New City College program aims to bridge gap to CSUs

Metro Academies provide resources for academic planning and transfer assistance for students

By William ChamberlinThe Guardsman

Metro Academies at City College helps low-income students and those whose parents did not attend college with course placement to transfer to CSUs in efficient time and good standing.

The program takes students through a very specific group of health and English classes which have overlapping curricula.

“We are here to provide support inside the classroom,” Metro Academies coordinator Beth Freedman said. “We want our students to transfer.”

The program attempts to help students get through City College quickly by minimizing the number of classes that don’t satisfy transferable credit requirements, thus minimizing wasted money and time for the student not familiar with college services.

Designed to help students by developing well-rounded skills in writing, reading, understanding and engagement in class participation, Metro Academies also assists in academic planning and provides tutors.

Formerly known as Metro Health Academies because of its original focus on health science students only, Metro Academies has been in existence since 2007 at San Francisco State’s campus and came to City College shortly after. Currently the program is funded by The James Irvine Foundation.

Still in its developing stage, the program recently spread its assistance from health science department students to anyone who could benefit and qualify. It is in the process of adding child development classes as part of the curriculum.

The program is designed to take students from an English 93 level and up and is spread over a two-year period. It currently has six classes with a cross-curriculum structure that helps the student gain basic skills and can currently cater to about 90 students.

“We are here for students who are underrepresented,” Freedman said.

Metro Academies is modeled after research by the Association of American Colleges and Universities that showed more engagement with students leads to higher grades and larger completion percentages.

“Know why they are here, and know how to get out of here,” Freedman said of the program’s mission at City College.

A pizza party information session will be held March 16 from 4 to 7 p.m at San Francisco State in the HSS Building, room 306. Contact (415) 239-3513 for more information.