Participate

The WELCOME program is a pilot learning community model aimed at providing comprehensive support to first-year students at CCNY’s Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. The research aims to assess the impact of the WELCOME program on students during their college careers.

Students selected for WELCOME will be placed into cohorts of twenty-five, creating supportive learning communities. Together, students will navigate three courses during their first semester: Bridges to Success (a first-year experience course), the Freshman Inquiry Writing Seminar, and either Introduction to Economics or Psychology. Throughout their first semester, WELCOME students will receive ongoing support from faculty, advisors, and peer mentors.

First-year students at the City College of New York, who do not have AP or college-level course credits in English, Psychology, or Economics, are eligible to participate in the WELCOME program. Students will be required to sign a consent form and should express an interest in Psychology or Economics/Management.

Students will be selected for the WELCOME program through a randomization process. In this study, students will be randomly assigned to one of the following groups: (i) a learning community model in your first semester (i.e., WELCOME), or (ii) a typical freshman experience. Participants in both groups will be asked to participate in a survey one year after their first semester.

Students who are selected for the typical freshman experience group will still have the opportunity to meet with advisors and enroll in the course titles available through WELCOME.

All students who enroll in the WELCOME program will receive a complimentary, one-time $90 MetroCard! Students will be able to collect their MetroCard on campus once they arrive for the Fall semester. Please note, lost MetroCards cannot be replaced.

Reach out to welcome@ccny.cuny.edu with questions orsubmit an interest form on the WELCOME website.