2025 Summer Academy

• The PATH Summer Academy will take place during Summer Session 2: August 4 - September 6. Click Here to learn more about Summer Session 2 dates.
• Students will be asked to attend a mandatory orientation on August 1 to receive all their class materials and other program information for the start of the summer.
• The program aims to be accessible and understanding of students' responsibilities outside of the university. Due to this the program has virtual and in-person elements.
  • In-person Elements:
    • Tuesday and Thursday - Introduction to African American Studies (AAS 10): 11 AM - 1:50 PM
    • Activities scheduled on Tuesday and Thursday will be in person
  • Remote Elements:
    • Monday and Wednesday - Writing in the Professions (AWP 102R): 11 AM - 1:50 PM
    • Activities scheduled for Monday and Wednesday for the program will be remote

Name of Class: AWP 102: Writing for the Professions on Class

Time: M/W 11:00 a.m. – 1:50 p.m. 

Location: Remote

Teaching Professor: Karen Gocsik

Description:

Making the transition from the university to your profession can be challenging. Expectations are different in the professional world. You may be asked to work differently, behave differently and, yes, even write differently. This course is designed as a bridge between academic and professional writing. It demonstrates powerful similarities between the two types of writing: both seek to make an argument; both are based on the sound interpretation of credible evidence; and both, when done well, are clear and even compelling. But differences also exist: differences in professional and academic audiences and their expectations; differences in the way that you might organize your document for these different audiences and purposes; differences in how you situate yourself as a writer—less as a student who is writing to learn, and more as a professional who is relying on expertise to explain or to persuade a reader of your point of view.

Name of Class: AAS 10. Introduction to African American Studies

Time: T/Th 11:00 a.m. - 1:50 p.m.

Location: Humanities & Social Science Building (HSS) 1128A

Teaching Professor: Dennis Childs

Description: 

This course will cover the experiences of peoples of African descent in the U.S. and broader African Diaspora from the vantage points of cultural production, political practice, socioeconomic conditions, and the overall struggle for social justice along intersecting lines of race, gender, and class. Topics reviewed include slavery (and slave rebellion), Reconstruction, Jim Crow apartheid, the Great Migration and Harlem Renaissance, and the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements.

• Geisel Library + academic research review
• The Writing Hub
• Career Center
• CAPS – Counseling and Psychological Services
• Study Abroad
• Academic Research
• Academic Internships
• Scholarships & Financial Aid
• Transfer Center Services
• Basic Needs Hub
• and more!

• Field trips and hikes to the beach! Every year we take the PATH Summer Academy cohort on a kayaking trip to learn more about the ocean life in San Diego and engage in conversation on how to preserve marine life with Philosophy Professor Craig Callender.
• Study sessions for students to meet with your peers over coffee or lunch.
• Destressing activities focused on mental health 

• Students accepted into the program are expected to make the needed accommodations with work and other responsibilities to be able to participate fully in the program.
• Attending classes and workshops, in addition to meeting weekly with peer mentor, and completing other required tasks as assigned, are all mandatory elements of the PATH Summer Academy.
• Absences must be communicated in advance with professors for all classes and with program managers for workshops.
• Students are expected to spend an average of 8-12 hours per week on class readings and homework.
•  Following up with all campus and summer session deadlines is all up to the student in order to remain as part of the program for the duration of the Summer Academy and the rest of the academic year. 

• Each student is assigned a peer mentor (a previous PATH transfer student) who they are required to meet with for an hour each week. Peer mentors and students are matched based on major, life experience and personal interests, to help develop rapport and a comfort level between the folks.
• Peer mentors will cover specific content during meet-ups each week (like how to register for classes, find clubs, utilize the student resource centers, etc.) and will share tips and resources not otherwise covered in PATH workshops. They are also in place to provide individualized support, answering questions and checking-in to ensure their mentees are coping well with the program demands and enjoying a positive experience.
• Peer mentors also plan and host a variety of optional social activities, including study sessions, movie and game nights, campus gym meet-ups and more! These activities help students take a break from the academic demands of the program to develop community with their peers, fostering meaningful relationships.

HOUSING:

• Housing will not be available as part of the program. To learn more about campus housing, click here.

DINING:

• Food or snacks will be provided for participants before or after in-person activities.