ACCESS began in 1994 and is funded by the National Institutes of Health as part of the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program. The overall mission is to provide students with opportunities to acquire knowledge and skills that will increase their transfer eligibility and academic success, and lead to greater diversity among university undergraduates in the biomedical sciences. The program is designed to offer both academic support and enrichment activities to all interested students at Cabrillo, Gavilan, Hartnell and Monterey Peninsula College students. These help strengthen academic skills, increase university transfer and retention rates, and promote interest and participation in scientific research. Examples of these activities include study sessions, research seminars and lab tours.
Students who meet the ACCESS eligibility criteria and who are highly motivated are offered 2 types of opportunities. 1) They can serve as Study Session Leaders at their community colleges, helping increase the success of other students. Surveys have shown that those who attend these study sessions increase their success by as much as a whole grade. 2) They may participate in the ACCESS Summer Research Institute (SRI) where they become part of a research effort in chemistry, biology, or environmental toxicology. During the SRI, students not only join research teams, they also learn about various programs at UCSC, ethics in science, how to present their research, and other aspects of university life. These opportunities give students better preparation for a major in science, increase their awareness of the career possibilities in science and raise their confidence in their own abilities to do research.

PI: Prof. Phil Crews
Associate Director: Pam D’Arcey
Summer program deadline: February

Program home page: http://www.chemistry.ucsc.edu/projects/access/index.html