Beginning in the fall of 2022, incoming first-time, full-time students will be expected to participate in a college preparatory program and course intended to ease the transition into college.
Called the Saddle Up program, this program was implemented after the virtual orientations in the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic were found to be less efficient and successful, the Saddle Up Program Coordinator John Houghton said.
“I would say a huge catalyst for this program was just recognizing that we could do a lot more with orientation,” Houghton said. “The whole goal is to completely eliminate equity gaps in students coming to the university. So there are a whole host of benefits that we see with programs like this.”
Two specific student groups, first generation students and low-income students, are at a particularly high risk of struggling in the first years of college.
“About 90% of low-income, first-generation students do not graduate within six years,” according to a 2019 article published by the Education Advisory Board.
“That was really the whole push behind starting Saddle Up – students who are low income or first gen or had any barriers or obstacles to being a student at a university and really gaining that same full experience,” Houghton said.
“We’re creating it so that every student has, you know, an equal playing field when they get to day one of the semester,” Houghton said.
The Saddle Up program was created in model of similar programs at universities across the nation, such as one at the University of Nevada, Houghton specified.
“This program has been done at a lot of different institutions, sort of this week-long, collaborative Week Zero program,” Houghton said. “And what it shows is that we see anywhere from a 5 to 10% increase in retention of first year students.”
In addition to giving incoming freshmen a taste of college courses, Saddle Up also aims to give students the opportunity to start building a network of resources and provide students a sense of community.
“Part of our student learning outcomes is to start to give students that sense of community,” Houghton said. “So making sure they [students] start finding where they belong.”
Some UW students shared their thoughts on the new program.
“I understand it’s nice to meet people and to meet your professors. But I feel like you can do that on the first day and not have to pay and take an extra class,” said Sophomore Mckenna Moore, a Civil and Architectural Engineering major.
Junior Tabitha Sandberg, an Elementary Education major, shared similar sentiments.
“I think it sounds like a little bit of pressure and like, almost like it may be a little intimidating to come into,” Sandberg said.
“I wonder if they could, because I like the idea of being able to give you a hint of college before college,” Sandberg added to her statement. “But not if it was like, you either pass or fail it kind of deal like it. Or, you know, it should be like an easy pass.”
Freshman Krista Richey, a Biology major and pre-med student, shared some of the benefits she thinks could come from the program.
“I think it could be really beneficial,” Richey said. “Like my orientation was online, and I’m from Texas, so when I came here I didn’t know where anything was.”
The program requires that all incoming first-time, full-time students enroll in the program, as a replacement of more traditional orientation sessions.
Students enrolled in the program will pay for one credit hour worth of courses, at current UW tuition rates, and an additional $200 to pay for food and other expenses.
Fees are added to the total fall semester payment, which is due in August 2022.
Incoming students are expected to arrive on campus on Aug. 14 one week before the fall semester begins.
