College Restoration Program: Application Process Overview
Welcome to the College Restoration Program's web site! Whether you're a student, parent, instructor, department head, academic coordinator or advisor, you will find useful information regarding the Academic Support Center's College Restoration Program.
Overview:
The College Restoration Program is a specialized academic intervention program based on the belief that a student's academic performance is the result of much more than native intelligence. Academic performance is also a reflection of the student's learning skills, self-awareness, attitude, study strategies, organization, and time management. Students in serious academic difficulty can dramatically improve their performance with appropriate training and support.
The College Restoration Program was started in 1970 to assist students facing academic probation or suspension. More than thirty-five years of experience has taught us how to build a curriculum which addresses problems shared by all students, while at the same time allowing for flexibility and individual attention. Our classes are based on the latest research in brain-based learning and developmental education. In the early years, only four or five students participated in CRP each quarter. Today the program has grown to a capacity of 50 students per quarter, and it has been extended to include transitional support during the quarter following CRP. As many as 85 students may be involved with some aspect of CRP during a given quarter.
CRP plays a significant role in Institute retention, and it has had a powerful impact on the lives of many students. On average, approximately 70-75% of our students return to RIT colleges the quarter following CRP, and around 70% of those returned remain at RIT after three quarters. See our stats page for more detailed and current information.
No one plans to be suspended, and CRP students are usually surprised to find themselves on the verge of having to leave RIT. In hindsight, CRP students can point to many possible causes of their failing grades: not learning how to study in high school, choosing in the wrong major, poor time management skills, personal problems, inability to set and follow priorities, not accessing resources, and poor self-awareness. They see CRP as a welcome alternative to suspension and as an opportunity to identify and address the factors which have contributed to their academic difficulties.
Admission to CRP
begins with a referral from the student's academic department. The referring department then notifies the student to complete an application from the CRP web site. Once we have received both the referral and the application, the student is screened for eligibility.
Eligible Students must meet the following in order to be eligible to participate in CRP.
- We must have received both the referral from the student's department and the student's application.
- The student cannot have any financial or disciplinary holds on his/her RIT account.
- The student cannot have any more than one Incomplete on his/her RIT transcript.
- The student must use his/her RIT e-mail address and read his/her RIT e-mail at least once a day while in CRP.
Once we have received the referral from your department and your application, you can assume that you will be participating in the program, unless you do not meet one or any of the four eligibility requirements.
If there's a financial or judicial hold on your account, you are not eligible to participate in CRP until the hold is lifted. If a student is ineligible, s/he will be notified as soon as possible. If you have a financial or disciplinary HOLD on your RIT account, you must take immediate action to remove it.
If you have more than one Incomplete, you must complete the work and have the grade changed so only one Incomplete remains on your transcript at the time of applying to CRP. We will not be able to reserve a spot for any student with HOLDS or more than one pending Incomplete.
Once you have applied to CRP, you must use your RIT e-mail address for any RIT/CRP electronic communication. It is also expected that you will read your RIT e-mail at least once a day while in CRP, and that you will provide a working phone number where we can reach you. Cell phone numbers are helpful.
An electronic confirmation is sent to students to verify receipt of their application. The confirmation message includes important contact information regarding housing, food service, and financial aid. Students are responsible for arranging their own housing and meal plans. All students receiving financial aid are responsible for contacting their financial aid counselor to discuss their aid eligibility for the CRP quarter. Generally, students in good standing with the Office of Financial Aid continue to receive aid when they attend CRP.
Matthew Amerson, the CRP staff assistant, will contact eligible students to schedule their two intake testing appointments and their scheduling conference. Students should come to the main Academic Support Center office in 2309 Eastman for all of their appointments. Because there is so little time between quarters, it is important that students show up at their scheduled time. If a student misses an appointment, s/he risks being dropped to the end of the list of eligible students, which may result in being placed on the waiting list.
CRP can enroll up to 50 students each fall, winter, and spring quarter. We will continue to accept referrals and applications and list eligible students in the order we receive both their referral and their application. Once we have 50 students, we will start a waiting list. Students on the waiting list will be contacted as soon as we know we have an opening. If a student doesn't get into CRP, s/he can request to be included in the next quarter's program. Students need to contact either Matthew Amerson (475-5536) or Belinda Bryce (475-7818) to confirm their plans to participate in CRP one month prior to the CRP quarter (August 1 for fall quarter, November 1 for winter quarter, and February 1 for spring quarter). Please note that we cannot hold seats in CRP. If our office cannot reach a student or the student doesn’t contact us, the seat will go to the next student on our list.
CRP Intake
involves diagnostic testing in reading, writing, and math, as well as the Learning and Study Skills Inventory (LASSI) and MBTI, the student’s self-report (from the application), a transcript analysis, and input from the student's referring department. Based on a synthesis of this information, students are scheduled for their CRP classes and up to two credit classes. There may be additional recommendations that will be identified on the student’s contract for his/her individual program of study in CRP.
