BMCC student Kevin Jones spoke at City Hall last week, thanking Mayor Michael Bloomberg, state lawmakers and CUNY administrators for creating the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) initiative — or as he terms it, the “second chance fund.”
The ASAP program at BMCC is designed to provide students with the right courses when they need them. It offers convenient class times, personal advisement, academic support services, and guidance on career and job placements — giving students the extra support they need to successfully obtain their associate degree within three years.
Jones addressed his experience with the program at an Oversight Hearing of the New York City Council’s Higher Education Committee, chaired by Councilmember Charles Barron.
“In my attempt to express my appreciation and the importance of ASAP, I would like to congratulate Mayor Bloomberg and his administration, Chairman Charles Barron, CUNY Executive Vice Chancellor Selma Botman and the members of the committee for creating the fund I call the ‘second chance fund,'” said Jones, a liberal arts major in his second semester.
“The door of opportunity has opened,” he continued, “and that door is ASAP.”
How ASAP Works
Those in the program are part of a peer cohort of no more than 25 people in the same academic program that attends classes on the same schedule. BMCC provides ASAP students with a range of scheduling options so that they can attend all of their classes in a morning, afternoon, evening, or weekend block of time.
Financially, all ASAP students receive textbooks at no cost, and eligible students also receive financial assistance to fully cover tuition.
Academically, tutors in any subject are made available throughout the school year to give an added academic boost outside the classroom. Also, an experienced full-time advisor follows a student’s progress, helps them with decisions about their future, connects them to services and possible jobs in their field, and helps them transfer to the right college for their bachelor’s degree.
Jones: ASAP a “Second Chance” Fund
“My reason for re-naming ASAP is because it gives students who have not put their best foot forward in their previous academic career a second chance at getting a formal education,” Jones said.
He then went on to list the benefits he’s seen in the program.
“ASAP has an excellent administrative team — a team that cares about the success of the students. Professors take your academic growth personally. The small class sizes ensure that no student is left behind. The one-on-one tutoring and intimate seminars make learning possible.”
“As an active ASAP student, I feel as if I am part of an exclusive club, a club that wants their students to do nothing more than succeed in life. I count my blessings everyday to be able to be amongst an administration and faculty with great leadership and vision. ASAP is giving every disadvantaged young adult the opportunity to make his or her mark,” Jones added.
