CSP offers advising, instruction, occasional workshops and connections to campus that take into consideration the lens through which our students view the University of Michigan. This is no small task because the 2,700 students in CSP are the most diverse group on campus. Statistically, they come from the smallest towns, the biggest cities, the broadest range of family backgrounds, and sometimes most challenging high school settings. Intellectually, along with the usual qualifying scores and experiences, they bring to our campus cultural competency, critical thinking, curiosity and a desire to succeed. CSP students study in all of the colleges on campus including: Literature, Science, and the Arts; Architecture & Urban Planning; Art & Design; Business; Education; Engineering; Kinesiology; Music, Theatre & Dance; Natural Resources & Environment; Nursing; Pharmacy and Public Policy. Their contribution to American intellectual life is significant. As they collaborate with peers and instructors we aim to support their efforts.
CSP faculty and staff are dedicated to supporting all students who have the desire and willingness to work hard toward achieving their academic and career goals. The program operates by increasing the intensity of instruction and counseling.
Our intensive sections are smaller than routine course sections of the same subject. The CSP instructional model is rooted in the philosophy that we must recognize where students "are" before we can help them move to where they should be. We do this through diagnostic testing, individual consultations with students and no small amount of prodding students to ever higher achievements. Thus, some aspects of our instructional efforts function as a transitional bridge between the skills students bring with them and the skills they need to be successful at Michigan. CSP instructors are adept at keeping their eyes on two things: the level of student preparation upon entry and the demanding expectations of a world-class research-oriented university. Both are addressed in CSP courses as appropriate.
We also provide tutoring in a wide variety of subjects for those students who need it, but are not enrolled in CSP intensive sections. This comprehensive approach assumes that the capacity to do high-level work is distributed over the population as a whole and is to be found in students from all backgrounds.
CSP's vision is genuinely challenging and future-oriented. Courses are enriched, not watered down. Students are not passive recipients of extra help, but are responsible for applying extra effort. CSP resources are available to ensure that the extra effort pays off; it provides the support system students need to succeed in an environment full of new demands and challenges.
We have also expanded its offerings to include Freshman Seminars designed for first and second year students. CSP students participate in and contribute to many other programs and units of the University, such as the Honors Program, the Residential College, the Alice Lloyd Scholars Program, the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and the Community Scholars Program.
Participation in CSP is unrestricted. Most students are pre-selected by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to be a part of CSP. Other students may choose to join the program after enrollment. Any student who wishes to utilize the resources of CSP may request to affiliate with CSP by completing an application.
