For student-athletes, signing a national letter of intent to
join the UCLA program might seem like the start of their college
career.
But when they step out onto campus for the first time, during
the fleeting days of summer, it is truly their time to begin. Those
first few weeks in September can understandably be a jarring
experience with any of them.
With a rigid practice schedule for team workouts, class
attendance and sudden inclusion into a community of nearly 60,000
people, it can all be quite overwhelming.
It is a bit more complex than just running out onto the field
and donning the blue and gold.
That is why the Athletic Department and the Academic Advancement
Program have united in recent years to develop a system that will
help incoming student-athletes prepare for life in Westwood.
The Freshman Summer Program, started in 1999, softens the sting
of the transitional period students go through when they first
arrive on campus. The student-athletes learn to balance education
at a top-tier university and commit themselves to one of the best
all-around athletic departments in the nation.
The program for freshmen is a six-week academic tutorial session
that provides AAP students, as well as athletes, with an
opportunity to get ahead in their schoolwork while also becoming
integrated with the UCLA community. The program coincides with
summer school, starting during Session C and running through the
end of summer. It provides students with a more personal experience
compared to just taking classes and living off-campus in the
apartments.
In the Freshman Summer Program, students take 10 units of
writing-intensive classes with teaching assistants who can give
specialized attention because of the smaller class size, typically
20-25 students.
“The student-athletes can build a cushion academically by
having these classes completed before fall,” said Jeff
Cooper, director of AAP Summer Programs and Eligibility. “But
the program is so multi-dimensional because it is a
character-building experience.”
The program was created six years ago to give all students the
opportunity to take smaller classes, while also introducing them to
campus life. However, it was only five summers ago that the
Athletic Department and AAP really developed the academic program
into what it is today. Over that period of time, the program has
grown, as more and more athletes have decided to attend the
optional tutorial.
The scholastic benefits give athletes a good reason to take the
program as incoming freshman. Completing 10 units before the stress
of conditioning, practices and games during the school year can
provide a big boost for athletes trying to graduate on
schedule.
Examples of its success are Dijon Thompson and Cedric Bozeman,
who were the first basketball players to take the program and have
ended up graduating in four years.
“Dijon and Cedric came in, got ahead academically, and got
their diploma on schedule,” Cooper said. “They set a
great example, not just for student-athletes, but for all students
because they juggled the workload of a sport and school.”
Since Thompson and Bozeman attended the inaugural session,
basketball players have commonly enrolled in the Freshman Summer
Program. Sophomore standouts Jordan Farmar, Aaron Afflalo and Josh
Shipp took advantage of the program last year, and junior Noelle
Quinn attended the program the year before.
Athletes who compete during fall (including football) are unable
to attend the program because of the time responsibilities of
training camp and the beginning of the regular season that occur in
September.
“I wish I would have been able to attend the program as a
freshman because it has helped other guys really get involved on
campus,” said linebacker Aaron Whittington. “AAP has
done a terrific job of helping us manage our time and understand
the academic expectations.”
The other athletes, however, are strongly encouraged by the
Athletic Department to attend one of the sessions in hopes they
will come to school with a true understanding of the UCLA
environment.
Along with academic rewards, the Freshman Summer Program gives
incoming athletes the opportunity to get their feet planted firmly
on the ground.
“We want the athletes to use the program as a way to get
accustomed to what their life as a Bruin will be like,” said
Kim Durand, an assistant athletic director. “The college
atmosphere takes some getting used to, and this can help athletes
alleviate some of their concerns.”
The program is not limited to the classroom. The athletes live
in dorms and take classes with non-athletes. Rather than just
attending summer classes and being somewhat removed from the other
students, athletes get a feel for the Westwood environment.
“One of our biggest objectives with the program has been
to get the athletes and non-athletes to become familiar with one
another,” Durand said. “The program helps to break down
barriers and gives the athletes a complete UCLA experience because
they meet all different types of people that UCLA has to
offer.”
While athletes can use the program to enhance their social
skills and experience the diversity of the UCLA community,
non-athletes might have the most rewarding experience.
“Both the athletes and the non-athletes really get to
broaden their horizons by spending quality time with people they
ordinarily might not get to know,” Cooper said.
The Freshman Summer Program is likely to continue flourishing as
many of the older athletes have become mentors to the incoming
freshman.
“We are encouraged to see students who have been through
the program becoming role models for the incoming freshman to show
them what it means to be a Bruin,” Durand said.