Summer retention programs help UIC students at little cost

John Steenbergen taught Math 180, better known as Calculus I, during many spring and fall semesters during his 10-year career at UIC. 

When he was asked to teach the course as part of a new program called Summer Edge, launched during the summer of 2023, he knew there would be big differences. The class would be exclusively online and it would be for a smaller group than the 100-140 students who usually take the math course in a single semester. He’d also have to cover the material twice as fast. But the biggest difference: Everyone in the class had already taken it once. 

Steenbergen, a professor in mathematics, statistics and computer science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said the students he’s taught in his Summer Edge Math 180 course over the past three summers are motivated and eager to retake the class.  

“You always see students where something happens that just makes it hard for them to complete the semester,” he said. “Sometimes they just have to retake a course because they weren’t able to finish everything. The Summer Edge program is an opportunity to do that.” 

Summer Edge is one of two summer academic programs designed to help students recover or make up credits they might have otherwise missed. Both programs — Accelerate Your Success and Summer Edge — offer eligible students the opportunity to participate at little to no cost. 

The Office for Research on Student Success said both programs have improved retention rates among students, a priority for Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda. 

Students in the Summer Edge program pay no tuition to retake one of seven core courses. Accelerate Your Success offers students as much as $2,300 in financial support to take two or more summer courses to remain on track for advancement or graduation. The Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Programs, Student Success and Effectiveness oversees both programs. 

Grants launched Summer Edge 

The University Innovation Alliance helped secure the initial grants from Ascendium Education Group and the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation that launched Summer Edge in 2023. With 11 other universities, UIC used the program to study retention rates compared to a similar control group of students.  

In the first summer, only two courses were offered: Chemistry 122 and Math 180. Since then, the program has grown to seven classes, including English 161.  

In addition to having their course tuition covered, students are also offered a $300 stipend if they attend additional study sessions and complete materials on study habits.

The Office for Research on Student Success has found that 76%-83% of students pass a class after retaking it through Summer Edge, and students are more likely to achieve an A, B or C letter grade in the next class in the sequence.

This summer, 134 students participated in seven courses. 

“Our ability to retain these students certainly has improved,” Steenbergen said. “The Summer Edge staff does a really good job finding and recruiting students who certainly want to retake the course and succeed.” 

On track with Accelerate Your Success 

Accelerate Your Success launched in 2018 for students whose expected family contribution is less than $9,000. The program prioritizes students who have finished the fall and spring semesters without accumulating enough credits to advance to the next class level. For example, a first-year student may qualify if they have fewer than the 30 credits required to reach sophomore status.  

Many eligible students either have not scheduled enough courses during a single semester or have not passed a required course.

UIC contacts eligible students each year to make them aware of the program and invites them to apply for the $2,300 summer support. Students can take any course offered during the summer that fits into their academic program, but to qualify, they must take at least five credit hours. Students who apply range from first-year students who need to make up course credits to seniors wrapping up electives for graduation.  

The summer format encourages student participation, said Lindsey Back, director of the Office for Research on Student Success.

“To be able to utilize the summer session in a way that is beneficial from an academic outcomes perspective, but also from a student interest perspective, it has not been difficult to get students to participate,” Back said.

Since Accelerate Your Success started in Summer 2018, more than 900 students have taken advantage of the program, with others added to the waitlist. The Office for Research on Student Success has compiled statistics on the success of the program. 

Key stats included:  

• The average Accelerate Your Success student takes six credit hours. 
• Average GPA was 3.3 in Summer 2024.
• 98% of participants graduate or return for fall classes. 

“This is really an opportunity to support students in a critical time and close the equity gaps that we know are a priority on campus,” Back said.