For Guidance Counselors

Dear Colleague,

Thanks for taking the time to find out about the Gateway Program so that you can give your students good advice as to their future educational direction. Here are a few features of our program.

We like to think of Otterbein as a college of opportunity that provides access to under-served populations, in particular new US residents. A one-year college transition program, the Gateway Program is aimed at recent immigrants who need additional support in three areas: English, math, and reading and study skills. Our goal is to enable students to undertake academic work in their regular college courses.

First, the Academic English course sequence focuses on the acquisition of communication skills for academic purposes, both written and oral, with an emphasis on formal writing and critical thinking skills. Among other things, students will practice prewriting, organization, grammar and mechanics, as well as sentence structure. As part of the English sequence there will be ample opportunities for students to get feedback on their assignments. Also, they will submit portfolios of their written work, which emphasizes the writing process and skill development over time. Additional support is also available from the Writing Center.

Second, students will take math classes at the appropriate level to prepare them for the academic demands in areas that require math, such as the sciences or business. Our Math Lab is a further resource for students who need feedback or assistance from tutors.

Finally, the reading and study skills course will help students with time management, organizational skills, and new strategies related to note-taking, exam preparation, and reading strategies, among others.

While our program intends to challenge students and prepare them for demanding coursework, we are also providing support structures to ensure their success. My role as academic advisor and mentor is to be in constant dialog with the students to monitor their progress and to intervene, if necessary.

I hope this short overview has been informative. I invite you to contact me with any questions you might have. (Please click on Contact Us).