Why apply?
A “ripple effect” is often defined as a spreading effect or series of consequential events resulting from an initial action. This continuous and ongoing spread of results can extend into unexpected areas, making the true impacts immeasurable.
In the case of the Accelerating Academic Success Program, the grants provided to schools served as a catalyst, causing positive ripples that expand far beyond the initial goal of the program, which is to impact academic success.
The program also has seen success in other on-campus areas, including:
- Student-athlete confidence, leadership skills and time-management skills.
- Expectations (of student-athletes, coaches and staff).
- Campus and departmental culture.
- Campus synergy.
- Staff workload.
- Recruiting.
- Community support.
AASP helps student-athletes achieve academic success. Of those who attended a summer bridge program:
- 95 percent reported that they felt more confident after attending.
- 95 percent reported that attending the bridge program helped with academic confidence.
- 93 percent reported that attending the bridge program helped with time management.
One student-athlete who attended a summer bridge program said, “I feel confident in myself and I just know now that I can handle the college level of schoolwork.”
Also, school administrators note an increase in campus synergy and an improved campus culture. “(The AASP grant) put academic success on the front burner so to speak for the entire university; demanded academic and athletic collaboration; improved the academic performance in every sport; real source of pride for the entire university family,” said one school president in an anonymous survey.