New program offers a community-oriented experience

Eileen Mellon
Contributing Writer

ASPiRE, the Academic Scholars Program in Real Environments, is the first of its kind at VCU and aims to provide a community-oriented and positive opportunity for sophomores.

Last Saturday, Jan. 21 at Harris Hall, a orientation program was held for accepted ASPiRE students to learn more and get acquainted with the program.

Students were chosen for the program through an application process that was completed during the fall of 2011, priority given to rising sophomores for the 2012-2013 school year. The first 148 sophomores selected to participate in the program will live, learn and volunteer together at the new residence hall beginning August 2012.

David Stephens, a freshman math and economics major became interested in the program because he was “excited about the service-learning opportunities,” he said.

“I heard the service learning is a great experience to do at some point during college,” he said. “That drew me in, I just wanted to enrich my educational experience any way I could and this was a good opportunity.”

The goal of the program is to link living and learning together in a four-semester experience that focuses on hands-on service learning, engagement in the community and creating positive change through co-curricular activities and coursework.

The academic component of ASPiRE requires an extra seven credit hours spread throughout the sophomore year. ASPiRE’s first course, “Introduction to Community Change,” teaches students how to get involved with projects that bring community change and in the second semester work in teams to develop projects that address community needs.

According to the program’s website, the residential experience will serve to make the transition between the first and second year of college life simple and rewarding. It can also help students who are undecided about their major get exposed to a variety of academic programs and service opportunities as they explore options.

There are no additional tuition costs for the program, and those students selected will live in the new five-story West Grace Street South Residence hall.

The new residential hall will include 23 study lounges; 13 common lounges; 6,000 square feet of program classrooms; apartment style rooms with washers, dryers and kitchens; access to parking; 12-month living contracts; and single and double-room options, as well as state-of-the-art classrooms and faculty offices on the first floor.

The West Grace Street South residence hall was put forth in accordance with VCU’s 2004 Master Site plan, with construction beginning in early 2010.

The ASPiRE program is an effort to create academic benefits for the students as well as work with VCU’s Strategic Plan for the future.