC spokeswoman Gloria Reynolds.
About 500 students have taken College 101 so far at the Community College of Denver. After a few more semesters, officials plan to compute statistics they expect will prove that students who take the class are more likely to stay in school.
CCD officials want to make the course mandatory.
“We could teach every student how to be a better student,” said Lanine Baccam, coordinator of new student orientation programs. “It’s really teaching these students to be independent and go and get help if they need it.”
Staff writer Jennifer Brown can be reached 303-820-1593 or jenbrown@denverpost.com.
