A total of 16 African-American students who will be freshmen at West Virginia University this fall have chosen to cut their summer break short by moving to campus this week to participate in the 2015 Academic STARS (Students Achieving and Reaching Success) program.

Designed to help African-American students build a solid academic foundation and develop leadership qualities, the five-week transition program is sponsored through the WVU Center for Black Culture and Research.

This year’s group of students moved into the residence halls on Sunday (June 28) and later that evening kicked off the seventh year of the program with an opening ceremony at the Towers Blue and Gold rooms.

“We initiated this program to promote the success, retention and self-discovery of our African-American students,” said Director of WVU Center for Black Culture and Research Marjorie Fuller. “I am always impressed by our new students’ willingness to cut their summer breaks an entire month short so that they may become better acclimated to campus and life at WVU.”

Fuller said that many students are hesitant to miss the last month of their summer before college, but at the end of the program they discover that participating in the program has been a great decision.

Since 2009, the Academic STARS program has helped acclimate incoming African-American students to college life through a one-credit course, workshops and a variety of social and cultural activities.

Each day, students wake up at 6 a.m. prior to a unity circle exercise at 7 a.m. The students have one class each day from 9 to 11:30 a.m. followed by a one-hour workshop and study tables from 2 to 4:30 p.m. In the evening, students participate in rites of passage activities designed by mentors and lights out in the residence halls is at 11:30 p.m. each night.

Last week the group traveled to Blackwater Falls, Spruce Knob and camped overnight at Seneca Rocks. The trip, facilitated by the Adventure WV program, provided students with an opportunity to learn about themselves, classmates and West Virginia. Later this month, the group will travel to Cincinnati to experience the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the amusement park Kings Island.

Students are also required to participate in a “Rites of Passage Program” that takes place the last week of the program. This is total cultural immersion that builds on the knowledge that students obtained during required classes.

Students can apply for the program each year by visiting the Center for Black Culture and Research Academic STARS website. Interested students take part in a phone interview before the group of STARS is chosen. Students must have a 2.75 GPA in high school to apply.

The program is fully funded through WVU’s Center for Black Culture and Research within the Division of Student Life. For more information on STARS and other programs at the Center visit http://cbc.wvu.edu/.

-WVU-

ta/07/6/15

CONTACT: Marjorie Fuller, Center for Black Culture & Research
marjorie.fuller@mail.wvu.edu, 304-293-7029

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