Summer Bridge Program at WVU Parkersburg will help students bypass developmental courses FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Parkersburg, W.Va. 6/12/12 – West Virginia University will offer a new Summer Bridge Program designed to help high school graduates overcome challenges in reading, writing and/or math and prepare them for college-level coursework. The three-week program will run Monday, July 9 through Friday, July 27, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Each week will have a different academic focus, and students will only participate in programs for which they need assistance. The goal of the Summer Bridge Program, coordinated by faculty member Max Sterrett and retention specialist Bob Westbrook, is to enable participants to bypass remedial college courses. According to a report released this month by the West Virginia College Completion Task Force, developmental education is a serious challenge in the state and across the country. It is a major barrier to reducing the time it takes students to graduation. Approximately 69 percent of all students in two-year institutions and 20 percent of all students in four-year institutions require at least one developmental course when entering college. "Our program allows a jumpstart for students who wish to enter the college ready for coursework that will lead to their degree," said WVU Parkersburg senior vice president for academic affairs Rhonda Tracy. "A great deal of thought and preparation has been put into a program that is exciting, timely, and will meet the needs of college-bound students who need specific strategies for college success." Students who wish to attend the Summer Bridge Program must be planning to attend WVU Parkersburg in fall 2012 and fall into one of the following test score ranges:   Math English Reading ACT Score 16 - 18 15 - 17 14 -16 SAT Score 413 - 459 404 – 449 377 – 419 Accuplacer Score 74 - 83 78 - 87 70 - 78 Call Max Sterrett at 304.424.8294 or Bob Westbrook at 304.424.8371 to learn more. For additional information, contact: Katie Wootton Director of Marketing & Communications WVU Parkersburg 304-424-8203 E-mail Recent Releases News Archive