The Puente program for Latino students may be revived at CSM in time for the fall 2012 semester.
Puente is a statewide program organized by the University of California that has been active since 1981. It is designed to help Latino students gain high academic achievement and to address low success rate of such students.
Latinos tend to be the first to attend colleges in their families, said Teeka James, English professor. Guidance to help these students with no previous knowledge gives them a better opportunity at transferring to UCs.
CSM previously had their own program that first started in the late 90s. James was among the teachers involved in the first Puente group.
"It worked as an English and career class," she said. "Basically it was a learning community."
Puente is formatted into two phases. The first phase, the developmental phase, puts students in a English 838 or 848 class paired with a Career 121 class.
During phase two, the students are put into an English 100 class with the same teacher, said James Carranza, CSM Academic Senate President, also involved with the program then.
Carranza explained how the college has shown interest in getting the program back in the works.
"We've identified a need for the Puente program," he said. "We've been working on it."
The counselor dedicated to the Puente program retired in 2000 and the program ended.
The college is now looking to have a full-time counselor, explained James.
"Counseling is spread really thin," he said. "There are only three full-time counselors."
A full-time counselor will be the main coordinator for the program, allowing it to have full attention instead of faculty trying to circulate time dedicated to it.
Students will also be provided with field trips to UCs through a UC leadership program.
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