WSU Tri-Cities keeps students engaged during summer

By Maegan Murray, WSU Tri-Cities

GutierrezLinoRICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University Tri-Cities hopes to keep students engaged with the university over the summer by providing activities to incoming sophomores as well as transfer students.

Sophomore year is typically when students lose interest and drop out of school, said Lino Gutierrez, retention specialist at WSU Tri-Cities.

“Freshmen are excited at the beginning of the year after attending orientation. Juniors and seniors are invested in their clubs and programs,” he said. “Chancellor Keith Moo-Young wanted to have summer activities for sophomore students that will keep them connected to school.

“We’ve never done anything like this before,” he said. “If we can catch them and connect them back to WSU Tri-Cities during the summer, hopefully they’ll want to stay.”

There were 187 WSU Tri-Cities freshmen this year. The goal, he said, is to have 100 of them participate.

Through Sophomore Summit, sophomore and transfer students can: complete a ropes course between June 26 and July 15, attend a Tri-Cities Dust Devil minor league baseball game July 7, enjoy a barbeque in the park on Aug. 5 and participate in series of student leadership planning meetings that will end with a dinner at the Red Lion Hotel in Pasco, Wash., on July 10.

For the leadership series, Gutierrez said student groups will plan community service opportunities through the WSU Tri-Cities Cougs in the Community program. They will present their ideas during the July 10 dinner and then fulfill their community service projects during the school year.

“Students will have something to look forward to during the year,” he said. “We want students to know that there is something here for everyone.”

To sign up for Sophomore Summit, contact Gutierrez at lino.gutierrez@tricity.wsu.edu or 509-372-7241.

 

Contacts:
Lino Gutierrez, WSU Tri-Cities retention specialist, 509-372-7241, lino.gutierrez@tricity.wsu.edu
Maegan Murray, WSU Tri-Cities public relations specialist, 509-372-7333, maegan.murray@tricity.wsu.edu