Riverside congressman visits La Sierra’s Summer Bridge program

Marvin Payne, the university’s Sponsored Projects Administration director and chemistry and biochemistry department chair invited the congressman to observe the effects of federal funding on the university’s students, many of who come from the 41st district which the congressman represents. The Summer Bridge program is sponsored by the university's federal Title V grant. Takano met briefly with Payne and other campus leaders at the Zapara School of Business before being transported by golf cart to the Summer Bridge math class homework session underway at Price Science Complex. Students were working on graphing a system of linear inequalities under direction of lead tutor Craig Spedden.

Takano spoke with several students including Devin Heredia, a neuroscience and psychology major and Jesus Vera, majoring in business management. The congressman asked about the students’ future plans, their hometowns, their work in the math class, among other things.

“When Congressman Takano came to our table and started to converse with us, I was blown away because I had no idea the congressman was in the room,” said Vera, a first-generation college student from Stockton. “Meeting Congressman Takano was an amazing experience and he was really interested in the program which added just that much more value to the Summer Bridge program.”

Heredia, a native of Hemet, added that Takano’s visit to the class “impacted me in a way that this program is a part of something that will lead to bigger things. I also felt when he started to ask me about my [math] problem, he actually took interest in this program. It was an honor to be able to talk to him, as well learning about his visit to Mexico to learn Spanish,” Heredia said.

Sam McBride, English professor and project director for the university’s Title V grant which sponsors Summer Bridge said the congressman’s visit to the class exemplifies “the assumption behind the Bridge program, that if we lavish attention on at-risk students, we can inculcate self-confidence and work-study skills that will boost students' chances of success in college.”

The Summer Bridge program is an annual boot-camp style environment for freshmen who have not tested into college-level math. The four-and-a-half-week holistic program aims to help students improve their score on the Accuplacer math placement exam which provides an objective measure of how the students progressed. Those who place at the college level by the program’s end qualify for foundational college math courses.

Summer Bridge is one of five areas of focus under the Title V grant. The other four areas are basic skills English, basic skills math, first year experience and tutoring. The university was awarded the $2.6 million Title V grant in fall 2015 by the U.S. Department of Education to enhance educational services. Title V falls under the Higher Education Act. 

For La Sierra students aiming for careers in the STEM arenas of science, technology, engineering or math, mastery of college-level math is critical.

“This is a worthy challenge as to how to bring students up to college level math. Everyone is trying to solve this problem. Community colleges, the Cal State colleges, the UCs have tremendous remediation challenges as well,” Takano said. “The whole topic is something I want to pursue. I’m distressed because I know that the President’s budget cuts [include] teacher training cuts [and] a lot of categories that were helpful in this area,” he said.

Takano noted that Congress this year is working on the re-authorization of the Higher Education Act, adding he is uncertain whether there will be cooperation between the two parties.

As a former teacher in the Rialto Unified School District and past trustee of the Riverside Community College District, Takano says he understands the challenges of college readiness. “It’s really inspiring to see this investment in developmental education,” he said.

He added, “It’s good to see the ways in which the university is trying to use that grant effectively. The future depends on our being able to develop a skilled, knowledgeable workforce.”