August 15, 2005
INFORMATION: John McElwain or John Green, (661) 362-3494 or 3684
College of the Canyons' MESA Students Excel
College of the Canyons students who participated in the MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) program and its Academic Excellence Workshops performed better in math than fellow students, a class evaluation revealed.
MESA students involved in the workshops performed 17 percent better than the class average on exams and 15 percent higher on the final exam, an evaluation of the college's Calculus II class revealed.
The evaluation also showed that 80 to 90 percent of the 135 students involved in the workshops received grades of "C" or better, compared to 68 to 69 percent of all other College of the Canyons students.
Twenty-four MESA students will continue their academic excellence as they transfer to four-year institutions this fall.
Even before the evaluation was completed, students who attended MESA's workshop for Calculus II acknowledged that the 1.5 hours spent twice a week in the sessions helped improve their grades.
The MESA program also offers field trips, counseling, tutoring, a study center, education supplies, transfer assistance, and both academic and social support. The statewide academic enrichment program for historically underrepresented or educationally disadvantaged students has been offered at College of the Canyons for four years.
MESA students commit time outside of normal class hours to study with instructors and meet with other students on a regular basis. The program requires that students major in math, engineering or science, and qualify for intermediate algebra and be eligible for financial aid.
MESA counselor Dr. Edel Alonso said the program welcomes new students. "We encourage students who are considering one of these challenging majors to stop by the MESA center and fill out an application," he said.
Information is available online at www.canyons.edu/offices/mesa or by calling (661) 362-3448.
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