Students in CRP
have a temporary status as "part-time matriculated." However, they take a full-time equivalent course load (CRP classes and up to two credit courses) and pay full-time tuition which allows them to have access to RIT facilities such as the Student Health Center, campus housing, etc. At the scheduling conference, students are given a "Certificate of Enrollment" which overrides their part-time status. Students need to take this form to their financial aid counselor as soon as they are scheduled in order to have their aid for the quarter released (based on financial aid eligibility and compliance). In addition, students may need to submit a copy of the Certificate of Enrollment to the Student Employment Office (if they wish to work part-time on campus), the Student Life Center (to access the gym and other facilities), and to their family's health insurance company if they receive their health insurance through their family's policy. Copies of the Certificate can be requested through the main ASC office.
CRP Curriculum
All CRP students take the core curriculum which consists of two courses: Academic Strategies and Time Management. Academic Strategies provides a thorough overview of effective study techniques for college learning and application to current credit courses. Time Management addresses organization, scheduling, goal-setting, motivation, concentration, procrastination and stress management.
CRP runs three curriculum tracks.
During intake, students are placed in one of these tracks depending on their most salient needs and the results of their diagnostic testing. Students who need work in two to three skills areas are placed in the Skills/Flex Track which can address math, reading and writing. Students may take Individualized Math, Writing Skills, or Critical Reading depending on their skill level and the requirements of their academic program.Students who possess adequate skills but who may benefit from exploring such factors as mood instability, anxiety, addictive or compulsive behaviors, difficulty in establishing independence or responsibility, low self-esteem, or relationship problems are placed in the Personal Development Track. In addition to the core curriculum, these students take the Personal Development course which helps them develop new patterns and approaches to coping with life's challenges. They may also take courses in one or two skills areas if needed. If appropriate, students may be referred to the Counseling Center for personal counseling either in lieu of or in addition to the Personal Development elective.
Students who are unsure of their major and wish to explore other options are placed in the Career Exploration Track. These students take the Self-Assessment/Career Exploration course along with the core curriculum. They may also take courses in one or two skills areas if needed. Again, if appropriate, students may be referred to the Counseling Center for career counseling either in lieu of or in addition to the Self-Assessment/Career Exploration elective.
Mentoring in CRP
is part of the core curriculum. Every student is assigned a mentor, usually a faculty member in the Academic Support Center. Students meet once a week with their mentors to discuss progress and address individual problems and concerns. Past CRP students have commented on the significance of their mentoring relationship: over 93% of students rated their relationship with their mentor as excellent (70.7%) or good (23%). The mentoring component is perhaps one of the most valuable aspects of CRP.
Math
is a big component of CRP. Since most of our students come from programs requiring a math sequence (26.4% of students come from the College of Computing & Information Sciences; 24.5% come from the College of Applied Science and Technology; and 26.4% come from the College of Engineering), CRP provides math support on several levels: students who need to fill gaps in math knowledge take CRP Individualized Math, whereby a prescribed succession of topics must be completed with an 80% or higher mastery. Students enrolled in a math credit course are grouped into weekly structured study groups by course number. Students may also be assigned to use the Bates Study Center a few hours each week and/or attend the ASC's math review workshops. Our goal is to address the obstacles while the student is in CRP so he/she can proceed with the required math sequence successfully.
Structured study groups
are an important element of CRP. Students is credit math and physics courses are required to attend weekly study groups run by instructors or trained student study group leaders. Students in study groups earn grades for their attendance, participation, and preparedness.
Good health and stress management
are critical to any college student. All CRP students are highly encouraged to take a lifetime recreation class or participate in some kind of regular physical activity for health and stress management. Broadly speaking, the principles and structure of CRP are designed to address each student individually in a holistic manner. New research continues to support the mind-body connection and the impact of good health on learning, behavior, memory, and performance. In the spirit of an integrated approach, CRP stresses the importance of creating healthy habits and reducing the threat of unhealthy habits on academic performance. RIT's quarter system is demanding and stressful, and poor health can have a serious impact on academic success. The faculty of CRP firmly believe that students cannot implement cognitive strategies if their brains and bodies are deprived. In the case of serious problems, referrals are made to the Counseling Center, Student Health, or an outside professional.
The CRP Transition Seminar
is a non-credit, small group seminar class for students who have been accepted back into an academic department. It is designed to reinforce the skills and strategies learned in CRP the previous quarter. We have found that the first quarter transitioning back to a full-time academic program has its own particular challenges. Students meet in either small groups or one-on-one with a CRP faculty member once a week. Preliminary data indicate that quarter GPAs for students participating in CRP Transition Seminar are higher than for students who do not attend the Transition Seminar. We run six sections of this course each fall, winter, and spring quarter, and students can register through the Student Information System (SIS) online.In essence, CRP is a two-quarter process: the first quarter under the TCRP program code and a follow-up quarter under an academic department code (often on a probationary contract). This process is driven by the academic departments and their focus on student success. It is supported by CRP and the other services in the Academic Support Center.
